Semua Bab Gold & Sand: Bab 161 - Bab 170

Arthur was hunched over his desk, scanning through intelligence reports on his latest case. He scribbled notes in the margins, his focus narrowed on the lines of text when the phone rang. He answered quickly, hoping to get this call over with so he could dig deeper into his investigation."Detective Cooper," Arthur said, his voice sharp and professional."Cooper, it’s William from the narcotics task force," came the voice from the other end. "We’ve got a new lead on the shipment coming in tonight. You with me?"Arthur sat up straighter, his mind immediately snapping to attention. "Go ahead. What’s the latest?""We’ve traced the route—it’s coming from one of the ports downtown. Our intel suggests it’s a large load this time. We're talking at least three, maybe four times the usual volume. But the kicker is, the delivery is being made under the cover of a front business—someone’s using one of the nightcl

Arthur sat in the passenger seat, his gaze fixed on the cityscape rushing past the window. The faint glow of streetlights cast a dim reflection on the glass, blending with the tension weighing down on him. William, in the driver’s seat, kept his hands steady on the wheel, his sharp eyes focused on the road ahead.“So,” William said, breaking the silence. “You checked the financial records yesterday?”Arthur let out a breath, nodding. “Yeah. I dug through everything I could, followed every lead, but nothing stuck out. No suspicious transactions, no offshore accounts, nothing concrete. It was clean—too clean.”William hummed thoughtfully. “That’s usually a bad sign.”“Exactly,” Arthur agreed. “So, I decided to check out the Mirage myself.” He hesitated, running a hand through his hair. “But it got messy, and I had to leave.”William glanced at him, a

Morning light filtered through the room, casting a golden hue over the polished floors. The faint hum of the city outside blended with the controlled rhythm of Matthew’s breath as he worked through his sit-ups. Bare-chested, short shorts riding up his thighs, his muscles flexed with each movement. He didn’t rush… this wasn’t about fitness; it was about focus. About not thinking too hard about the man he’d made a deal with.Then the front door clicked open.Cassidy stepped in, his expression unreadable, but his presence carried a weight that instantly filled the space. He wasn’t tired… no, Cassidy never let himself look tired… but something in his eyes was off. He was irritated.Matthew didn’t stop. Didn’t even look at him at first. He just smirked. “Well, if it isn’t the man of the hour. Tell me, did she moan your name or just fake it to get you out faster?”Cassidy’s jaw tensed. His lips twitched… not in amusement, but in that way they did when he was debating whether to snap or play

Cassidy pulled up in front of the station, the engine humming softly in the morning stillness. His grip on the steering wheel was tight, knuckles whitening as he stared straight ahead, his mind caught in an endless spiral. Arthur, meanwhile, had no idea of the storm he had just unleashed."Alright, see you later?" Arthur asked, unbuckling his seatbelt.Cassidy forced himself to look at him, to focus on the present rather than the suffocating weight in his chest. Arthur was smiling, relaxed, completely unaware of the chaos swirling beneath Cassidy’s composed mask.Arthur leaned in, brushing a soft kiss against his lips. It was brief, fleeting, but it only made the sick feeling in Cassidy’s stomach worse."I’ll be waiting for you," Arthur murmured against his lips before pulling away. "I get off early today. Five."Cassidy nodded, schooling his expression into something unreadable. "I’ll be here."Arthur gave him one last smile before stepping out of the car, adjusting his jacket as he

They stood there, the air between them thick with unspoken things, but neither of them knew what to say. Masahiro was the first to break the silence. "Matthew..." His gaze swept over him, head to toe, as if trying to confirm that it was really him standing there. Matthew arched a brow, returning the favor, eyes slowly dragging over Masahiro’s half-loosened tie, open blazer, polished shoes that had no business being in a park. "How are you?" Masahiro asked, his voice steady. Matthew folded his arms. "I'm okay. And you?" "Me too." There was another pause… awkward, charged, too damn long. Matthew’s gaze flicked around the park before settling back on Masahiro. "So... what the hell are you doing here? You look like a finance bro who got lost on the way to a board meeting." Masahiro sighed, hands on his waist, looking like a man whose patience had already been tested too many times today. "I had Clyde in a pet hotel. But when I came to pick her up, they told me she disappeared." M