Hunter... (part3)

Leonid reviewed the rest of the surveillance footage while Vladimir was busy exchanging information over the phone.

With every frame that showed the woman, Leonid's heart grew heavier. Every instinct told him it was Charlotte, but his heart refused to believe it.

How could she endure being assaulted by a stranger… and not tell him?

He recalled her strange behavior yesterday her tears, her plea for him not to leave her.

Was it because of what had happened to her?

His eyes widened as he saw her in the footage, running while holding her puppy in her arms.

"It's Charlotte."

He muttered under his breath, then raised a hand to his chest as if the air was being sucked from his lungs.

"Leonid!"

Vladimir stopped Leonid's hand midair, his unwavering gaze piercing into his eyes.

""Get a hold of yourself."

He whispered coldly, as if forcing Leonid to regain his composure.

"I am composed."

Leonid murmured softly, pulling his hand away from Vladimir's grip.

"Good. Let's go. The police station received a report about a dead pet found on an apartment doorstep…"

But Leonid wasn't listening. He was drowning in his thoughts, anger simmering inside him, barely contained.

"Are you listening? Let's go."

"Hm… Go on your own, Deputy Commander."

"What?"

Vladimir frowned, surprised by Leonid's sharp tone.

"You heard me. Go alone. I'm going to check on Charlotte Smith."

He said coldly, his eyes still fixed on the screen before running his fingers through his silver hair.

"I'll ask her directly… if she was assaulted."

Vladimir's expression froze for a moment before he looked at him calmly and said,

"You want to ask her, right?"

"Yes."

But who was he fooling?

Leonid didn't need to ask, he had seen everything with his own eyes.

The marks on her neck… They weren't a rash. They were proof of the assault.

"Then you should come with me."

Vladimir suddenly said before grabbing Leonid by the collar of his jacket. He then added in a low voice,

"Because the crime took place on the eighth floor of the residential building owned by Stars Company... "

He paused for a moment before delivering a final sentence that sent ice through Leonid's veins.

"The building… where you live."

Barely had Vladimir finished his words when Leonid's phone started ringing.

After Charlotte lost consciousness, Kaiser carried her to his apartment without hesitation. He then asked Natalia to change Charlotte's wet clothes into one of his loose shirts. It was no different for Daniel, Kaiser handed him a dry shirt and pants to replace his soaked clothes, which clung to his body like a bitter reminder of what had happened.

After changing his clothes, drying his hair, and slipping that ominous card into his pocket, Daniel approached Kaiser's bed and knelt on the cold floor. The chill seeped into his bones, but it wasn't nearly as cruel as the storm raging inside him.

He had no desire to leave and return to his apartment. Instead, he remained by Charlotte's side, where she lay in eerie stillness, unconscious from the shock.

Resting his head against the edge of the bed, Daniel's exhausted body slowly relaxed.

He bit his lower lip in a desperate attempt to suppress the tremor in his voice, silent tears streaming down his cheeks. He wasn't sobbing loudly, his grief was quiet, yet agonizing.

He longed for warmth from Charlotte, as if a single touch could calm the storm consuming his mind.

His heart and mind struggled to grasp what had happened. The thought that he had seen the killer… that Hunter was dead… weighed on his chest, suffocating him, trapping him in a bottomless pit of helplessness.

It was as if his world had faded, blurred and distorted, leaving him trapped in an unending nightmare.

With a trembling hand, Daniel reached for Charlotte's cold fingers and gently pressed them against his cheek. His fingers shook, but the icy touch of her hand made him close his eyes for a moment, desperately searching for comfort in her presence, even in her unconscious state.

Though he was already an adult, he needed someone to hold him, to embrace him, to tell him that everything he had witnessed was nothing more than a horrific nightmare, that he was safe now.

Why was he so weak, as if he had never grown up?

"Why…?"

Daniel choked on his tears, then whispered pleadingly before biting his lower lip.

