Hunter... (part4)

Leonid didn't respond; he merely stared at the white sheet, stained with blood and water, pretending to be interested while the officer continued rambling about the investigation and justice. He knew he had to play along, his federal identity was classified, and to them, he was just an ordinary citizen.

After a few moments, the officer lifted his notepad and asked Leonid seriously,

"Do you have any suspects?"

Leonid didn't answer immediately, so the officer continued,

"What about the owner of Apartment 399? Do you suspect her?"

Leonid's expression froze for a moment. Charlotte owned that apartment. The mention of her name irritated him, and he looked up at the officer coldly, keeping his true thoughts hidden.

"Personally, I find her suspicious as well, but she's considered a witness. In fact, this building hides a deep secret. If I were you, I'd move out as soon as possible."

The officer went on, drowning in endless speculations, poking his nose into a case that was supposed to be classified. It was clear he was inexperienced, making Leonid feel the urge to knock him down and teach him a lesson in keeping his mouth shut.

"Anyway, even if you suspect her, we can't talk to her right now."

Leonid's thoughts halted, and he finally turned to him, his tone sharp.

"What do you mean by that?"

The officer shifted his gaze toward Alia, the rookie officer in his department, who was still negotiating with Kaiser. Meanwhile, Vasili, another rookie, stood beside her, alert.

The officer pointed at Kaiser coldly.

"That man over there… he's completely refusing to let us in or speak with Charlotte Smith, claiming that she's currently unconscious."

Leonid raised an eyebrow, then looked at Kaiser.

His clothes were soaked, as was his hair, yet the idea of shoving Kaiser aside and storming into the apartment to reach Charlotte crossed his mind. However, he suppressed the urge, for now.

"In fact, we have another suspect, but he refuses to cooperate with us."

Leonid turned back to the officer and asked,

"Who is it?"

"His name is Daniel Belovsky. He owns Apartment 367 and was the first to see Grok covered in blood."

The officer paused for a moment, then gestured toward Natalia, who was standing silently beside Kaiser.

"He briefly informed us, through that woman, that a strange man wearing a mask emerged from Apartment 399, threw Grok to the ground, and claimed he had crushed its head."

Leonid narrowed his eyes at the precise description of how Hunter was killed. Even if it was just a pet, it was a gruesome way to die.

"...And as you can see, he's also refusing to cooperate and has hidden in that man's apartment."

The officer furrowed his brows and clicked his tongue.

"That man is incredibly stubborn."

"I can see that."

Kaiser might be stubborn, but with Natalia on his side, he could hold off the police's advances. He wasn't involved in the crime, and the lack of evidence prevented them from charging Charlotte or Daniel.

"Alright then, until Charlotte Smith's awakening, we'll enter her apartment for a search. By the way, Grok will be taken by a special pet burial service arriving in a few minutes. He'll receive a proper burial."

"Hmm… thank you."

Leonid thanked the officer indifferently, then turned his gaze toward Vasili, who was forced to move along with the officer assigned to enter Charlotte's apartment.

As for Alia, she was left alone to face Kaiser after Vasili whispered to her where he was heading before quickly making his way to Charlotte's apartment.

"Sir, please cooperate with us. We won't pressure anyone; just step aside, please."

"No means no."

Kaiser replied in a calm yet decisively cold voice, not moving an inch from the door. Then, with unwavering confidence, he added:

"The contracts in this building state that no individual can be interrogated without the presence of a private lawyer. So step back until the lawyer arrives."

Alia froze in place, her fists tightening against her uniform. She then turned to Maxime with doubtful eyes.

"Is that true?"

"Yes, Officer. What he said is correct,"

Maxime replied calmly.

She clenched her teeth for a moment but quickly regained her composure. Who would have thought that such a policy existed in this residential building?

Meanwhile, inside Kaiser's bedroom, Charlotte gasped and suddenly regained consciousness. Her breathing was ragged, as if she had been drowning in a nightmare that refused to let her go.

"Charlotte…!"

Daniel called her quickly, lifting his head toward her, his wide eyes reflecting his confusion and fear.

Charlotte remained silent for a few seconds, trying to grasp what was happening. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, her pale face drenched in sweat. Her dark eyes, blurred by tears that clouded her vision for a moment, still managed to make out Daniel's face clearly, he was close to her, illuminated by the dim lamp in Kaiser's room.

"Daniel…"

She whispered his name weakly before slowly raising her thumb to wipe away his tears, which had fallen involuntarily. Her lips trembled as if searching for the right words before she asked in a faint, broken voice,

"Are you okay…? Is Hunter okay?"

Daniel hesitated for a moment, tightening his grip slightly around her hand, as if the strength in his grasp could give weight to the words he didn't truly feel. Then, in a quiet voice, he answered,

"I'm fine… more or less…"

But he couldn't bring himself to tell her the whole truth. He knew this question was inevitable, and silence wouldn't last forever. In the end, he took a deep breath and shook his head silently.

"As for Hunter… he's not okay. In fact… he's dead."

"Dead…?!"

Charlotte's voice came out trembling, as if the words had been strangling her before she could utter them.

She struggled to process what he had just said, but the weight of reality was far heavier than her ability to comprehend.

Daniel inhaled slowly, as if trying to find the strength to continue. Then, in a hoarse whisper, he said,

"Yes. When I got back from work, I wanted to see you, but instead… I—"

He stopped suddenly, pressing his lips together, unable to finish the sentence. How could he describe what had happened? And how could Charlotte ever believe him?

