Just as she expected, Laura’s idiot nephew had spilled the beans, and she wasn’t in the mood to deal with any more drama.
*****
“Officer, I keep telling you. I didn’t drug her,” Travis protested, his voice shaking with fear.
“Then how do you explain these hospital records? She’s got injuries, and she was hit with a pretty strong dose of aphrodisiac. And you just happened to end up in the women’s restroom. So, was it sexual harassment or attempted rape?” The officer’s tone was sharp, leaving no room for excuses.
Travis looked terrified, his eyes darting around the room as if searching for an escape.
“Officer, how could I possibly be a rapist? I didn’t rape her. I swear, I didn’t drug her,” he stammered, desperation creeping into his voice.
“So how come everything lines up so perfectly? If you can’t give me a straight answer, you’re not getting out of here,” the officer pressed, his patience wearing thin.
Travis freaked out at that, his voice rising in panic. “It wasn’t me, I swear. My aunt did. I swear I didn’t know she would pull something like that. I personally thought that was not right.”
All of it was caught on the security cameras, a damning record of events.
What no one noticed was Klein, standing behind the one-way mirror, his gaze fixed coldly on the man inside the interrogation room.
The deputy chief tried to smooth things over. “Mr. Harris, the suspect has confessed. He and his accomplice drugged the victim and tried to use force to harass and humiliate her. There’s no way he’s getting away with this.”
Klein lowered his gaze, his voice icy and devoid of emotion. “I expect you to handle this with absolute fairness. Make sure every single culprit is brought to justice.”
“Yes, sir, absolutely,” the deputy chief replied, urgency lacing his tone.
With that, Klein strode out without another word, leaving a chill in the air.
The deputy chief couldn’t help but wipe the cold sweat from his brow as he watched Klein leave. He never imagined that a minor case like this would attract such a heavyweight.
Someone from Travis’ family had already tried to pull some strings to get the suspect off the hook, but now that Klein was involved, the odds were stacked against them.
The deputy chief immediately instructed his wife to return the gifts they had just accepted. There was no way he could help Travis out. If he did, he’d be risking his own neck.
*****
When Samuel returned home and heard Tina say Laura had been taken in by the cops, a cold sweat broke out across his forehead.
“Dad, you have to help Mom,” Tina pleaded, her voice trembling with fear and desperation.
Samuel’s face darkened with anger, his frustration bubbling to the surface. “Help her? She’s always getting herself into these dumb messes. If this blows up, our company is going to be in serious trouble.”
Tina’s eyes were red from crying, her voice cracking. “But Dad, you can’t just ignore Mom. Why don’t you go talk to Whit? She’s the one who started all this. How could she call the cops and get Travis thrown in jail?”
“Stop crying. I’ll call her,” Samuel said, his tone softening slightly.
He reached out to his in-laws, only to discover they had already tried to grease the wheels with the deputy chief. The man had taken their bribe, but he had just handed it right back.
A chill ran down Samuel’s spine. The return of the gifts meant that the law was going to run its course, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
With a heavy heart, Samuel sent Whitney another message.
This time, his text carried a tone of humility that was almost foreign to him.
Samuel: [Whit, let’s just sit down and talk, just the two of us. No need to rush into anything. We can figure this out together, okay? I’ll be at the office tomorrow. Can you come by so we can have a real conversation?]
Whitney turned off her phone, her mind racing. It was time for a real conversation.
*****
“Klein, you dragged me out in the middle of the night just to help you drown your sorrows?” Dustin grumbled, his irritation palpable.
Klein’s usually pale skin carried a faint flush as he muttered, “Ever had someone want you at first, and then suddenly… not?”
Dustin blinked, confusion knitting his brow. “Huh?”
“Please,” Dustin snorted. “You’re hot, Klein, but with that face? You scare women off.”
As Dustin spoke, he glanced at Klein, noticing the faint flush at the corner of his eyes. Suddenly, he remembered how Klein had gone out of his way for Whitney more than once.
Dustin’s eyes went wide. “Wait, are we talking about Whitney? I thought she was…”
‘Damn, does she really have the guts for that?’ Dustin wondered, a bit taken aback.
Klein’s brows furrowed in irritation as he cut in, “No, you didn’t. She’s not marrying Carter anymore.”
Dustin clicked his tongue, teasing, “Alright, so… she was hooking up with you?”
The phrase still made Klein uncomfortable, but the thought of her being with him was oddly satisfying.
“Yeah.”
Dustin smirked, “And she doesn’t want you now? That’s easy. She’s only twenty-six. And you? You’re too old for her,” Dustin teased, a mischievous glint in his eye.
Klein’s forehead vein twitched, his tone turning menacing. “Dustin, you got a death wish or something?”
Just then, the phone on the table started buzzing, and as Klein glanced down at the screen, his entire expression softened, a warmth spreading across his features.
“Hi, Klein, do you have time at nine tomorrow morning?” Whitney’s voice came through, gentle but direct.
“I wanted to talk about that thing you suggested last time,” she said, her words hanging in the air.
Klein’s eyes glazed over with a mix of alcohol and anticipation, his voice low and husky. “So, have you finally decided to become my wife?”
Dustin just stared, dumbfounded.
‘What did I just hear?’ Dustin thought, completely thrown off.
Whitney stood outside the closed door, her fingers wrapped tightly around her phone, a flutter of nerves dancing in her stomach. The anticipation was almost palpable, and she felt a mix of excitement and anxiety.
Taking a deep breath, she pressed the doorbell. The sound echoed softly before the door swung open to reveal Klein. He was clad in a loose black silk pajama top that hung casually off his frame. His hair, still damp from a recent shower, clung to his neck, and droplets of water trickled down his collarbone, disappearing beneath the fabric of his shirt.
Whitney’s cheeks flushed a bright crimson at the sight.
“Um… Klein, did you just wake up?” she managed to stammer, her voice barely rising above a whisper.
Klein raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk creeping across his lips. “We agreed on nine, remember? What’s the rush, Whit? Couldn’t wait to see me?” His tone was teasing, low and lighthearted, sending a jolt of confusion through Whitney.
‘Since when did he, the epitome of propriety, start acting all flirty?’ she mused, her thoughts swirling in a mix of disbelief and intrigue.
Clearing her throat softly, she averted her gaze, feeling the weight of his playful scrutiny. “I just didn’t want to be late,” she replied, her voice a mere whisper.
“Yeah,” he said, stepping aside to let her in, the fresh, clean scent of his shower wafting toward her as he did. “Come on in.”
Whitney followed him, her eyes tracing the outline of his back, catching sight of his toned calf as he walked away. The door clicked shut behind her, sealing her inside this intimate space.
As she stepped further into the room, her gaze fell upon a pair of pink bunny slippers by the entrance. ‘Seriously?’ Amusement bubbled up within her, a small smile breaking through her nerves.
She slipped them on, the soft fabric comforting against her feet, and trailed after Klein, who was oblivious to her moment of levity.
Glancing down, she noticed that Klein too was sporting a pair of matching blue bunny slippers.
‘Wait, are these… couple slippers?’ The thought caught her off guard, and she paused, a mixture of surprise and skepticism flooding her mind. ‘Is Klein actually single?’
Klein settled onto the couch, buttoning up his collar as he sprawled out lazily, his legs crossed casually. “So, what did you want to talk about today?” he asked, his tone relaxed, but Whitney could sense a hint of curiosity beneath his calm exterior.
She found herself momentarily lost in thought, her gaze wandering to her own slippers.
Klein chuckled, breaking her reverie. “The supermarket had a promotion going on. I grabbed whatever style they had. You don’t like them?”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.