THE WITNESS

THE WITNESS
We returned to the station, and Dax handed the phone to the lady at the front desk before unexpectedly dragging me out for lunch.

I had thought that being around him again would make me uncomfortable, but surprisingly, it didn’t. In fact, I found myself enjoying his presence. That strange feeling was still there—the excitement, the warmth, the way people glanced at us as if we belonged together.

I snapped out of my thoughts the moment I realized where they were heading. What is wrong with me?

I was supposed to be angry at him, to resent him for everything that happened. But here we were, working together like nothing had ever come between us. Then, as if fate was reminding me of reality, Gia’s upcoming presentation at the company crossed my mind.

"How long is our lunch break?" I asked, breaking the silence.

"About an hour. Why?" Dax asked, giving me a curious look.

"Gia has a presentation at Beauty Care, and I promised I’d be there. I won’t stay long—just twenty minutes or so."

"Wait… Gia works for Eric?"

"Yes. Since they both studied business management, she figured working for him would give her more experience in handling a family business."

"So, let me get this straight—Eric is the boss, and Gia is what?"

"His secretary."

Dax let out a dry chuckle. "So, are those two finally dating or what?"

I sighed. "No. Because Eric is a coward, hiding his feelings like an idiot."

"I can’t believe he’s still confused about his feelings for her."

"Well, I need to get going if I want to make it in time for her event."

"I’m coming with you. And this time, let me give you a ride."

I shook my head. "No, thanks. I don’t like taking taxis or buses anymore. It just feels like I’ll end up in another accident… and I might not survive this time."

Dax’s expression darkened slightly, and I knew he remembered what happened just as vividly as I did.

"Is that why you got a power bike instead of a car?" he asked, his voice quieter now.

"It’s one of the reasons," I admitted. "But why do you want to come with me?"

"Because I want to see Eric and Gia too."

I studied him for a moment. What is he trying to do? Reconnect? Pretend like everything is fine? Bring back the good old days?

"Let’s both go on your bike," Dax said, catching me off guard.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

"Two people can fit, so let me drive," he said confidently.

I couldn't help but burst into laughter. Did he just suggest we share a bike?

"Sorry, partner, but I’m not sharing my baby with anyone," I said, smirking as I walked past him toward my bike.

"Fine," he huffed. "I’ll just go get mine."

I froze for a second before turning back to him. "You have one?"

"Yes," he replied with a smug grin.

"Okay, see you," I said before hopping onto my bike and hitting the road. I knew he’d find his way to the company—Dax was resourceful like that. As for me, I was out.

Dax’s POV

I followed her to the company, only to be met by a swarm of reporters. The place was packed, and judging by the finely tailored suits and expensive shoes, these were some of the top businessmen in the industry.

Brianna and I stood in the crowd, watching the presentation unfold. When Eric was called up to speak, I couldn’t help but feel a wave of nostalgia. It had been years since I’d last seen my best friend. Damn, we’ve all grown up.

I spotted Gia standing beside Eric, juggling a stack of thick files while maintaining her professional composure. The two of them addressed the audience, presenting their project with ease and confidence.

Time slipped by quickly, and before I knew it, thirty minutes had passed. I turned to tell Brianna that we needed to head out, but she was gone.

I scanned the crowd, searching for any sign of her, but she had completely disappeared. Where did she go?

As I continued looking, a light tap on my shoulder made me turn around.

"Are you looking for me?" Brianna asked with an amused smile.

"Where did you go?" I asked, relieved yet slightly annoyed.

"Just to let Gia know I’ll be back in the evening for our girl time," she said casually.

"We need to go."

"I thought you wanted to see Eric?"

"He seems busy, so maybe next time."

"Let's go then."

"Detective Eva called. She managed to power the phone on."

"Let's go get our evidence."

When we arrived at the station, we headed straight to Detective Eva, who handed over the cellphone along with the autopsy results.

"Let's go through these."

We returned to our desk and attempted to access the phone, but it was locked. That meant we needed the victim's fingerprint to unlock it.

Leaving the autopsy report with Brianna, I headed to the hospital to get the phone unlocked.

