Chapter 38

“Hey, come out for breakfast,” Nathaniel called, snapping Ariel out of her thoughts.

She blinked, nodding vaguely. “Oh, alright. I’ll be there in ten.”

As soon as he left, Ariel swung her legs off the bed and stood, scanning the small room. It looked more like a storage space than a bedroom — cramped, with boxes piled in the corner and a single narrow window.

She frowned. How did she get here?

The last thing she remembered was talking to James on the phone. He had said something—something that rattled her—but after that, everything went blank. No memory of how she had gotten into that room.

She rushed into the bathroom, brushed her teeth, freshened up, and walked out toward the dining area.

“Hey, you’ve got to start eating before that gets cold,” Nathaniel said when she appeared, his fork moving quickly as he shoveled pasta into his mouth like a man who hadn’t eaten in days.

Ariel chuckled softly and sank into the chair across from him, studying his face for a moment.

“What?” he asked, catching her staring. “You don’t like it?”

She shook her head with a faint smile. “No, it’s fine.” Then she hesitated. “Last night…” she trailed off, brows furrowed as she tried to remember.

Nathaniel paused, his tone light. “We had a few drinks, and then you collapsed. You don’t remember?”

Ariel frowned, absently playing with her fork. “I… think I do. But it’s all fuzzy.”

“Ariel,” Nathaniel said gently, setting down his fork. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

She nodded once and forced a smile. “Sure. Everything’s fine.” She twirled the pasta and took a bite. “It’s actually really good.”

He studied her quietly for a moment, eyes unreadable. When she looked up, she caught him watching her, and he quickly averted his gaze.

They finished the meal in silence. Nathaniel gathered the plates, washed the dishes, and wiped his hands dry with a towel.

When he turned around, Ariel was standing at the kitchen entrance.

He gave her a blank look.

“Yesterday, you were so eager to throw me out,” she said, stepping closer. “But today—”

He silenced her with two fingers pressed gently to her lips. “I thought we’d already settled that.”

Ariel scoffed, looking away. “Why did you hide it from me? About your ex-girlfriend?”

Nathaniel chuckled. “You were dating James at the time, remember? I had to be careful.”

The mention of James made Ariel sneer faintly, the memory leaving a bitter taste in her mouth.

“Anyway,” Nathaniel said, moving toward the bookshelf, “let’s focus on the case. I’ve made a little progress.”

Ariel followed him. “Aren’t you supposed to be at work?”

“Mrs. Jones cut me off the case,” he replied, glancing at her. “Because you’re still under temporary suspension.”

Ariel folded her arms. “So, James is leading it now?”

Nathaniel didn’t answer directly. He reached for a thick book on the shelf, pulled it open, and to Ariel’s surprise, it triggered a latch. A section of the shelf swung inward, revealing a narrow staircase leading down.

Ariel’s eyes widened. “What the hell…”

Nathaniel turned to her, extending his hand. “Let’s go.”

They descended the stairs into a dimly lit room that looked like a hidden investigation chamber. A large suspect board dominated the far wall, covered in photos, maps, and red strings connecting various names.

Ariel walked toward it slowly, awe flickering across her face. “How long have you been working on this?” she asked quietly.

Nathaniel’s lips curved into a small smirk.

James’s photo was pinned to the center of the board, alongside pictures of several men Ariel didn’t recognize. Her gaze froze when she noticed one particular face.

“You suspect Mrs. Jones too?” she asked, stunned.

Nathaniel sighed. “My ex-girlfriend knew Mrs. Jones. She once filed a stalking report, but the department dismissed it, said she was drunk, unstable.”

Ariel’s expression softened. “That’s… awful.”

Nathaniel nodded grimly. “These men,” he continued, pointing to two rough-looking figures near the bottom of the board, “worked with SK. More accurately, SK worked for them. They’re the real power behind the scenes, underworld gods, ruling the crime network.”

“So there was more to SK after all,” Ariel murmured.

“Exactly.”

She shifted her gaze to James’s picture again. “What about him? What’s his connection in all this? A killer always has a reason.”

“That,” Nathaniel said quietly, “I haven’t figured out yet.”

Just then, his phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen. “It’s Mrs. Jones.”

He answered, speaking briefly before hanging up. When he looked back at Ariel, there was an apologetic look in his eyes.

Ariel rolled hers. “You’re acting like I’ll miss you. Wipe that stupid look off your face.”

Nathaniel grinned faintly.

“I’ll look into it myself,” Ariel said, adjusting her jacket. “Since I once dated James, I might have better luck figuring out his patterns.”

Nathaniel nodded, still watching her.

She narrowed her eyes. “What? Is there something on my face?”

He chuckled softly and turned toward the stairs.

Ariel’s gaze followed him as he climbed halfway up, then suddenly paused. He turned back, descended quickly, and before she could react, he caught her by the waist and pressed his lips to hers.

The kiss was deep, unexpected. Ariel froze for half a second, then her resolve slipped. Her hands moved to his chest, clutching his shirt as she kissed him back.

Then, as quickly as it began, she pulled away. Her face flushed as she turned aside. “You should go,” she muttered. “You know how Mrs. Jones gets when she’s angry.”

Nathaniel smiled, slow, almost a smug, and nodded. “I’ll see you later.”

When he finally left, Ariel exhaled deeply, pressing her hand against her lips. l

Her phone buzzed again in her pocket.

A new message. No sender ID.

> There’s something interesting you might want to know about Nathaniel. Meet me at Street Five, the first bar on your left.

Ariel frowned. Her gut told her it could be a trap, yet her curiosity burned stronger.

Last night was still a blank in her memory. Was it really just a blackout? Or had something else happened?

She shook her head. “No,” she muttered to herself. “Whoever this is could be the real culprit.”

She needed answers, and if there was even a chance the message held one, she’d take it.

Ariel went upstairs. Nathaniel was gone. She grabbed her gun, Mrs. Jones had confiscated her guns and other office stuff but thankfully, she took this from Nat.

She changed into jeans and a jacket, and pulled on a face cap.

Then she headed out.