Chapter 16: Liam's Departure and Emily's Stand

Liam had been looking forward to his annual leave for months. He had planned a trip to the beach, where he would spend his days lounging in the sun and his nights enjoying the local seafood. As he packed his bags, Emily couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.

She had grown accustomed to having Liam by her side, and the thought of him being away for two weeks was unsettling.

"Hey, Emily, I'm going to miss you," Liam said, as he gave her a hug.

"I'll miss you too, Liam," Emily replied, trying to sound casual. "But I'll be fine. I can handle myself."

Liam smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "I know you can, Emily. But just in case,

if anything comes up, don't hesitate to call me. I'll be back before you know it."

Emily nodded, feeling a sense of reassurance. She knew that Liam would always be there for her, no matter what.

As Liam left, Emily felt a sense of emptiness. She had grown used to having him around, and his absence was noticeable. She tried to focus on her work, but she couldn't shake off the feeling of loneliness.

Days passed, and Emily was busy with her work. She was handling a case involving a

poor woman who had been oppressed by the son of an influential man. The woman had

come to the police station, crying and distraught, and Emily had immediately taken her

under her wing

The son, a spoiled and arrogant young man, had been using his father's influence to intimidate the woman. He had been making her life miserable, and Emily was determined to put a stop to it.

As she interviewed the woman, Emily's sarcasm and wit were on full display. She was furious on behalf of the woman, and she wasn't afraid to show it.

"So, let me get this straight," Emily said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"You're telling me that this guy has been harassing you, and you're afraid of him?" The woman nodded, tears streaming down her face.

"Yes, officer. He's been making my life miserable. I don't know what to do."

Emily's expression turned fierce. "Don't worry, we'll take care of him. I'll make sure he pays for what he's done." The woman smiled, a look of gratitude on her face.

"Thank you, officer. I don't know what I would do without you." Emily smiled back, her eyes sparkling with determination.

"You don't have to thank me. It's my job to protect you. And I'll do everything in my power to make sure that this guy is brought to justice."

As Emily continued to investigate the case, she discovered that the son was indeed

guilty of oppressing the woman. She had enough evidence to arrest him, and she didn't

hesitate.

But as she was about to take him into custody, her colleagues warned her about the consequences.

"Emily, be careful," one of them said. "This guy's father is very influential. He could make your life difficult."

Emily scoffed. "I'm not afraid of him. I'm a police officer, and it's my duty to uphold the law. I won't let anyone intimidate me."

The son was arrested, and Emily felt a sense of satisfaction. She had done her job, andbshe had protected the woman.

But her satisfaction was short-lived. The son's father was furious, and he demanded to see the Sergeant.

After a meeting with the Sergeant, the son was released, much to Emily's disappointment. She was furious, and she couldn't believe that the Sergeant had let him go.

"This is ridiculous," Emily said, her voice shaking with anger. "He's guilty, and you know it. Why are you letting him go?"

The Sergeant smiled, a smug look on his face. "I'm doing what's best for the department, Emily. You need to learn to pick your battles."

Emily's anger boiled over, and she stood up, her eyes blazing. "You're not upholding the law, Sergeant. You're letting a guilty man go free because of his father's influence. That's not Justice",

The Sergeant's expression turned cold, and he stood up, his voice rising.

"How dare you

question my judgment, Emily? I've been doing this job for years, and I know what's best

for this department. You're just a rookie, you don't know the way things work around here.

Emily's face was red with anger, and she stood her ground. "I don't care if I'm a rookie or not, Sergeant. I know that what you're doing is wrong. You're letting a guilty man go free, and that's not justice."

The Sergeant's face turned purple with rage, and he slammed his fist on the desk.

"Get out of my office, Emily! You're insubordinate and unprofessional. I don't want to see

your face around here again today."

Emily turned and walked out of the office, her head held high. She was furious, but she

knew that she had done the right thing. As she walked back to her desk, her colleagues

looked at her with a mixture of admiration and fear.

"Way to go, Emily," one of them whispered. "You're really brave to stand up to the Sergeant like that."

But not everyone was supportive. Some of her colleagues scoffed and made negative

comments about her

"She's going to get herself fired," one of them said.

"She doesn't know how to play the

game."

Emily ignored them and sat down at her desk, trying to calm down. She was still fuming,

but she knew that she had to keep her cool. She started to work on some paperwork,

trying to distract herself from the anger and frustration she was feeling.

Just then, her phone rang. It was Liam, calling to check in.

"Hey, Emily, how's it going?" he asked.

Emily hesitated, not wanting to tell Liam about the trouble she was having with the

Sergeant. She didn't want him to think that she couldn't handle herself.

"I'm fine, Liam," she said, trying to sound casual. "Just busy with work. How about you? How's your vacation going?"

Liam chuckled. "It's going great, thanks for asking. I'm having a wonderful time. But I was worried about you, so I thought I'd check in. Are you sure everything is okay?"

Emily sighed, feeling a pang of guilt. She didn't want to lie to Liam, but she didn't want

to worry him either.

"Yeah, everything is fine, Liam," she said. "Don't worry about me. I can handle myself."

Liam laughed. "I know you can, Emily. But I still worry about you. You're a tough cookie, but you're also a bit of a hothead. Just be careful, okay?"

Emily smiled, feeling a warmth in her heart. She knew that Liam cared about her, and

that he was looking out for her.

"I will, Liam," she said. "Thanks for checking in. I'll talk to you soon."

As she hung up the phone, Emily felt a sense of relief. She was glad that Liam had

called, and she was grateful for his concern. But she was also determined to prove to

herself and to everyone else that she could handle herself, even without Liam's help. She

was a strong and capable police officer, and she wasn't going to let anyone push her

around.