Chapter 40-41 - Former CIA, Now LAPD

Chapter 40 – Wordless Promises

May 20, 2017 – 10:12 PM

Mike's Residence – West LA

The front door closed softly behind Kendall. She toed her shoes off, smiling.

"They're amazing, Mike. Athena, May, Harry... it's like a life where no one asks me to perform."

Mike, standing near the kitchen counter, watched her with his usual calm gaze.

"You were you. That was more than enough."

She moved closer, resting her forehead against his chest.

"You're acting strange. Too quiet. Even for you."

"Maybe."

He walked over to a discreet wooden box, almost camouflaged on the bookshelf. He removed a small package—no ring, no gold ribbon, just a gray cotton cloth tied with string.

Kendall frowned.

"What is this?"

"Just open it."

She let go of the string. Inside was a small brown leather box. Opening it, she found a matte silver ring, no stones, no exposed engravings. Inside, tiny letters:

"In the quiet, I found you."

She was silent. A second. Two. Three.

"Mike..."

"It's not a ring in the traditional sense. It's not about marriage. It's about permanence. Choice. Discretion. And... truth."

She sat, staring at the ring as if holding something much heavier than it appears.

"Did you have this made?"

"Yes. From a craftsman in Echo Park. He works with salvaged metals. The silver came from a decommissioned Army radio transmitter. He melted it down and made this."

"Why a radio transmitter?"

Mike smiled.

"Because it was used to connect people. Silently."

She stood up, walked over to him, and hugged him tightly.

"Put it on me."

He slid the ring onto the ring finger of her right hand. She held his hand over it, taking a deep breath.

"I've never had anything so... simple and so immense at the same time."

"And no one else needs to understand. Only us."

May 21, 2017 – 8:15 AM

Instagram – @kendalljenner – Unmarked Post

The next morning, Kendall posted a photo of her coffee cup sitting on top of a poetry book—understated, artistic. But in the bottom corner, her fingers were visible gripping the handle. And there was the ring.

The caption was simply:

"Morning. In peace."

But the comments… weren't at peace.

@jennersource

"WHAT'S THAT ON HER HAND??"

@kylieskinfanclub

"IS IT A RING? HELP?"

@deuxmoi_official

"Kendall seen with mysterious ring after meeting with family of alleged police officer boyfriend."

@loversofthequiet

"She seems happy. It's different."

And the commotion began.

May 21 – 12:10 PM

Kris's House – Hidden Hills

Kendall walked in with her cell phone in her hands.

Kris was sitting with Corey watching TV. She barely glanced up:

"It went wrong."

"I was sure no one would notice."

Corey laughed.

"It's the internet. They would notice if you changed the brand of your napkin."

Kendall sat down, taking a deep breath.

"I just… wanted to post something lighthearted. But the ring… was careless."

Kris looked at her fondly.

— "It's beautiful. It's discreet. And it suits you. What you want now."

— "But now they'll want to know who he is. They'll try to dig into everything. And he hates that."

— "So don't say anything. Don't deny it, don't confirm it. Don't give it away. Silence is also power, Kenny."

May 21 – 1:45 PM

Message exchanged between Mike and Kendall

Kendall:

"I posted it by accident. Everyone's freaking out. They recognized the ring."

Mike:

"Do you want me to say it was a gift from the LAPD?"

Kendall:

"I want you to say you're still here. Even with this."

Mike:

"If the whole world wants to look, let them. I'm only looking at you."

May 22 – News and entertainment channels

CNN, TMZ, BuzzFeed, Page Six, ET all began reporting:

"Kendall Jenner in a serious relationship with a mystery man?"

"Discreet silver ring raises suspicions of intimate engagement with LAPD officer."

"Source close to her says relationship isn't marketing. 'She finally seems at peace.'"

Some tried to dig up the name. But Mike's private account remained protected. The LAPD didn't comment. The CIA, as usual, didn't even acknowledge Mike Edwards' existence.

May 23 – At Mike's apartment

Kendall arrived tired. She threw her bag on the couch.

"It's impossible to live in silence. They go through everything. Old photos. Looks. Dates."

Mike poured two glasses of water.

"But they don't have that here."

He gestured around the room: the low lighting, the lack of noise, the synchronized breathing.

— "Here... they don't come in."

She moved closer. She touched his face.

— "Are we going to go through with this? Even with the world screaming?"

— "There's only one answer to that."

He kissed her hand, over the ring.

— "In silence. We'll go through with it. Together."

May 24 – Kendall's interview with a French magazine (pre-scheduled)

Asked about her recent happiness, Kendall replied:

"I think I'm living for the first time off camera. And anyone who knows me understands that what matters isn't what I show... but what I preserve."

"I'm with someone who doesn't need to be seen to be real."

And so, with a simple gesture and a ring made of salvaged metal, Mike and Kendall sealed a choice amidst the noise of the world—to live in silence, with truth.

