Alex hadn’t expected to feel like the bad guy.Not when he hadn’t done anything. Not when he hadn’t even touched Isabella. But that didn’t matter—not to Ava. Not to Pearl.And it sure as hell didn’t matter to the silence that followed him all the way back from that stupid restaurant.He hadn’t stopped thinking about the look Ava gave him, like he was a stranger. Like everything between them—however weird, however fake, even though there wasn’t anything real in the first place—had evaporated in a blink.And Pearl? Her words, then the silence that followed? That was worse.That silence stayed with him.He took some time to really think about everything. He felt bad about hurting Pearl, but this situation could actually help him dodge the engagement with Isabella.If he went along with Ava and Pearl’s plan, it might get his dad off his back. He’d be pissed, that was for sure.At least he'd be with someone who actually interested him instead of someone who annoyed him. Now he needed to fi
Ava resisted the urge to glare at her daughter. Barely.Pearl stood a few feet away, holding up her tablet like a director on a chaotic movie set. Her hair was pulled into two messy buns, and she was wearing sunglasses bigger than her face, acting like she was Spielberg reborn. "Smile, Mom! You look like you’re about to perform surgery, not announce you’re in love!"Alex stood awkwardly next to Ava, adjusting the cuffs of his navy blazer as if it were the jacket's fault he was being forced into this madness."This is ridiculous," Ava muttered under her breath.He leaned down slightly, his mouth almost brushing her ear. "You agreed to this.""Under duress."He chuckled. "Still counts."Pearl clapped her hands. "Less whispering, more smiling! You’re in love, remember?"Ava turned her head slightly, giving Alex a look that would’ve sent most grown men running. He just smirked.Great. He was getting good at surviving her death glares.The house staff buzzed behind them as they tried (and
The Reed estate glittered under a thousand lights.The charity gala, on paper, was a fundraiser for children's hospitals. In reality, it was a declaration. Eleanor Reed had orchestrated every detail—flowers, music, the high-society guest list—all to showcase the newly engaged Dr. Ava Reed and Detective Alexander Ramos.The moment Alex and Ava stepped onto the marble floor, the room hushed, cameras flashing like a rainstorm.They were a picture.The city's favourite new power couple.If only it didn’t feel like playing Russian roulette.“You know this is insane, right?” Alex murmured out of the corner of his mouth, adjusting his cufflinks.“Smile,” Ava said through gritted teeth, her hand looping through his arm. “Or I’m stabbing you with this heel.”He let out a soft chuckle. “Kinky. But you’re actually the one with the scowl,” Alex said quietly, barely moving his lips.Ava tilted her champagne glass toward her lips. “I’m not scowling.”He grinned. “You are. Smile. Pretend I’m charmi
“Answer the question, Ramos. Why did you kiss me?”Ava’s voice was sharp enough to cut steel, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.Alex leaned casually against the wall, looking maddeningly relaxed for a man who should be begging for his life.“It’s called selling the story, Doc,” he said with a shrug, the corner of his mouth lifting. “You want believable? That’s how you get it.”He looked utterly unbothered, like he hadn’t just thrown a grenade into their already precarious arrangement. “Making it believable,” he added, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.“That’s not believable—that’s reckless,” Ava snapped, every muscle in her body tense.He only leaned back further against the marble railing, exuding lazy confidence. “You didn’t seem to mind,” he said, tilting his head slightly.Ava glared daggers at him, her fingers curling into fists at her sides. “We agreed on public appearances,” she reminded him. “We didn’t agree on that.”Alex just shrugged one shoulder, comp
The bullpen was already buzzing when Alex walked in.Officers leaned across desks, coffee in hand, tossing yesterday’s gossip like poker chips. Phones rang, radios hummed, and somewhere in the corner, someone was laughing way too hard at a bad joke. Typical morning chaos.Except this morning wasn’t typical—not for him.“Look who finally showed up,” Jenna’s voice rang out from behind her desk. His partner was leaning back in her chair, her boots resting on her drawer, and a half-full cup of black coffee balanced on her knee.“You miss me, or just enjoying the circus?” Alex muttered, walking toward his desk.Jenna grinned. “Both. Congrats, by the way. Five days ago, only those who kept tabs on the police department and ongoing investigations knew your name. Now? You’re trending right under a celebrity divorce.”Alex shot her a look. “Don’t start.”“I wouldn’t,” she said sweetly, then slid a tablet across the table with her boot. “But you might want to take a peek before the chief finds
The briefing room smelled strongly of burnt coffee. You could feel the tension in the air, as if it were gnawing under your skin. Officers in tactical gear filled the benches; some were rubbing their tired eyes, while others fidgeted nervously, already feeling the pre-mission jitters. While some appeared to be still waking up, the majority displayed a glare that indicated their frustration.Nobody enjoyed being summoned at the break of dawn for a raid that was assembled with less than a day's notice.Alex Ramos stood at the front, arms crossed and jaw clenched, looking serious. He was more than just another person in the room; he wasn’t there just to participate in the raid but was the man who had orchestrated it all. “You sure about this intel?” Jenna asked, leaning toward him, her voice pitched low enough to avoid catching the captain’s attention. Her ponytail was still damp from the gym, and she smelled faintly of cinnamon gum and doubt. “An anonymous tip with no ID could be ba
They didn’t move.For a heartbeat, neither blinked nor lowered their weapon. The darkness between was thick, lit only by the flickering remnants of the busted overhead light. Her hood shadowed her face, and Alex could barely make out the shape of her jaw and the firm grip of her gloved hand on the trigger. But he could tell she was calm and wouldn’t hesitate to act."You’re on the wrong turf, Officer," she said coolly, voice slightly altered through some kind of audio modulator. "La Rosa doesn’t appreciate unexpected guests."His aim didn’t falter. “Put the gun down.”She ignored the command entirely, taking one step forward. “This is trespassing, detective. You brought your people into our house, all ready for a fight. And for what? A few crates you don’t understand and a war you’re not built for?”Alex’s eyes narrowed. She spoke clearly and carefully, as if she had done this a hundred times before. And for some odd reason, it felt like she recognised him.“Who are you?” he asked.
