The Last Sovereign

Chapter 3

The two officers stood facing each other, eyes locked in a silent, heated exchange.

They couldn’t believe it—how dare this young criminal give them orders?

"You think you can just summon the Chief whenever you feel like it?" Officer Harris scoffed, his voice low, laced with irritation.

Joshua didn’t flinch. His gaze remained sharp, almost amused.

"If you two don’t want to go get him, I can always call him myself," he said, his tone calm and unbothered. "But if I do, things might get... complicated."

The words hung in the air, thick with subtle menace. The officers stiffened. A chill ran down their spines as they processed the weight of his threat.

Before they could react, Joshua casually reached for his phone, his finger hovering over the dial. Panic flickered in their eyes.

"No, no! Wait!" Officer Harris blurted, his voice cracking slightly.

"We’ll go get him. We’ll get him now." Without a second thought, both officers turned and hurried out the door, their feet practically stumbling over themselves in their haste.

They weren’t about to risk a call from this young man.

Less than a minute passed before Ethan Brown, the police chief, arrived at a near sprint.

His face was taut with worry as he pushed through the door. His eyes scanned the room, falling on the calm figure of Joshua sitting in the chair, his hands folded in front of him like a king waiting for his subjects.

A cold wave of dread washed over Ethan.

"Joshua," Ethan said, his voice tight, almost reverent. He stopped a few feet away, looking down at the young man. "What can I do for you?"

The room fell silent. Every officer, every staff member, seemed frozen.

They couldn’t believe their eyes. The Chief—Ethan Brown—was standing there, addressing the criminal with nothing but respect.

And this wasn’t just any criminal. This was a twenty-year-old, a man they had barely heard of until now.

The two officers who had run to fetch Ethan stood just inside the door, their hearts racing.

They exchanged looks of silent relief. They had made the right choice, no question. If they had let Joshua make that call, they might’ve found themselves out of a job—or worse.

Joshua leaned back in his chair, his expression distant. "I’ve been arrested," he said, his voice detached.

"Apparently, there’s a report about me: bribery, corruption, murder…" His words trailed off as if it was all just another inconvenience to him.

Ethan’s eyes widened, shock spreading across his features. He looked like he might choke on the very words.

"What?" he asked, disbelief evident in his voice.

"But… that’s impossible. You—there’s no way. You’ve done more for this town in the last year than anyone else. You’ve restructured the local economy, slashed living costs, helped reform healthcare... People practically worship you!"

Around them, the room was filled with murmurs and whispers.

"Building schools so everyone can read, funding road construction to connect people and goods, lowering medicine prices so everyone can afford healthcare..."

"Any one of those would be a tremendous act of kindness, but he's done all of that?"

"Damn, could they have arrested the wrong guy?"

The officers had been watching the young man, listening to him speak, and now they stood frozen in place, realizing just how wrong they had been.

Their faces drained of color as they recalled the news reports about Joshua’s work—his rapid rise in business, his impressive acquisitions, his hands-on approach to community welfare.

Had they really been arresting the town's benefactor?

Joshua raised a hand, his fingers tapping lightly on the table, cutting through the growing tension.

"I’m not interested in your gratitude, Chief," he said, his voice flat. "I need something from you."

Ethan blinked, still reeling from the shock, but his professionalism kicked in.

"Of course, anything," he replied quickly, too eager to please. "What can I do for you, sir?"

"I have a few loose ends to tie up," Joshua continued, his eyes narrowing slightly. "And I need to tell you."