Hunter... (part2)

At that moment, Kaiser violently flung open the door to his apartment, causing the handle to slam against the wall with a sharp sound. He stepped into the hallway with Natalia by his side, his eyes narrowing in irritation. He was about to yell in frustration at the noise, but his gaze caught the scene before him, and he froze in place for a moment.

The tension hanging in the air, the tears in Daniel's eyes, Charlotte's breakdown, and the small, lifeless body lying on the cold tiles.

"What happened?!"

The words escaped his lips slowly, as if seeping out with the breath he had held for seconds. His sharp gaze flickered between the shocked faces and the chaos he hadn't been prepared to see.

Droplets of water were still dripping onto the gray fur, mixing with traces of blood staining the floor.

At that moment, Daniel lost his balance for a brief second upon noticing Kaiser's presence, and Charlotte seized the opportunity. She shoved Daniel with all the strength she had left, despite her trembling body, using his momentary stagger to push past him.

She lunged toward the lifeless puppy.

But the instant her trembling fingers touched its cold fur, she collapsed completely onto the floor.

"Hunter…"

Charlotte gasped, placing her hands on his small body, trying to shake him, searching for any sign any pulse, any breath that would reassure her he was still alive.

"Wake up… Hunter, please…!"

But nothing. No response. No whimper, no faint flick of his ears like he always did when she woke up in the morning. No wagging tail greeting her excitedly like before.

Only silence… A silence that shattered her more than anything else.

Kaiser, who had been watching in silence, inhaled deeply, then exhaled slowly. He had never been fond of Hunter, nor had he cared much for pets, but seeing the devastation on Charlotte's face stirred something unfamiliar within him.

With steady steps, he moved toward her and knelt down without a word. In one swift motion, he lifted her off the ground with his strong arms, preventing her from staying beside the blood-stained body.

"Let me go! Kaiser, please!"

Charlotte screamed, pounding his arm with force, but Kaiser remained unfazed, as if her fists were nothing more than a passing breeze.

"You don't get to make the decisions here."

His voice was low, but firm. He tightened his grip around her, encasing her within an unbreakable hold, then turned away from the dead puppy. With a swift nod, he signaled to close the windows. He needed to contain the situation before it spiraled further.

"Natalia, bring me my phone."

"Got it!"

Snapping out of her shock, Natalia rushed inside. Meanwhile, Kaiser remained standing in the hallway, still holding Charlotte, who was gradually losing her strength. Her head drooped against his shoulder as his amber eyes shifted to Daniel. The boy was silently crying, his nose running, his eyes swollen, and his jacket faintly stained with blood, yet he said nothing.

Daniel felt guilty, even though it wasn't his fault.

Kaiser sighed, as if the weight of the situation was heavier than he had anticipated. Then, he asked Daniel calmly,

"You didn't do this to the puppy, did you?"

"Of course not! It wasn't me!"

Daniel's voice trembled as the words spilled out, before his emotions finally broke. He burst into tears again, gasping as if his lungs had betrayed him.

Kaiser stared at him for a moment, then extended his free arm while still holding Charlotte in his right.

"Come here."

Daniel lifted his tear-streaked face, meeting Kaiser's gaze for a brief second before rushing toward him without hesitation, as if an internal barrier had collapsed.

When Daniel crashed his head against Kaiser's shoulder, the latter didn't move, but he felt the added weight in his arms. Charlotte was broken, and now, so was Daniel.

For the first time in a long while, he was no longer in complete control of the situation something that made his amber eyes flicker with irritation.

"Kaiser, your phone!"

Natalia quickly handed the phone to Kaiser, her green eyes avoiding the sight below, despite her urge to take one last look at Hunter. He had been a sweet pet, and she couldn't believe he was gone in such a cruel way.

"Who could do something this horrible?"

"Take him inside."

Kaiser passed Daniel to Natalia, gesturing for her to take him into the apartment while ignoring her question. His fingers moved swiftly across the phone screen before he pressed it to his ear.

Downstairs, in the security room, Maxime's phone rang. It was placed on the far end of the table, forcing him to lean forward to grab it. He lifted it to his ear and answered in a steady voice.

