20:00 - The Café
In a warm, dimly lit café, Thomas and Maya sat across from each other in a cozy corner. The aroma of coffee and toasted bread filled the air, creating a comforting atmosphere between them. Thomas smiled as he observed Maya's radiant face, his hand extending a small, dark blue box toward her.
"Well, sweetheart? Do you like it?" Thomas asked gently.
Maya opened the box and found an elegant wristwatch with a brown leather strap. She smiled, softly tracing the watch's surface before gazing at Thomas with affection.
"I love it, darling. Anything you give me, I love."
Thomas took Maya's hand, reached into his pocket, and pulled out something even smaller than the previous box. Slowly, he opened the black velvet case, revealing a ring adorned with a small, shimmering gemstone. His heart pounded, but there was no hesitation in his eyes as he looked into hers.
"Will you marry me?" Thomas asked hopefully.
Maya was momentarily stunned, but her joyful smile soon blossomed. Her eyes glistened with tears as she nodded and immediately embraced Thomas tightly. She kissed him softly, pouring all her happiness into that intimate moment.
"Yes... Of course, yes!" she said in a trembling voice.
Thomas chuckled and pulled Maya closer. "How about we spend the night at your apartment?"
Maya eagerly nodded and took Thomas's hand, leading him out of the café. Outside, a light drizzle began to fall, adding an extra layer of intimacy between them. Maya clung tightly to Thomas's hand, looking at him with love.
"Are we going to live together starting tonight?" she whispered.
"Yes, sweetheart. Tomorrow I'll bring some of my things, and we'll be together at your place," Thomas assured her.
Maya smiled, but before they could continue walking, Thomas suddenly pulled her into a dark alley. Gently, he kissed her lips, and she responded with the same warmth. They were lost in the moment until suddenly-
BANG! BANG!
Gunshots rang out not far from where they stood. Thomas flinched, his eyes scanning for the source of the sound. Maya gripped his arm, her face filled with worry.
"Thomas, don't! We need to get out of here!" she whispered urgently.
But Thomas shook his head. "Someone might be in trouble, sweetheart. We have to help. Wait here."
Maya looked at him anxiously, but before she could stop him, Thomas had already rushed toward the sound. She bit her lip, her heart pounding with concern.
At the end of the alley, Thomas encountered a horrific scene. A man lay on the ground, blood pooling around him. Not far from him, another man leaned against the wall, gasping for breath, his clothes soaked in blood.
Thomas ran toward him. "What happened? I'll call an ambulance!"
But the man weakly raised a trembling hand, stopping Thomas. "No need..." His voice was hoarse and faint. With great effort, he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a brown envelope. "Give this to the chief of police... Tell him you got it from John..."
With his final breath, the man, John, exhaled his last.
Thomas stared at him for a moment, then looked around. No one else was there. With trembling hands, he grabbed the envelope and quickly rushed back to Maya.
As soon as she saw Thomas, Maya ran toward him. "What happened, darling?!" she asked, panicked.
Thomas simply grasped her hand tightly. "We need to go home now. I'll take you back."
But Maya noticed something in his hand and pointed at it. "What's that?"
Thomas shook his head. "I'll explain later. Let's go."
They quickly left the alley and hailed a taxi. Thomas kept glancing behind them, making sure no one was following. As the taxi drove toward Maya's apartment, he felt a tightness in his chest, his mind in turmoil.
Upon arriving at her apartment building, Thomas turned to Maya. "Go inside and lock the door. I need to go back to my apartment for a bit, but I'll return as soon as I can."
Maya looked at him worriedly. "Thomas... Does this have anything to do with the gunshots earlier?"
Thomas didn't answer. He only kissed her forehead reassuringly before getting back into the taxi and heading toward his own apartment. Deep down, he knew that tonight would mark the beginning of something far bigger than he had ever imagined.
21:07 - Thomas's Apartment
Inside his apartment, Thomas opened the brown envelope John had given him. Inside, he found documents and a flash drive. With slightly trembling hands, he took out his laptop, plugged in the flash drive, and opened the files.
An audio recording began to play:
"We've gone too far, Lex. We should call this off, or you'll put all of us in danger."
"What do you mean, Merlin? Are you afraid this will be exposed? Listen... More than half the police force is involved. What are you scared of?"
"The police chief is starting to suspect something, Lex. I have information that he's forming a special team to investigate this."
Thomas's heart pounded. His breathing quickened as he realized he had stumbled into something much bigger than he had anticipated. He opened a video file from the flash drive. The CCTV footage displayed a drug deal involving several corrupt police officers. His hands clenched into fists. His breath hitched. For a moment, he hesitated, but he knew he had to act.
Thomas began examining the documents inside the envelope. Lists of names and ranks, financial transaction records, and detailed information about the operation were meticulously organized. This could ruin the careers of many powerful people, perhaps even bring down an entire system.
Suddenly, his phone rang. It was Maya.
"Sweetheart... Where are you?"
Thomas took a deep breath, trying to calm his thoughts. "Oh, sorry, love. I lost track of time. I'll be there soon."
"Alright, honey. I'll be waiting. Bye... Love you."
After the call ended, Thomas stared at the documents once more. He let out a long sigh and muttered, "Maya needs to know about this." Quickly, he stuffed some of the files into his bag and left his apartment, heading to Maya's place in a taxi.