Hazel and Francisco sat alone in the chamber. Every second stretched long.
On the other side of the one-way glass, Rafael struggled against the officers holding him back.
"Why did you guys let her alone with him?" he snapped.
Ken raised his brows. "Rafael, Hazel can save herself. And this... this is all because of you. If you hadn't hit him, he wouldn't have asked for it."
The weight of Ken's words hit hard. Rafael's anger had opened the door... now Hazel was the one left to handle the fallout.
Ken pressed on, voice lower but firm.
"Can you imagine? He could suspend you from the job because of this. He still has power in his hands."
Rafael clenched his jaw.
Robert stepped in, hands raised in a calming gesture. "Please, guys, calm down. What's done is done."
Rafael slammed his fist against the table. His eyes locked onto Hazel through the glass, watching every move.
Inside the chamber, Hazel stood tall, arms crossed, gaze steady. Francisco sat across from her, blood still trickling from his nose, but his piercing blue eyes never left hers.
"Do you need me to treat my wound?" Francisco asked.
Hazel slowly unfolded her arms.
This wasn't about medical care... it was a silent deal. Treat him now, keep Rafael safe.
With quiet resolve, she stepped forward.
Hazel dipped a piece of cotton into antiseptic and pressed it to the cut at the corner of Francisco's lip.
Her touch was firm, almost harsh... reflecting the tension churning inside her.
Francisco didn't flinch.
Instead, a faint smile curled on his lips, unsettling in its calm.
As she continued, Hazel glanced at his face. His lack of reaction made her pause. Slowly, her touch softened.
Then, without warning, Francisco broke the silence.
"How many years are you guys together?"
Hazel's hand froze mid-movement. She narrowed her eyes, unsure if she heard right. "What?"
"I asked clearly, I guess," Francisco said, his tone sharpening.
Hazel kept her focus, but her voice carried a trace of warning. "We've been together since college."
Francisco closed his eyes and let out a slow smile.... strange.
Hazel watched him closely, trying to gauge what twisted satisfaction he was pulling from her answer.
She finished wrapping his wound and stepped back, putting distance between them. But before she could fully retreat, his next words hit like a dart.
"You'll be hurt if I hurt him, right?"
His gaze met hers, direct and cold, the intent unmistakable.
Hazel turned back slowly, irritation flashing across her face. She leaned on the edge of the table, her voice sharp and measured.
"Mr. Francisco, I think you're not well mentally. It happens sometimes. But we should know when to accept our defeat too."
Francisco suddenly burst into laughter, the sound sharp and hollow, echoing off the walls of the chamber. Hazel arched a brow, taken aback by the abrupt shift in his tone.
As the laughter subsided, Francisco's expression hardened. He leaned forward slightly.
"You think your team can expose me," he said.
Hazel let out a slow breath, "You should cooperate with us now."
Francisco tilted his head, "What if I don't?"
"We have evidence. You have no way to run," Hazel replied, her voice firm and unshaken.
"Oh? Really?" he mocked, a sly smirk forming on his bloodied lips.
Then, with an unsettling glint in his eyes, he leaned back in his chair and spoke slowly. "I will. But one condition."
Hazel's eyes narrowed. "What?"
The smirk on Francisco's face deepened, turning dark... vile. "Let me fuck you one night."
Hazel froze for a heartbeat, stunned by the audacity of his words. Rage surged through her chest.
Without hesitation, she raised her hand and slapped him hard. The sharp sound cracked through the room.
Her jaw clenched, her eyes blazing with fury.
'How dare he?'
'How dare he say that?'
Francisco didn't flinch. The redness spreading across his cheek didn't wipe the smirk from his face. He simply stared at her with the same calm, cold amusement... as if the slap was part of some sick game he was playing.
Hazel stood firm, fists clenched at her sides.
"This hand can slap me as much as it wants, Hazel," Francisco said.
"You are a psycho!" Hazel snapped, her voice rising with raw disbelief and fury.
"You will never get out of jail."
She turned to leave, but his voice stopped her in her tracks.
"You guys won't do anything to me," he said confidently, his tone calm but full of menace.
"But because of this, you will pay a high price, Hazel," he added, the threat now unmistakable.
"I will dig into your dreams and soul. I will never give you the peace you want."
Hazel stood still, his words hitting harder than she expected.
"If you take me as a psycho, then I will become a psycho for you."
She walked out quickly, her breath tight. The confrontation clung to her like smoke. For the first time in her career, a criminal had truly unsettled her. Francisco's threats looped in her mind, dark and poisonous.
"Hazel!"
Rafael's voice cut through the tension. He rushed to her side, cupping her face with both hands.
Hazel looked into his eyes, grounding herself in the comfort of his presence. But fear still sat in the pit of her stomach... not for herself, but for him.
"Rafael," she whispered, as if saying his name might hold everything together.
He pulled her into his arms, holding her close. Her heart pounded... part anxiety, part emotion, all tangled together in the silence.
Peter, watching them from the hallway, gave a quiet assessment. "I don't think Francisco's going to talk. We just need to wait for Liam to wake up and check the USB."
Robert gave a nod. "Take her home, Rafael."
Without a word, Rafael nodded and gently guided Hazel away from the station. But even as they left, Hazel's mind was far from calm. Francisco's chilling voice echoed in her thoughts.
The fear of losing Rafael...
To violence, to vengeance... crept in like a shadow she couldn't shake.