LOGINThat evening, Marcel sat alone in his study, the soft glow from his laptop screen illuminating his face as his fingers moved quickly across the keyboard. The room was quiet, save for the faint clicking sound of the keys and the distant noise of his children playing somewhere in the house.He had been working on this for hours.Every detail.Every trace.Every piece of information he could gather about Inspector Gerald Ford.Now, it was all coming together.Marcel leaned slightly forward in his chair, his eyes narrowing in concentration as he scrolled through the compiled report. He had already organized everything neatly, cross-checking facts, verifying sources, and ensuring there were no gaps that could draw Nathan’s anger.He exhaled slowly.Almost done.Just one last file.A friend within the police force had sent it earlier that day. It had taken longer to access than expected, which was partly why he had been delayed.Marcel clicked on it.The screen flickered slightly before o
The next morning arrived quietly, but for Inspector Gerald Ford, there was nothing calm about it.The early sunlight filtered through the tall buildings as his car came to a stop outside Charlotte’s apartment complex. He stepped out, his mind already running through possibilities, questions, and loose ends that refused to settle.Something wasn’t right.From everything Charlotte had said the night before, from the fear in her voice, from the way Nathan had acted, Gerald knew this case was far from ordinary. It wasn’t just about abduction anymore. It was deeper, messier, and far more dangerous than it appeared on the surface.He made his way upstairs quickly, his footsteps firm against the tiled floor. When he reached her apartment door, he paused briefly before pushing it open.The moment he stepped inside, his instincts kicked in immediately.The place was a mess.Drawers were pulled out and left hanging open. Clothes were scattered across the floor. Cushions had been ripped apart a
“Uhm…” Gerald started, his voice trailing off slightly as he processed what he had just heard. He exchanged a quick glance with Sergeant Daniel Reeves, whose expression clearly mirrored his own shock, though his hand continued moving across the notepad, documenting every word Charlotte had said with disciplined focus. Gerald cleared his throat and leaned forward slightly. “Okay. Go ahead.”Charlotte swallowed hard.Her fingers tightened around the edge of the table for a brief moment before she forced herself to continue. The weight of what she was about to say pressed heavily against her chest, but she knew there was no turning back now.“Recently, before the abduction,” she began slowly, choosing her words carefully, “I discovered that the Deans are not my true parents.”The room seemed to grow quieter.Even the faint sounds from outside the office faded into the background as both officers focused entirely on her.Charlotte inhaled deeply before continuing.“According to the DNA t
“Am I under arrest, Inspector Ford?” Charlotte asked, her voice carrying a mix of fear and uncertainty as her eyes moved from Gerald to the other officer standing beside him, who held a small notepad and pen, ready to document every word spoken in the room.Charlotte was seated opposite Inspector Gerald Ford in his office that same night, not long after they arrived at the station. The room was modest but orderly, with a large wooden desk separating them, files stacked neatly at one corner, and a dim overhead light casting a steady glow that made everything feel both official and slightly intimidating. The quiet hum of activity from outside the office filtered faintly through the walls, reminding her that this was a place where serious matters were handled daily.The journey to the station hadn't been easy for her.As the police car moved through the night, Charlotte had grown increasingly restless. She sat in the back seat, her fingers clasped tightly together as she stared out of
The city stretched endlessly under the quiet cover of night as the car moved steadily along the dimly lit road. Streetlights flickered past in rhythmic intervals, casting brief glows into the interior of the vehicle before fading into darkness again. Inside, however, the silence was far from peaceful.Nathan sat in the back seat, his body still but his mind in turmoil. His gaze was fixed ahead, though it was clear he wasn’t paying attention to the road. His thoughts were elsewhere, circling the same events over and over again with growing intensity. His jaw tightened slowly, the muscles along his face hardening as he replayed every moment that had unfolded at the restaurant.The inspector’s audacity.Charlotte’s words.Her choice.His fingers curled tightly into his palm as a wave of restrained anger passed through him. He brought his hand up and pressed his thumb against his lower lip, biting down slightly in a familiar gesture that surfaced only when his emotions threatened to
"Are you threatening me now?!" Gerald cut in sharply, his voice exploding with controlled rage that immediately shifted the tension in the air dramatically and dangerously.In one swift movement, he stepped forward aggressively and seized Nathan by the collar roughly, his grip tightening around his neck as he shoved him back hard against the side of the car with considerable force. The impact produced a dull thud that echoed slightly in the tense silence that followed immediately afterward.Nathan's back pressed firmly against the vehicle, but he did not resist at all.Instead, he slowly lifted both hands in the air in a gesture that was almost mocking in its calmness, and then he began to laugh.With a quiet, unsettling amusement that only fueled Gerald's anger even more intensely.Around them, the atmosphere changed instantly and dramatically.Nathan's men reacted without hesitation or delay whatsoever.Weapons were drawn in a split second.The metallic clicks of guns being cocked
"Come, Nathan," Johnson said again quickly, his voice warm and persuasive as he reached for his spoon. He scooped a generous piece of meat from the dish before him and dropped it neatly onto Nathan's plate with practiced ease. "Have some."Nathan glanced down at the plate, then back up at Johnson.
"Hey, wait!" Johnson stepped forward in panic, his hands stretched out as he tried to block Nathan's path. His voice trembled despite his attempt to sound authoritative, cracking slightly on the last syllable. "Nathan, calm down! Okay? You and Celine just got married. If you kill her, you're going
That night, the black SUV rolled smoothly through the grand iron gates of the Dean family mansion. The car came to a slow halt in front of the entrance, gravel crunching softly beneath its tires.The driver stepped out first and opened the back door. Nathan emerged calmly, adjusting his suit jack
Charlotte sat behind her desk in the glass-partitioned office section that separated her from the rest of the design team. The space was small but neat, carefully arranged the way she liked it, everything in its place, nothing excessive or unnecessary. She flipped through the file in front of her,