"Hello?"

"Call the police. Report that one of the tenants found his pet murdered outside his door. Then get to the eighth floor immediately."

Kaiser's voice was sharp, leaving no room for questions or explanations. Maxime stiffened before instantly obeying.

"Understood, young master."

As soon as the call ended, Kaiser exhaled slightly, realizing that Charlotte had lost consciousness against his shoulder. He reached out, brushing his fingers against her forehead, then pulled her closer before stepping into his apartment, leaving the door open behind him.

At a nearby grocery store, the manager pointed to the surveillance screen, but his eyes remained locked on Leonid, filled with suspicion.

Leonid was soaked from head to toe, his clothes clinging to his body, yet even in such a state, he hadn't lost his commanding presence. Despite everything, the store owner didn't perceive him as a police officer not the way one might expect at first glance.

On the other side of the counter, Vladimir, a tall blonde man with a muscular build, watched the scene silently. He didn't need to read the manager's mind to know he didn't trust them.

"Play the camera footage, please."

Vladimir repeated his request, his tone firmer this time, prompting the store owner to finally shift his focus to the screen. Slowly, he pressed play, and the recording began.

Leonid observed the footage in silence as an employee handed him a clean towel to dry himself. He took it without much thought, his eyes fixed on the screen.

The hallway labeled "Section Five" appeared on the feed. A woman browsed the selection of meat behind the glass, her chestnut hair shifting with every movement of her head. She walked slowly, lost in thought, oblivious to her surroundings.

"Speed up the playback."

"Understood."

The store owner complied, pressing the buttons to fast-forward the footage.

As time passed, Leonid narrowed his eyes. A familiar sensation crept into his mind as he stared at the woman. There was something about her… as if he knew her.

Then, suddenly, a shadowy figure entered the frame. The man pressed close behind her, whispering something into her ear.

"Slow it down."

Vladimir commanded, and the playback immediately slowed.

Leonid leaned forward, carelessly tossing the towel back at the employee who had handed it to him, his focus sharpening.

The footage was decent but not perfect. The faces weren't clear, but what he saw was enough. The assault was unmistakable.

From the right angle, the man's hand was visible wrapping tightly around the woman's throat, squeezing until her resistance started to fade.

"When did this happen? And why wasn't it reported?"

Leonid didn't take his eyes off the screen as Vladimir asked, his voice tense.

"This happened yesterday. As for the report… no call was made to the local police stations by the victim."

"Seriously?"

Leonid's hand clenched into a fist, irritation creeping into his chest.

Moments later, the woman collapsed onto her knees. The mysterious man leaned toward her as if relishing the sight. A sudden wave of unease washed over Leonid, making him inhale sharply before barking out,

"Pause the footage! Rewind to the moment she hit the ground!"

"Alright…"

The store owner muttered, rewinding to the exact moment, freezing the image.

Leonid stepped even closer to the screen, his heart pounding. No matter how hard he stared, he couldn't shake the disturbing feeling. This woman…

"What do you think? She looks like Charlotte Smith, doesn't she?"

Vladimir stood behind the store owner, his gaze sharp. He quickly moved his fingers across the keyboard, zooming in and selecting the clearest frame.

Her face wasn't entirely visible, but it was familiar. Too familiar.

"She doesn't just look like her…"

Leonid whispered, his eyes widening in shock.

"She is her."

"Are you saying that's really Charlotte Smith?"

Vladimir didn't sound surprised he had expected the same conclusion.

"But if it really is Charlotte, why hasn't she reported this to the police?"

Leonid took a deep breath before responding, his voice carrying a hidden weight.

"Charlotte Smith isn't what you expect… She's more fragile than you think. But let's just hope I'm wrong."

Before either of them could say another word, a phone rang, cutting through the heavy silence in the surveillance room.

Vladimir pulled out his phone and answered, his voice calm and low.

"Hello…"

But after a few moments, his expression shifted. His eyes narrowed, and he slowly lifted his gaze toward Leonid, as if something dangerous had just been said on the other end of the line.