Brianna's POV

After Dax left, I stepped out to get something refreshing to drink. The autopsy confirmed that the victim was drugged before being killed.

As I walked down the street, a woman bumped into me. She muttered a quick apology before hurrying away.

Just then, my phone rang—an unknown caller. I hesitated before answering.

"Where are you?" Dax asked.

"Near the station. Were you able to unlock the phone?"

"Yeah. It looks like the victim was killed by his wife after she drugged him."

"So you went through the results?"

"Yeah. Where exactly are you? We have to arrest her again—she was released this morning due to a lack of evidence. But now, we have more than enough."

"How much evidence was found on the phone?"

"A lot. Send me your location, and I’ll pick you up."

I texted him my location, and within five minutes, he arrived. As I got into the car, I took the phone from him and played a voice recording.

The wife’s voice rang through the speaker—rage and resentment laced in every word. She was furious that her husband had been cheating while she stayed home to care for their child.

"So she killed him because he filed for divorce?"

"We don’t know yet. We need to check the CCTV footage for more proof."

"So he cheated on her, and she thought murder was the best solution? She could’ve just left him instead of making her child fatherless."

I sighed. I couldn’t believe she chose this path. It was the child who would suffer the most, growing up with the knowledge that their mother had killed their father.

"Can you do me a favor?" I asked Dax.

"Sure."

"Don’t arrest the mother in front of the child. If the kid is home, let me handle the distraction."

"Okay, Detective Brianna," Dax teased, smirking. I shot him a glare.

As we arrived at the house, I spotted a little girl inside, sitting at the kitchen table as her mother prepared a meal. She looked around five or six years old. I pleaded with Dax to hide his badge so she wouldn’t be alarmed.

"Mrs. Walter, we need to speak with you in private," Dax said, flashing his ID before tucking it away.

She led us into the living room, a wary expression on her face.

"Did you find out who killed my husband?" she asked.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed the little girl standing in the doorway, her wide, fearful eyes fixed on us.

"The autopsy revealed that your husband was drugged before he was murdered."

Mrs. Walter tensed. "He was a drug addict. It's not unusual for drugs to be in his system."

"Mum?" the girl whispered.

"Rose, go back to your room," Mrs. Walter snapped.

"But—"

"I said now!" she shouted, her voice sharp.

Tears welled in the child’s eyes. I knelt beside her, offering a gentle smile as I wiped her cheeks.

"Hi, Rose. I’m Detective Brianna."

She sniffled, staring at me warily.

"How old are you?"

She glanced at her mother, hesitation in her eyes. That fear—that obedience—told me everything.

Mrs. Walter was hurting her child.

That’s when I noticed the bruises peeking out from beneath the girl’s collar.

"Rose, go inside," Mrs. Walter repeated, her voice laced with warning.

But Rose stood her ground, trembling.

"I’m sorry, Mum, but I can’t keep quiet anymore. You killed Dad. I saw you."

My heart shattered.

The child had witnessed everything.

"You little brat!" Mrs. Walter screeched, her face contorted with rage. "You promised to keep it a secret! You said you’d help me put that home-wrecking woman in jail!"

"I’m sorry, but I can’t!" Rose sobbed. "You killed Dad! You stabbed him!"

That was it. I pulled the little girl into my arms, holding her close as she wept.

"Mrs. Walter, you’re under arrest for the murder of your husband and for child abuse."

"You have no proof!" she spat, her expression manic.

Dax remained unfazed. "Everything said in this room was recorded. I’d advise you to keep quiet—anything you say can and will be used against you in court."

He reached for his handcuffs, but in a blur, Mrs. Walter lunged at him with a knife.

Dax reacted quickly, but not fast enough. The blade sliced into his lower abdomen, drawing blood. He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stay upright.

I turned Rose’s head, shielding her from the sight as Dax wrestled the knife from Mrs. Walter’s grasp and pinned her hands behind her back.

I radioed for backup. Meanwhile, Dax clutched his wound, blood seeping through his shirt.

We took Rose back to the station. As much as I wanted to keep her out of this, she was our key witness—the only person who truly knew what had happened.