Alex sat behind her desk, eyes locked on her screen, but the words meant nothing.
Her fingers hovered above the keyboard, unmoving. The numbers blurred. The graphs pulsed like silent accusations. Her inbox pinged twice. She didn’t even flinch.
She was still thinking about last night.
About Zade.
About the way he looked at her when he said you should stop before it ends in something worse.
The kiss.
The silence after.
The fact that he hadn’t brought it up once.
Why did it bother her so much?
Why couldn’t she let it go?
By the time the clock hit 6 p.m., the office was empty. Everyone had already packed up and left. Only a few lights remained on, and they flickered sometimes—like even the building was exhausted.
Alex was still in the same position.
There were four urgent reports due by morning, and her project portfolio was a mess. Her assistant had taken emergency leave, and the budget approvals needed her signature before 9 a.m.
But she couldn’t think.
She leaned back in her chair, rubbing her eyes.
“Okay,” she whispered to herself. “Stay. Work. Reset.”
She kicked off her heels and rolled her chair closer to the desk.
Outside, the city lights pulsed softly. Rain tapped against the wide windows like static.
By 2:37 a.m., she was still typing.
By 3:08 a.m., her head finally slumped onto the desk.
Sleep pulled her under like a tide.
***
BANG. BANG. BANG.
Alex jolted awake, her heart lurching against her ribs. Her neck ached from the awkward angle she'd slept in, and her eyes burned from the fluorescent light above.
She sat up fast, knocking a few papers off the desk.
Someone was banging on the office door.
She stood slowly, trying to blink away the fog in her brain. Her mouth tasted like stale coffee and broken dreams.
Another knock—this one sharper.
“I’m coming,” she mumbled, dragging her tired body to the door and twisting the knob.
Then she froze.
Three uniformed police officers stood in front of her.
“Miss Alexandra Steel?” the one in front asked, his voice firm but not aggressive.
“Yes…?”
“You’re under investigation for alleged financial fraud linked to Steel Corporation. We have a warrant to bring you in for questioning.”
Alex’s brain flatlined.
“What?” she blinked. “I—I don’t understand.”
“You’ll be given the chance to speak with a lawyer,” the second officer added. “But we need you to come with us now.”
She stared at them.
Her heart raced, but she forced herself to nod. “Okay. Just… give me a second.”
She grabbed her coat and phone, hands trembling as she shoved everything into her bag. The officers waited at the door, eyes respectfully averted, but the air was tense—thick with a sense of finality.
Once outside, they led her to the black-and-white police vehicle parked at the curb. One opened the door for her.
Alex slid in.
And then the panic truly began.
She pulled out her phone and called the only person she could think of.
“Dad,” she whispered, her voice cracking.
“Alex?” his voice was sharp, awake instantly. “What’s wrong?”
“I… I’m in a police car. They say I committed financial fraud. I don’t understand what’s happening—”
“What?” Luca barked. “Where are they taking you?”
“Downtown precinct. I’m almost there.”
“I’ll be there before you get out of the car.”
She hung up just as the officer in the front passenger seat turned to her. “Try not to worry too much, ma’am. This is preliminary. Could be a misunderstanding.”
Alex nodded absently, but her fingers were already scrolling.
The news app glowed on her screen—and there it was.
BREAKING: Alexandra Steel Investigated for Multi-Million Dollar Fraud Scandal
The article detailed “anonymous whistleblowers” and “potential partner losses” linked to falsified numbers in quarterly profit statements. There were screenshots. Charts. Red circles drawn over graphs she’d signed herself.
Alex’s stomach twisted.
Her hands went ice-cold.
What the hell is this?
They reached the station. True to his word, Luca was already waiting at the top of the steps, face pale, suit thrown over his shirt like he hadn’t had time to finish dressing.
“Alex,” he rushed to her side as soon as she was out of the car, gripping her hand tightly. “I’ve already called Marcus. He’s meeting us here. It’s going to be okay.”
She nodded, unable to speak.
Inside the station, everything moved fast.
She was taken to a quiet office and sat across from two officers who asked her a few preliminary questions. She barely heard them. Her answers were robotic. No, I didn’t falsify numbers. No, I don’t know who did. Yes, I signed those reports—but I reviewed everything personally. No, I wasn’t aware of any discrepancies.
Luca stood behind her the whole time, arms crossed, jaw tight.
The lawyer finally arrived an hour later and began speaking with the officers. Alex stared at the cold tile floor, her hands clenched in her lap.
Then came the final blow.
“We’re sorry, Miss Steel,” one of the officers said gently. “But until we verify the records and confirm no tampering on your part, you’ll have to stay with us.”
“For how long?” she whispered.
“A night. Maybe more. It depends on the investigation’s progress.”
Alex swallowed the panic rising in her throat.
Luca leaned down, taking her hand again. “I’ll stay here the whole night. I won’t leave. I promise.”
She nodded.
Then the guard led her away.
Her heels echoed against the hallway floors. Every step felt like falling deeper into something she couldn’t control. The cells were at the end of the hall. Cold. Metal bars. A narrow bench. A sink.
She walked in without protest.
The door clanked shut behind her.
For a moment, she just stood there.
Then she sat on the bench, rubbing her eyes hard, trying to scrub away the shame.
***
Hours passed.
She didn’t sleep.
Didn’t cry either.
Just… sat.
Then the hallway door opened.
She heard him before she saw him.
Sharp footsteps. Expensive shoes. No hesitation.
Zade.
He stopped in front of her cell, dressed in black from head to toe, face unreadable.
His eyes scanned her quickly—checking for bruises, panic, whatever he feared he’d find.
Alex stood up slowly.
Their eyes locked.
“Is it you?” she asked, voice low and cracked.
Zade rolled his eyes. “No. I didn’t put fraud on you. Believe it or not, not everything revolves around me.”
She stepped closer to the bars. “You sure? Because it’s starting to feel like it.”
“You really think I’d frame you over some petty grudge?” he asked. “Please. That’s cliché even for you, Alex.”
She stared at him. “Why are you here?”
He exhaled through his nose, then stepped closer to the bars.
“Because you’re a pain in my ass,” he muttered. “But it’s better to have you annoying me in boardrooms than rotting in a cell.”
Alex almost smiled. Almost.
He looked away for a second, then back at her. “I talked to the guards. Luca did too. You’ll be fine tonight. They won’t treat you like a criminal.”
She nodded, throat too tight to speak.
Zade’s expression shifted—something softer, something she didn’t recognize.
“I won’t let you rot in here, Alex,” he said. “Not this time.”
Then he turned and walked out, leaving her alone with the echo of his words.