Chapter 41 – In Good Company

May 26, 2017 – 8:55 AM

West Division Yard – Los Angeles

The late May sun shone brightly. The concrete of the garage was already radiating heat even before nine. The roar of patrol cars mingled with the crackle of portable radios and the sound of the first shift reports. Mike adjusted his tactical vest with an automatic movement. His patrol car—SUV 12-A-27—was fueled, tablet on the dashboard, radio calibrated.

Athena approached, impeccably dressed, sunglasses on her face.

"Ready for another unglamorous day?"

Mike smiled slightly.

"After last week? Patrolling Jefferson Boulevard feels like a spa."

Athena got in the car and closed the door familiarly.

"You're driving today."

"Any special reason?"

— "I need the freedom to watch you while I ask you uncomfortable questions."

Mike laughed.

9:13 AM – Jefferson Blvd, West Adams neighborhood

The patrol car drove down the street at standard patrol speed: slow, eyes on everything. The tablet displayed the map with orange alert points. No urgent calls at the moment. Mike drove calmly, one hand on the steering wheel, the other resting on the headrest.

Athena turned slightly, without taking her eyes off the road.

— "So... how's dating the most watched woman on the planet going?"

Mike let out a subtle sigh, a smile contained in the curve of his lips.

— "It's excellent."

Athena arched an eyebrow.

— "That's it? A dry 'excellent' like that? You're going to frustrate me."

Mike glanced at her.

— "Athena, you know me. If I say 'excellent,' it's because there's not even a single percent of deviation on the radar. There's no alarm. There's no shadow. Just... stability. Peace."

Athena laughed lightly.

— "So you're happy."

— "Yes. And I say that with the same weight I would say 'confirmed infiltrator.'"

— "And she? Is she handling the press, the paparazzi, the attention well?"

Mike replied in a low but firm voice.

— "She's carried the world on her shoulders since she was 14. But now she has a place to rest. Here. With me. And she... values that more than any headline."

Athena looked straight ahead, then commented:

— "You know what's funny? I spent months watching you carry secrets. And now I see you carrying a promise."

Mike replied after a few seconds:

"It's lighter. Because it was done willingly. Not to protect a nation. But to protect someone... who asked for nothing but truth."

9:40 AM – Incident: Commercial Disturbance – Pico Blvd

The radio crackled:

"12-A-27, report of a verbal disturbance at a flower shop on the corner of Pico and La Brea. Agitated customer."

Athena replied:

"12-A-27 on the way."

Mike increased his speed, turned right, then left. Two minutes later, they parked in front of the small flower shop. An elderly woman, the owner, was waiting for them on the sidewalk.

"It's that man. He's nervous. He says he needs the perfect bouquet. But... he's crying. He doesn't look dangerous. Just... broken."

Mike and Athena walked in slowly.

A man in his 60s stood in front of a stand of chrysanthemums. Wrinkled shirt, red eyes.

Mike approached calmly.

"Good morning. Everything okay here?"

The man turned, clearly embarrassed.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to cause trouble. It's just... my wife died yesterday. We've been married for 34 years. And today would have been our anniversary."

Athena softened her tone.

"I'm sorry. The lady outside said you wanted a bouquet."

"I want to leave it in the garden where she liked to read. But... nothing feels right."

Mike approached, picked up a white daisy, a yellow rose, and a wildflower.

"Three colors. Three times. Peace, memory, and permanence. Maybe... this honors what was real."

The man took the flowers. He began to cry.

"Thank you. You're more than police officers. Today... you were angels."

10:15 AM – Back in the police car

Mike entered, silent. Athena watched him.

"You always know what to say. Where does that come from?"

"From the silences I've learned to listen to. Sometimes, what saves a person is something simple. A certain flower. An unspoken word."

Athena crossed her arms.

"You deserve to be happy, Mike. And I'm glad she found you."

"Or that I allowed myself to be found."

She nodded.

"Would you do this for her? If she were broken?"

Mike stared at her.

"Without hesitation. And with all the kindness the world never showed me."

12:40 PM – Break at "El Chato Taco Truck"

Sitting in the back of the police car, both with tacos in their hands and bottles of water.

Athena pulled out her phone and opened a notification. It was a picture of Kendall leaving a cafe, wearing the ring.

"She's in the headlines again."

Mike didn't even look.

"And yet, she texted me at 7 a.m. saying she slept better than she had in three years."

Athena smiled.

"And you, Edwards, are turning into a hopeless romantic."

"Only when no one's looking."

1:55 p.m. – Last leg of the patrol

While the radio remained silent, Athena relaxed in the seat. Mike looked to the city.

"You know, as strange as it may seem... this shift reminds me that, even with the world screaming, peace can still exist in a shared taco, or in a certain flower."

Athena replied calmly.

"And in a partner who doesn't need to say much to be present."

They looked at each other. And in that look, there was confirmation:

Mike Edwards was at peace. Not because he was invisible, but because he was finally seen by someone, by a family, by himself.

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Chapter 20 - Chapter 40-41