CHAPTER 5: CHOOSE YOUR FIGHT

The knock on the door was sharp and precise.

Kalisa's heart lurched.

Her fingers instinctively curled around the wallet in her lap, but she quickly shoved it under her pillow, forcing herself to breathe.

"Kalisa," her mother's voice rang from the hallway, "you have a visitor."

A visitor?

She swallowed hard. She already had a bad feeling.

Her mother, Lisa, stepped inside, her expression puzzled. "There's a policeman at the door. A detective. He says he's here to see you."

Kalisa's stomach twisted. Caleb.

Lisa gave her a questioning look. "Why is a policeman at our house, Kal? Since when do we get visits from detectives?"

Kalisa forced a smile, standing up quickly. "It's nothing, Mom. I'll handle it."

Lisa frowned but said nothing as Kalisa brushed past her and made her way to the front door.

And there he was.

Detective Caleb stood just outside, his piercing blue eyes scanning her, his sharp jaw set in something between concern and quiet determination. He was still wearing that crisp blue suit, still exuding the same cool authority.

Kalisa leaned against the doorframe, feigning nonchalance. "Detective."

"Kalisa," he greeted, eyes narrowing slightly. "You left the hospital too soon."

Kalisa's mother stiffened beside her. "Hospital?"

Kalisa's heart sank.

Lisa turned to her, her voice tight with worry. "What does he mean, Kal? You were in a hospital?"

Kalisa clenched her jaw. She had been so focused on escaping trouble that she hadn't even thought about what her sudden disappearance would mean to her mother.

"I just had a little accident, Mom," she said quickly. "Nothing serious."

Lisa's gaze hardened. "Accident? What kind of accident?"

Kalisa looked at Caleb pleadingly. "Can we speak privately?"

Lisa scoffed. "No. You can't just disappear, come home looking half-dead, and then expect me to walk away when a detective is at our door."

Caleb, to her surprise, actually nodded in understanding. "I respect that," he said smoothly. "But I do need a private word with your daughter."

Lisa crossed her arms, unimpressed. "She will need to tell me everything after this."

Kalisa sighed, nodding. "Fine."

She turned, leading Caleb toward the small balcony overlooking the street. The moment they were alone, Caleb leaned against the railing, studying her carefully.

"You were running from someone," he said finally. "Who?" Shaking his head. "You have refused to tell me."

Kalisa kept her face blank. "I was just taking precautions."

"Precautions?" His tone was sceptical. "Most people don't take precautions by running through a marketplace and getting shot at by some professional guards. And immediately leave the hospital while still on treatment."

Kalisa forced a smirk. "Guess I'm not most people."

Caleb didn't return the smile. "Kalisa, I'm a detective. I can smell a lie from a mile away."

She met his gaze steadily. "Then you should also know when someone isn't going to talk."

He exhaled through his nose, frustrated but patient. "Fine. Let's talk about something else, then."

She arched a brow. "Like what?"

Caleb folded his arms. "Like whether you, by any chance, took my wallet while I was at the hospital."

Kalisa's stomach flipped.

She kept her expression neutral, tilting her head. "Why would I do that?"

Caleb gave her a look, one that said he wasn't buying her act. "That's exactly what I'd like to know."

Kalisa shrugged, crossing her arms as well. "Maybe you just lost it."

"Maybe," Caleb said, eyes never leaving hers. "Or maybe you have it. Since I have come to understand you have a thing for wallets."

She let out a light chuckle. "Do you always go around accusing innocent people of stealing?"

Caleb didn't laugh. "Only when the innocent person happens to be a known pickpocket."

Kalisa froze.

Caleb caught it, the slight hesitation, the barely-there stiffness in her posture.

His lips curved slightly. "That's right. I know who you are, Kalisa."

She swallowed, forcing herself to smirk again. "Detective, if I had your wallet, don't you think I would have used your credit cards by now?"

Caleb tilted his head, studying her. "Not if you found something in it that made you think twice and you were shot, remember?"

Kalisa's heart pounded, but she kept her expression cool. "Sounds like you think your wallet has secrets."

"Does it?" he asked smoothly.

Kalisa held his gaze. She could lie. She could keep playing dumb.

But Caleb was sharp.

And the way he was looking at her, it was as if he already knew.

A gust of wind brushed against them, rustling her hair. Somewhere in the distance, a car honked.

Finally, Caleb spoke again, his voice softer this time. "Kalisa, if you have my wallet, I need you to give it back. Now."

Kalisa inhaled slowly.

And then, before she could think of what to say next—

Her phone buzzed in her pocket.

She hesitated.

Caleb's eyes flickered toward the sound. "Who is that?"

Kalisa pulled out her phone, glancing at the screen.

Another unknown number.

"You have 24 hours. Bring back what you stole… or suffer the consequences."

Her grip tightened around the phone.

Caleb noticed her reaction. "Who is it?"

She quickly locked the screen and shoved the phone back into her pocket. "No one. It's personal and none personal and none of your business."

Caleb frowned. "Kalisa—"

"You need to go," she cut him off, stepping away.

He reached for her wrist, gently but firmly stopping her. "Listen to me. If you're in trouble, I can help you."

She pulled free. "I don't need your help, Detective."

Caleb studied her one last time. Then, with a slow nod, he stepped back. "Alright. But be careful, Kalisa."

Kalisa knew she had no choice.

Caleb was relentless, and the more she kept the wallet, the more trouble she invited. But there was one thing she wasn't ready to part with, and that was the key she found in Detective Caleb's wallet.

She didn't know what it unlocked, but the fact that it was hidden inside a detective's wallet meant it was important. And if it was important, it was valuable.

Valuable things could be sold.

Valuable things could save her mother.

So before she handed the wallet back, she had made the switch.

She had dozens of old keys in one of her stashes, souvenirs from past jobs, things she had picked up just in case. One of them was almost identical in size and shape to the one she had found in Caleb's wallet.

She swapped them carefully, tucking the real key into a safer hiding place.

Now, standing in front of Caleb, she took a slow breath and pulled the wallet from her pocket.

"Looking for this?" she asked, dangling it in front of him with a smirk.

Caleb's blue eyes locked onto it immediately. His expression was unreadable, but she could see the flicker of relief, it was a relief that was quickly masked by suspicion.

"I thought you never had it. Where did you find it?" he asked, taking a step forward.

Kalisa shrugged, tossing it to him. He caught it with one hand, flipping it open immediately.

"Oh, you know," she said casually, "it was lying around. Thought I'd be nice and return it."

Caleb's fingers moved quickly, checking the contents. The cash was still there. The cards. Everything looked untouched.

Everything except—

Instead, he simply said, "Stay out of trouble, Kalisa."

Kalisa smiled. "No promises."

He paused, pulling out the key.

Kalisa kept her face perfectly still.

Caleb turned it over in his palm, frowning slightly. Something about it nagged at him, but after a moment, he exhaled, slipping it back inside.

He closed the wallet and looked at her. "Why did you take it?"

Kalisa crossed her arms, tilting her head. "You accused me of stealing it, so I figured I might as well"

Caleb wasn't amused. "Kalisa."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine. I found it on the floor in my room at the hospital. I wanted to see what kind of stuff a detective carries around. You should be flattered. Means I think you're interesting."

Caleb's jaw tightened. "You're playing games."

"Maybe," she admitted. "But I gave it back, didn't I?"

Caleb studied her for a long moment.

He didn't trust her. She could see it in his eyes.

But he didn't have proof.

Not yet.

Finally, he sighed, slipping the wallet into his pocket. "If I find out you took anything—"

"You won't," she interrupted smoothly.

He narrowed his eyes but didn't push further.