Darnell pushed open the café door. The scene before him was shocking. "Geez," he thought, "how much blood did Robin lose?" The heavy, metallic scent of blood was nauseating. Yet, Yvette sat calmly in the midst of it, enjoying her pasta. Darnell's eye twitched involuntarily. "Even with this awful smell," he mused, "she can still eat? She's tough. I'm impressed."

Just as Darnell entered, the Ybaulla delegation followed. More than ten brawny men arrived, led by a man in traditional Ybaulla attire; the others wore black suits and sunglasses, exuding intimidation. Their intentions were clearly hostile.

Seeing the police and Malcolm Hart, the Prime Minister's Secretary, Robin felt a surge of energy. He yelled, "Help me, Mr. Hart! This woman is crazy! This Clusian woman has a gun! She did this on purpose to ruin the exchange event! Arrest her!"

Malcolm, Kishida's secretary, assessed the scene. He saw the bloodied Robin and his gaze sharpened as it fell upon Yvette, who sat composedly, legs crossed, showing no fear. Malcolm's anger was volcanic. He'd already seen the livestream, knowing the culprit's identity. "What a vicious woman," he thought. "If we'd arrived later, Robin might have died. Isn't she afraid of the Jenkins family or Mr. Hall?" A shadow crossed his eyes. He quickly ordered his bodyguards to tend to Robin.

The café patrons, witnessing the police arrival, rose to Yvette's defense. "You started it! You were rude first!" one shouted. Others echoed the sentiment, testifying to Robin's initial aggression. The male streamer abruptly ended the broadcast. Viewers, unable to see the unfolding events, flooded other official accounts with anxious queries.

Darnell calmly addressed the crowd. "Everyone, rest assured that we will ensure justice. There will be a satisfactory resolution. Please cooperate with our officers and leave the café."

Once the café was cleared, Darnell noticed Malcolm's grim expression. Instead of approaching Malcolm directly, he went to Yvette. Lucy, having just left, thought, "Considering the situation, I should prepare, just in case Ms. Zeller faces trouble. FastPulse Technologies won't let this go. We have the resources to crush anyone if necessary. People from Ybaulla acting superior in Clusia? In their dreams!"

Darnell was surprised to find himself in this situation with Jeremiah's girlfriend. "Mr. Chavez's girlfriend must be influential," he mused, watching her calmly withstand Malcolm's furious glare. "Is there another woman as brave as her?"

Politely, Darnell asked, "Ms. Zeller, nice to see you again. Are you alright?"

Yvette, lifting her eyes, met his gaze and chuckled, her eyebrows slightly arched. "I'm fine," she said with chilling nonchalance. "He's the one injured."

Robin, hearing this, fainted again. Malcolm, a seasoned political player, analyzed the situation more deeply. "Police deployment in Clusia requires higher-up approval," he thought. "Does this officer's attitude reflect Clusia's stance? Are they shielding her?"

Malcolm coughed, observing their conversation. In a cold voice, he asked, "Officer, are you in charge of this case?"

Darnell, standing tall in his uniform, replied coldly, "Yes, I am Darnell Tucker, Deputy Chief at Betrico Police Station, overseeing this case for now. The future is uncertain."

Malcolm felt a lump in his throat. "Isn't that obvious?" he thought. "They're avoiding the issue." His face flushed. "Mr. Tucker, this woman brandished a weapon and injured Mr. Jenkins. That's a serious offense. What action will you take? Or is Clusia unjustly protecting a criminal? Mr. Hall said this incident is extremely serious and must be investigated thoroughly."

Darnell laughed scornfully. "Acting tough with borrowed power?" he thought. Glancing at Yvette, then back at Malcolm, his gaze was sharp and unwavering. "Mr. Hart, what's the real story? Our laws, not yours, will determine the crime."

Malcolm, stunned by Darnell's firmness, was both embarrassed and furious. "Are you favoring her? If Clusia's laws fail, we'll take her ourselves." He gestured, and his bodyguards, hands near their weapons, prepared for a confrontation.

Darnell's gaze hardened. "Am I to be pushed around in my own territory? What's my position for? Besides," he thought, "this girl is the future granddaughter-in-law of Mr. Jase Chavez and girlfriend of Mr. Jeremiah Chavez. She must be protected." He signaled his officers, who formed a protective ring around Yvette. "Ms. Zeller," he said, "no one can touch you here."

Malcolm's face darkened. "They're determined to protect her," he realized. The tension was palpable. He was baffled. "Why would they risk a confrontation for this woman? Is it worth it?" He didn't understand Robin's actions or the Clusians' unity against outsiders.

Yvette, surrounded by police, lowered her eyes. She hadn't expected this level of protection. It was novel, but not unpleasant.

The standoff continued. Malcolm, seeing the situation, called Kyle to explain the crisis. Kyle immediately instructed his team to contact Clifford, demanding Yvette's handover.

Clifford, upon hearing the demand, sneered. "No way. There's no chance we'll hand over Yvette." He thought, "Of course not. I'll never hand her over."