"Charlotte… please— please wake up…"

Outside, in front of the apartment door, Kaiser leaned against the wall, staring irritably down the hallway. On the opposite side, Natalia stood with a sorrowful expression, her gleaming eyes following Hunter with fear and hesitation.

Kaiser noticed her furtive glances, and his irritation deepened.

"Stop looking down."

Suddenly, he lifted her chin with his hand, forcing her to face him directly.

"If you can't handle staying, then go inside."

Natalia narrowed her eyes, studying the harshness in his gaze, one that carried a trace of concealed concern. She took a deep breath before gently pushing his hand away.

"I'm fine. I can handle it."

"I hope so…"

He muttered coldly, turning his gaze away, uninterested in prolonging the exchange.

As time passed, the air in the hallway grew heavier, as if the very walls were holding their breath. Outside, the storm roared, but inside the building, the silence was far louder.

Moments of silence were interrupted by the sound of hurried footsteps. Kaiser turned to see Maxime approaching them, saying,

"The police are on their way, as well as the puppy's owner. I contacted him."

Kaiser clenched his teeth and asked, not bothering to hide his irritation,

"You contacted that bastard?"

Maxime raised an eyebrow in confusion before replying with concern,

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing. Forget it."

Kaiser ended the conversation curtly, but the frustration remained heavy in his chest.

Maybe he was overreacting, but he had no desire to see Leonid at any cost. Not for himself, but for Charlotte.

The mere thought made him sick. What if she broke down in front of Leonid, begging him pathetically for forgiveness, just because his puppy was killed in front of her apartment? Even if it was her fault, he would never allow Charlotte to humiliate herself for a man she had barely started dating.

After minutes of waiting, the elevator doors opened. Kaiser, Natalia, and Maxime turned their attention to the group in uniform, walking toward them with confident strides.

At last, the police had arrived.

Among the male officers, a woman with blonde hair and blue eyes stood out, flanked by a young man with short black hair, his cold gaze filled with boredom.

Amid the storm, Leonid ran frantically back to the apartment building, disregarding Vladimir's offer to drive him. The wind lashed at his hair, and the rain stung his face, but he didn't stop.

He knew time was passing, that the police had already arrived, but he couldn't just sit still in a car when he could be running at full speed.

At the building's entrance, he spotted a police car parked nearby, confirming that Vasili and Alia had arrived, just as Vladimir had informed him before they parted ways.

He rushed inside, pressing the elevator button forcefully, his breath uneven as he hastily wiped the raindrops off his face, waiting impatiently for the elevator to arrive.

The moment the doors opened, he stepped in quickly, pressing the button for the eighth floor multiple times until the elevator doors finally shut.

As the elevator ascended, Leonid gradually regained some composure. He was usually a man who wasn't easily shaken, yet now, he couldn't hide the trembling in his hands.

Was he angry? Or worried? Whatever he was feeling, he was struggling to contain it.

"Charlotte…"

His expression darkened, bitterness clawing at his throat. What kind of fool had he been to be so naive?

Leonid exhaled sharply before slamming his palm against the wall in frustration, then ran his hand over the side of his face.

The elevator stopped, and the doors slid open. He stepped out immediately, his footsteps heavy as he walked down the hallway.

Slowly, he turned his gaze to the police officers gathered there, speaking with the other tenants. Lowering his silver lashes, his eyes landed on the white cloth covering the floor, beneath it lay the lifeless body of his pet.

He kept walking, and the moment he reached them, the officers' eyes turned toward him.

Kaiser stood at the entrance of his apartment, leaning against the doorway as if blocking the blonde officer in front of him from entering while she negotiated with him.

Leonid ignored the stares and continued forward until he stood beside Hunter.

One of the officers quickly approached him, speaking in a serious tone.

"Are you the owner of the puppy?"

Silence hung for a moment, all eyes on him. Leonid swallowed quietly before responding in a steady voice.

"Yes."

The officer gave him a sympathetic nod and said.

"Alright… This is a terrible incident. I personally promise we'll find the culprit."