"I'm sorry…"

He lifted his other hand and gently wiped her tears with his fingertips, but his apology felt empty, meaningless. There was nothing he could do to ease her pain… or his own.

"Maybe if I had arrived earlier, none of this would have happened… I'm sorry."

Charlotte shook her head, her voice soft but firm.

"Daniel, don't blame yourself. This isn't your fault."

His body tensed as if he had been struck by an invisible blow, but he didn't respond. Her words were meant to comfort him, yet they couldn't erase the guilt that weighed heavily on his chest.

Without thinking, Daniel moved, kneeling before her, then rested his head against her chest as if the world had become too heavy for his shoulders to bear.

Charlotte remained silent, feeling his warm tears soaking through her thin shirt.

After a moment of thought, a question lingered in her mind, what had happened to her while she was unconscious? And had Leonid found out what happened to his pup?

"It's okay… You're not to blame in my eyes, so don't burden yourself with guilt."

Charlotte's voice was calm, wrapping Daniel's heart in warmth. She lifted her hand and gently patted his back in comfort.

In those moments, Daniel tried to speak, but the words wouldn't come out.

He wanted to tell her, but how could he describe what he had seen? The horror… that man who spoke as if he knew him completely.

He was…

"Charlotte, I—!"

His words broke between sobs, tears streaming down his face uncontrollably. He was crying, crying like a child in front of Charlotte, unable to contain his emotions.

"Charlotte... I'm scared."

Daniel took a shaky breath, hesitating to speak, but he forced himself to face it.

"Before we met in the hallway, a strange man walked out of your apartment… He was carrying Hunter in his hands. Without warning, he threw the poor pup onto the cold floor as if he were tossing out a trash bag."

Daniel's voice wavered between his sobs, but he continued.

"Then he turned to me and said, with chilling indifference, that he had crushed Hunter's skull… just because he tried to bite him."

Charlotte covered her mouth with her hand, a wave of nausea rising in her chest.

"Daniel, hold yourself together…"

She forced herself to sit up and pulled him tightly into her arms, as if trying to shield him from the memories that haunted him.

"It's over now… Maybe Hunter was killed, but thankfully, you're safe."

But Daniel didn't seem safe at all. He trembled in her arms like a child trapped in a nightmare in broad daylight.

"His eyes… they're still haunting me, Charlotte…"

She didn't know how to respond. She simply kept her arms around him, waiting for him to continue.

"He spoke to me as if…"

Daniel hesitated, as if the words were burning inside him before they could leave his lips. Then, suddenly, he lifted his head, his eyes wide with terror.

"As if he knew me!"

His breathing turned erratic, his voice breaking as he shouted, unable to contain the fear consuming him.

Charlotte clenched her fists but didn't let go of him. Despite her own fear, she had to stay strong for him.

"And also…"

He whispered in a strangled voice, as if speaking more to himself than to her.

"He spoke as if he knew you very well… In fact, he called you 'my girl' and handed me a card to give to you."

Charlotte's blood ran cold as she watched Daniel reach into his pocket and pull out a familiar card… far too familiar.

He was about to open it, but before he could read the contents, she snatched it from his hand.

Holding the card with trembling fingers, her hesitation was evident. A part of her hoped she wouldn't see the same name, that the handwriting wouldn't be familiar…

But the heavens didn't grant her that mercy.

[The necklace you wear doesn't suit you.

Mr. D.]

The moment she read the words, her heart clenched. Her dark eyes dulled, as if she had forgotten how to breathe.

So… he had been following her all along.

When they met in the elevator, it hadn't been a coincidence. He had only been making his presence known to her.

"Daniel…"

Charlotte whispered, her voice barely audible, before pulling him into a tight embrace, as if trying to find safety in him.

"Don't tell anyone about this card."

Daniel's eyebrows shot up in shock.

"Why…?"

Was Charlotte serious? How could she ask him to keep something like this a secret? He had seen that man, seen his brutality, how could she ignore that?

"I'm begging you."

Charlotte's voice cracked with tears.

"Don't tell anyone that he gave you this card… or that he knows me."

Her voice was weak, as if she feared she would be caught just for saying those words out loud.

"But Charlotte—"

"No buts!"

Charlotte snapped, pushing Daniel away slightly before cupping his face between her hands. Her eyes pleaded with him silently.

"This man is dangerous. If anyone finds out about him… I don't know what might happen."

Her voice was quiet, but she was trembling. Daniel wasn't sure if she was speaking to him or trying to convince herself.

His eyes burned with a mix of anger and worry, his voice shaking between shock and frustration.

"Charlotte… have you gotten yourself involved with a psychopath?! What did you do? How did this happen?!"

His breaths were ragged, his grip tightening on the bedsheet as if trying to hold onto something to keep himself from breaking down.

Charlotte's lips trembled. She had no clear answer. Her voice came out weak and unsteady.

"I don't know… I really don't know. It all happened at once, and this person—"

Suddenly, she swallowed the rest of the sentence. Her face paled, and her eyes slowly widened as if she had just realized her mistake.

Why was she telling Daniel this?

Why was she confiding in him when she hadn't even dared to tell Leonid?

Her heart pounded violently, as if she had just lost her last lifeline.