Victim/Suspect?

Q sits calmly in his chair. A glimpse of Wen—waiting just a bit far—catches his sight briefly.

"I never expected to meet you again after so many years..." Felix says, casually sitting in the chair across from Q, a cup of tea in his hand.

"I thought you already went abroad. You always dreamed of working far from here," Q's mere assumption makes Felix smile bitterly.

"I'm not that lucky. Unlike you, I have no one to rely on. No family, no one. It's better to stick around here," Felix replies plainly.

Q nods briefly. He takes a moment before handing over the brown file. "I think you should know a few things about your boss..."

"For what, Q? I believe there's no reason for me to learn about her past," Felix says calmly. "If it's a bitter memory for her, why should I bring that up?"

Q is firm in his opinion, pushing the brown file toward Felix. "If you want to work longer with her, you should know everything about her. Even the worst memories."

Felix halts. His hand itches to grab the envelope, but his mind and gut refuse. For him, the more he knows, the more he feels the need to protect Reis. And he’s sure that if this kind of information leaks to Jupe, he won’t be able to protect her from that man anymore.

But eventually, somehow, Felix grabs the file. He takes out a stack of papers—tied with a green ribbon—and studies the report for a while. He reads the medical report, looking at some photos attached along with it.

With these kinds of injuries, it’s no wonder Reis is still traumatized!

"Why did you target Miss Ratchana as a suspect?" Felix asks, handing the document back to Q.

"Mr. Sawati has no enemies. That's what we know so far. He had a good image, and there's no one or nothing we could pinpoint. Except for this abandoned case—"

"Abandoned? You tell me... this—" Felix jabs his finger at the brown envelope. "This is an abandoned case? Really?"

"It's hard to investigate, at least according to my former officer. A rape case is more like 'he said, she said.' We never know until we have a witness."

"Did you see what he did to her?" Felix's voice drops lower and deeper, like he’s growling at Q. "What makes you think she's lying? With that severe bruises? That rape kit? What's her reason of lying about all of that?"

"She might have done that to herself—"

"So, she punched her own eye until it went black, gripped her own wrists until they got bruised, scratched her back until it bled, and tore up her own vagina?" Felix sounds sarcastic.

Q goes silent.

"That's the most ridiculous excuse I’ve ever heard!" Felix stammers, suppressing the anger boiling inside him.

"I never said Miss Ratchana is a suspect in this case. We just did our job here, Felix. To find the truth—"

"It seems like you named a victim as a suspect..." Felix's voice grows more annoyed with each sentence he spits out.

"You failed to hear me, Felix. I said I never thought Miss Ratchana is a suspect. We just want to question her, just in case she knows anyone who has bad blood with Mr. Sawati," Q, too, seems to be running out of patience.

Felix calms himself, lifting the teacup politely. "Then I suggest it’s better if you ask his children instead of my boss. Especially that boy. He seems to have a lot of revenge against his father..."

"His son?"

Felix smirks. "Ah, you're a bit too late! If you had stopped by just a few hours ago, you would have witnessed an angry son almost throwing a punch at your so-called suspect."

Q halts for a moment. He glares at Sawati's children—standing firm next to their mother—and takes a breath.

"They might seem like a perfect family in the tabloids. But you know the truth, Q. You read the report yourself," Felix says. His words ring a bell for Q, and his expression changes slowly.

"Media and reality, two colliding worlds. People only want juicy scoops rather than the truth. A so-called noble man is still a man, after all. Flaws and mistakes haunt every step of the way," Felix carefully sets down the cup.

"Seems like you’re really loyal to your boss. This isn’t the Felix I know. You used to hate the rich..." Q calmly probes.

"I still hate them... especially when they’re good for nothing," Felix speaks bluntly. "But Reis... she’s unlike them."

Q frowns as his eyes linger on Felix. The man looks resolute, standing firm in his protectiveness toward his lady boss. The dark intensity in his eyes serves as solid evidence of his commitment.

"You're being quite protective..."

Felix lets out a deep grunt. "Yes. You could say that."

Q's brow raises. He is about to ask for more, but this isn’t the right place for a deep conversation with an old friend. Besides, judging by Felix's expression, there’s no way the man is willing to share his thoughts further.

"Fine. For now, we’ll lay off her," Q rises from the chair and stands firmly in front of Felix. "But let me know if there’s any suspicious activity around the circle. If you know, you know."

Felix nods briefly. He shakes Q's hand before the officer leaves the scene with Wen. Once their figures are out of sight, Felix frowns, a serious note settling on his face.

Those traumas... he can’t shake them off his mind.

Now, he wonders how Reis can live with those scars.

"You should let them question me, you know. Who knows, maybe I am indeed the one who killed Ar Tony..."

Felix turns around, his eyes locking with Reis. She stands pale before him, modestly. Her hair covers half of her face, fluttering as the strands dance with the wind.

Something in her eyes intrigues Felix, compelling him to march toward her. Those eyes hold years of pain inflicted by someone this family blindly trusts. A girl with no protection, not even from her own father. How deep is the wound? How much does she suffer? No one even knows.

And yet, she stands majestically as if nothing is wrong.

"It's not good to press if the media finds out. Besides, they have no warrant. It’s illegal..." Felix answers Reis, his voice cracking slightly. His fingers gently brush the strands of hair from her face, revealing her true beauty.

"Stop looking at me like that. I don’t need your sympathy—"

"It’s not sympathy, Miss Ratchana. It’s admiration for your bravery," Felix finds himself admitting, unable to hold back his admiration for Reis.

Reis slowly lifts the corner of her lips. "You’re definitely a smooth talker, you know. I bet many girls must have fallen to their knees for you."

That’s when Felix snaps back to reality. His face suddenly flushes red, and he steps back a bit from Reis, feeling awkward.

"I’m sorry, Miss Ratchana! I crossed the line again—"

"You were already in line when you kissed me last night, Felix..."

His eyes widen. "Ah... Hah? So... it’s... true?!"

Reis smiles as she pats Felix's shoulder. "How can I say no when a gentleman like you asks for a kiss?"

Felix feels his legs turn to jelly, almost collapsing as he processes her words. Reis, on the other hand, walks away quietly, chuckling softly.

Inside, she feels a sense of elation.