Officer Nicholas.

Officer Nicholas.
Claudia was dragged out of the boutique and told to stand on the sidewalk with the two policemen surrounding her.
“Miss, I’m afraid we have to take you to the station for questioning. Judging by how you reacted, it seems you did steal from the boutique,” one of the policemen stated, glaring at Claudia with a cold gaze.
She sighed, her shoulders dropping with frustration. “I didn’t steal anything from the boutique. You have to believe me. I’ll never steal from anyone,” Claudia said, her chest rising and falling quickly as she tried to calm herself.
The other policeman scoffed and shook his head. “Your behavior tells me otherwise, so before we put you in the car, promise you won’t try to escape. Things could get worse for you if you do.”
Claudia nodded. “Okay,” she whispered, sniffling as she rubbed her nose.
One of the policemen opened the backseat door of the car. “Get in,” he ordered.
Claudia nodded again, lowering her body as she carefully slid into the backseat. Her pulse raced, fear tightening her chest as the door shut behind her.
“Hold on!” a loud voice exclaimed as the person who owned the voice stepped out of the boutique.
The cops and Claudia both turned toward the direction of the voice, and to her surprise, it was the handsome man from earlier wearing his police uniform.
“This lady is with me, and clearly she wouldn’t have stolen anything from the shop,” the young man said with confidence.
Claudia stood still, arching her brows in confusion.
“Then why did she run away?” one of the officers asked. “We’re still taking her to the station until we conduct a proper investigation to confirm the claims.”
“Oh,” the young policeman replied calmly. “I’m not trying to interfere, but I believe her. Why don’t we take her statement here first before deciding what to do?”
The two officers standing beside Claudia exchanged glances, then both sighed in resignation. “Alright then,” one of them said quietly.
Claudia’s expression shifted into curiosity as she wiggled her hands to ease the pain from the handcuffs, watching closely as the young policeman approached the other two officers.
Standing in front of them, he extended his hand toward one of the cops for a handshake. “Hi, my name is Nicholas Atlas,” he greeted warmly.
“Hi, Nicholas,” the cop replied, shaking his hand. He then turned his attention to Claudia. “Young lady, what’s your name?”
“My name is Claudia,” she replied quietly. 
“And what’s your last name, Miss Claudia?” the officer asked, pulling out a small notepad and pen.
Hearing the question, Claudia hesitated, her thoughts racing.
‘Should I give Mr. Harold’s name or my father’s surname?’ she wondered, biting her lip in uncertainty. ‘If I give Mr. Harold’s name and he finds out I was in trouble, he’ll definitely send me back to my father’s mansion… and that’s the last thing I want right now.’
The officer let out a frustrated sigh, snapping her out of her thoughts. “Are you hiding something from us, young lady? What’s your surname?” he asked, his voice firm as his cold eyes fixed on her.
“Umm, my name is Claudia Addison.”
The policeman nods and begins to write her name in the small jotter while the other one continues the questioning.
“So tell me, Miss Claudia, what happened inside the boutique?”
Claudia draws in a deep breath before speaking. “I entered the boutique not too long ago because my step..” She stops herself mid-sentence, realizing what she almost said. She wanted to mention her stepson but quickly changes her words. “My friend gave me his black card so I could buy some clothes. I haven’t been to a boutique alone in a long time, so I just wanted to look around and shop a little.”
“Miss, let me stop you for a second,” the policeman interrupts. “Can you please show me the black card in question?”
Claudia nods and slips her hand into the bag slung across her body, searching frantically. Her fingers move through her belongings, but the card is nowhere to be found. Panic starts to rise in her chest.
“I… I think I lost it,” she stammers, her voice trembling. “Or maybe… maybe I left it at home.”
The policeman scoffs and nods his head. “So you’re saying you don’t have the black card with you?”
Claudia sighs, her eyes fixed on the ground. I can’t even remember if I picked it up after taking my handbag, she muses. Why on earth did I forget it?
“I won’t lie to you, officer,” she begins softly. “After I decided I liked the gown, I pulled it off the hanger, and just when I turned around, that young lady started yelling and calling me a thief. I didn’t even step out of the boutique, so how could I have stolen anything?”
The officer narrows his eyes slightly. “Then why did you run when you saw us? Are you hiding something we should know about?”
“No, I’m not!” Claudia blurts out, her voice trembling. “I was just… scared, that’s all.” Her words trail one after the other, the weight of fear heavy in her chest as she hopes they’ll believe her.
Nicholas steps forward, his tone calm but firm. “I believe her. Why don’t we check the boutique CCTV now? I’ll vouch for her if she causes any trouble, I’ll take responsibility.”
Claudia’s eyes widen slightly. Why does he believe me when no one else does? she wonders, her gaze locking with his. From this close, he looks even more handsome than before, and for a moment, she forgets the cuffs on her wrists.
Claudia nodded, lowered her body, and slid into the back seat of the police car.
“Claudia,” a male voice yelled. She lifted her gaze to see the driver of Lucian sprinting toward her as fast as he could. “I saw the cops heading to their car a few minutes ago, so I called CEO Lucian and told him you were in trouble. He said you should stay calm, and he would be here soon.” His voice carried a mix of worry and urgency.
“Thanks,” she murmured.
“Who are you, sir, and can you explain your relationship with Miss Claudia?” the policeman beside Nicholas asked.
“I’m her driver,” he replied, pointing toward the red Ford car. “I had been waiting for her in the car so she could shop alone.”
The three officers glanced at the car and then back at the driver. “You drove her here with this car?” Nicholas asked, his tone a mix of surprise and disbelief.
He knew that Ford cars cost thousands of dollars, so he needed confirmation. The driver nodded in response, easing the small doubts Nicholas had about Claudia.
“Let’s head inside,” Nicholas said with full confidence, turning to the officer beside him.