LOGINThe next day, Gerald stepped into his usual bar just a few minutes past noon, the familiar creak of the wooden door and the soft chime above it announcing his presence. The atmosphere inside was calm, almost soothing, with a low hum of quiet conversations and the faint clinking of glasses blending into the background. It was a place he had come to rely on over time, not just for food, but for the brief sense of normalcy it offered amidst the chaos of his work.He walked toward his usual spot by the side, a small table tucked slightly away from the center of the room, giving him a clear view of both the entrance and the bar counter. It was a habit he had developed unconsciously, always positioning himself where he could see everything. Old instincts never really left him.He pulled out the chair and sat down, letting out a quiet breath as he settled in. For a moment, he allowed himself to relax, his shoulders easing slightly as his gaze moved casually around the room.Then she app
“How dare you sit there and watch one of your boys, that bastard called Inspector Ford, meddle in my affairs?” Nathan’s voice exploded the moment the call connected, his anger pouring through the line without restraint. He stood beside his desk, one hand gripping the receiver tightly while the other pressed hard against the polished wood surface, his knuckles whitening from the force.On the other end, the man receiving the call remained silent for a brief second before responding. “Mr. Mills,” Commissioner Harold Whitaker said, his voice calm and measured, carrying the authority of a man used to power but careful in how he exercised it. “What are you talking about? What did Inspector Ford do this time?”Nathan didn’t respond immediately.There was a pause.A dangerous one.Then he let out a short, humorless chuckle, the sound low and filled with disbelief. “You seriously don’t have an idea?” he asked, his tone dripping with sarcasm before he continued without waiting for a response.
Just as Nathan was about to rise from his seat, his body still carrying the momentum of the command he had just given, a knock came at the door.The sound was soft.Cautious.It carried the unmistakable tone of someone who understood the kind of man they were interrupting.Nathan’s movement paused mid-action, his jaw tightening slightly as his gaze shifted toward the door.The door opened gently and his secretary stepped in.She held an iPad close to her chest and a brown envelope in her other hand. Her posture was careful, her steps measured as she approached the desk, fully aware of the tension that already filled the room.“Sir, this just came in,” she said, her voice polite but slightly tense as she extended the envelope toward him. “For you.”Nathan’s eyes dropped to the envelope.For a brief moment, he didn’t take it. Then slowly, he reached out and collected it.The moment his fingers touched it, something shifted.His eyes moved to the top corner. To the stamped address.And
That 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
The urgent call from Marcel turned out to be strictly work-related, though it came at the worst possible time imaginable. A major client from New York—one Nathan had spent years carefully cultivating, had suddenly requested a face-to-face meeting, insisting emphatically that it had to be Nathan hi
Nathan walked back outside like a man possessed, his jaw clenched so tight it ached painfully. The night air felt heavy against his skin, doing nothing to cool the rage boiling inside him like molten lava. He barely registered his surroundings as he pushed through the gate with forceful movements.
By nightfall, the city had grown quieter and more subdued, the earlier rush fading into distant hums of traffic and scattered streetlights that dotted the darkness like small beacons. Nathan stood outside a modest but well-kept apartment building, his posture rigid and tense as he faced Marcel wit
"Charlie," Nathan said again, his voice breaking this time, stripped completely of the anger and arrogance that once defined him so thoroughly and completely. His eyes grew wet with unshed tears that threatened to spill over. "I can't live without you. You're the only one I love. The only one I've







