Chapter 38: Cold Circuit, Hot Sin.

Chapter 38: Cold Circuit, Hot Sin.
Jade.

My hands were still shaking when I stood from the couch.

The room smelled like heat...my perfume mixed with Eric’s sweat, and the faint scent of the couch stuffing we tore open when things got messy.

I pushed my hair behind my ear and forced a smile.“I’ll get it myself,” I said, trying to sound normal.

He lifted his head and stared at me...that usual cold, lazy stare like I was just one more inconvenience in his life.“Sure,” he muttered.

I turned slowly.

My knees felt like they were arguing with the rest of my body, like they wanted me to stay put instead of walking into the biggest mistake of my life.

Each step felt loud.
My heartbeat was louder.

I reached the door… my fingers shook on the knob.Then I paused and turned slightly. “Uhm… can you help me fix my couch? Since we kinda… messed it up.”

He scoffed, rolled his eyes, and dragged himself up."The audacity to think I would accept a nanny offer, you really did expect me to fix it,” he said in that rude tone he loved so much.

“Fine.” He began pushing the cushions back, cursing under his breath.
Perfect.
Distracted.

I slipped out.

The air outside slapped me... cold, dark, and too quiet. I crouched low, barefoot on the cold tiles, crawling toward the small kitchen window outside.

My fingers reached inside, searching for the rope I hid earlier behind the detergent bucket. When I grabbed it, the roughness burned my palm.

“Okay… Jade… okay… do it fast,” I whispered to myself.

I crawled again, knees stinging, heart pounding against my ribs like it wanted out of my chest. The officer was already at his car, locking the door.

His back was turned to me.

One second.
That’s all I had.

Before he could turn, I looped the rope around his neck and pulled...hard.

He gasped, hands clawing at the rope, legs kicking the air.

“I’m sorry,” my voice cracked as adrenaline shot through me. “I’m sorry but I have to do this...”

He dropped to his knees. I kept pulling. My arms shook. My teeth clenched. The rope dug into his skin. Then his body went still.

Quiet.
Heavy.

My breath broke into pieces. My hands trembled violently.

I dragged him closer to the car with both hands, my palms burning. I opened the hood, disconnected whatever wires I could reach..I didn’t even know what I was touching.
. I just needed the car dead.T

hen I ran to the pool, dipped my arms inside, scrubbing off the dirt with the freezing water. My teeth chattered. My mind spun. I fixed my hair, wiped my face, inhaled deeply, then walked inside like nothing happened.

Eric straightened from the couch.“Where is he?”

“I saw his car parked but… no one was there,” I said, keeping my voice innocent.

“Let me check.” The rudeness came back instantly.

“Ugh.”My heart hammered again, but my face stayed calm.

We walked outside together. He reached his car door and was about to close it when he suddenly paused.

His eyes dropped to the ground near his tire.“What the...?”He bent, touched the liquid, lifted his fingers to the light.

“Blood??”I widened my eyes. “How??!”

He showed me his hand and I took an instinctive step backward, pretending fear. “Eric… what is that...Trace it,” I whispered.

We followed the blood droplets into the bush. My stomach clenched. My throat tightened. Then he stopped.

The officer’s body lay there, lifeless… exactly where I left him... except one thing was different.

There was a long, deep cut across his chest.
I didn’t do that.
I didn’t touch him with any blade.

I used a rope.
My mind screamed one name.

Eros.Fuck.Fuck fuck fuck.
Did he follow me?
Did he watch me?
Was he protecting me?
Or was he warning me?

Eric threw his hands into his hair.“I’m calling the police. Right now.”He ran back to the car.“This wasn’t random,” he said breathlessly as he dialed. “Whoever did this knew he just came back from an interrogation. Someone didn’t want him alive to testify.”

“Testify against who?” I asked.

He pointed at the damaged hood.“They damaged his car so we couldn’t rush him to a hospital. Brutal.”

The police picked up.“Hello? Officer Paul? Yes.. we need backup. And an ambulance. A police officer is down. No, listen.. the body is here, behind the apartment… yes, yes, it looks very recent. Just come quickly.”

He hung up and rushed inside to throw on his clothes. I followed behind him, keeping my face sad, small, and innocent.“I’m… I’m sorry this happened,” I whispered.

“Whatever,” he replied rudely, buttoning his shirt without looking at me.The police called again.

He answered, pacing.“Yes... bring an ambulance immediately. No, we can’t move him... the body is...hold on, I think the ambulance is here.”

Sirens broke the air.
Lights flashed red and blue through the windows.We walked outside.

They lifted the officer’s body into a stretcher and loaded him into the ambulance.

Two investigators approached us immediately.“What happened here?” one asked.

Eric explained everything...well, everything he knew... while my heart thumped dangerously inside my chest.

Then one officer turned to me.“Ma’am, do you have CCTV cameras anywhere around your apartment?”

My throat dried instantly.“Uhm… no. I don’t think so. I bought the house recently.”

“All right,” he said, making notes.
Then...

“Hold on,” Eric interrupted.

My soul fell straight into my stomach.
He walked to the side of the building, bent down, grabbed something, and held it up.

A small plastic casing.
Black.
Smudged with dust.

He lifted it slightly.“Officer… there is a CCTV here.”

My blood froze.
My lips parted.
My vision blurred.

Because I knew.
I knew.

That camera wasn’t there yesterday.
That camera wasn’t there this morning.

Someone had placed it there.
Someone who already knew what I did.
Someone who watched me.

And just like that....the world collapsed beneath my feet.