“Unless it’s a full code, direct anything after six to Dr. Alec,” Ava said, slipping her lab coat off one arm as she moved through the hallway of the ER.The nurse beside her nodded quickly, clipboard in hand, struggling to keep up with Ava’s fast pace.“If it’s something he can’t handle,” Ava continued, already opening her locker, “they can call my emergency line. But only if it’s life-threatening or political. No grey area.”“Yes, Dr. Reed.”Ava buttoned her coat shut and pulled her hair free from the clip. Her shift was technically over. Her nerves, however, were far from clocked out.The memory of Alex’s face in that dark hallway—the sound of his voice, the gun, the brief standoff—still felt intense. He didn’t recognise her, and she was sure of that. But ever since that moment, she’d felt a tightness in her jaw that just wouldn’t disappear.Between a police raid she couldn’t admit to surviving and the fallout of public scandal, she felt like she'd lived three lifetimes in one week
The phone call had barely ended when Alex spotted movement in his rearview mirror.A man emerged from behind a tall hedge near the front gate of the Reed estate, standing in the warm light of the security lamps. He wore a nice, dark long coat, and he didn’t seem to be trying to hide; he was simply waiting.Alex’s hand hovered near his holster as he stepped out of the car and closed the door behind him.“Something I can help you with?” Alex called out, casually but not carelessly.Rafael stepped forward, hands in his coat pockets. “I could ask you the same.”Alex didn’t move. “You’re Ava’s assistant. Rafael, right?”“Among other things.”There was an awkward silence between them, a tense moment that pretended to be a conversation. The wind rustled through the trees by the estate walls, the only sound filling the gap for a while.“I’m not here for trouble,” Rafael finally said, stepping a little closer. “But if you’re going to keep showing up at that door pretending to be something you’
Ava tilted her head slightly, watching him. “Can I ask you something?”Alex gave her a slow grin. “Isn’t that what dates are for?”She didn’t return the smile. “Why’d you become a cop?”He paused, fork halfway to his mouth. “Wow. Jumped right past favourite colour and childhood pets, huh?”“I figured they don’t really say much about you,” she replied with a neutral shrug. “Besides, you strike me more as a rescue-dog-than-hamster type anyway.”That made him chuckle. He set his fork down, leaning forward with his forearms braced on the edge of the table. For a moment, he looked thoughtful, like he was sorting through something. But the truth—well, his version of it—came easily now. He’d rehearsed it so many times it felt real.“My mom used to run a little diner in the south end,” he said, his tone gentler now. “One day, someone came in with a knife and tried to rob the register. I was twelve. I froze. My dad wasn’t around that day. But there was this guy, a regular customer. Off-duty
The drive started quiet.Alex’s car—a sleek, dark hybrid with leather seats that still somehow smelled like pine—glided through the city like it belonged in a movie. Ava sat in the passenger seat, legs crossed, hands folded neatly over her clutch. Her dress shimmered faintly under the ambient dashboard light. And still, all he could think about was how much she looked like she didn’t want to be there.Which was ironic. Because neither did he. Except… he kind of did.“You look like you’re calculating how many exits you’d need to take to fake a kidnapping,” he said lightly, eyes still on the road.“I’m trying to decide if I can fake appendicitis without actually performing surgery on myself,” Ava replied without missing a beat.He laughed. “That’s dark. I like it.”Ava gave a little smirk. “Pearl’s coaching.”“Yeah, I figured. That kid’s going to run for mayor by age ten.”“She’s already lobbying for wedding fireworks and matching tattoos.”Alex side-eyed her. “Tattoos?”“Don’t worry,
“Unless it’s a full code, direct anything after six to Dr. Alec,” Ava said, slipping her lab coat off one arm as she moved through the hallway of the ER.The nurse beside her nodded quickly, clipboard in hand, struggling to keep up with Ava’s fast pace.“If it’s something he can’t handle,” Ava continued, already opening her locker, “they can call my emergency line. But only if it’s life-threatening or political. No grey area.”“Yes, Dr. Reed.”Ava buttoned her coat shut and pulled her hair free from the clip. Her shift was technically over. Her nerves, however, were far from clocked out.The memory of Alex’s face in that dark hallway—the sound of his voice, the gun, the brief standoff—still felt intense. He didn’t recognise her, and she was sure of that. But ever since that moment, she’d felt a tightness in her jaw that just wouldn’t disappear.Between a police raid she couldn’t admit to surviving and the fallout of public scandal, she felt like she'd lived three lifetimes in one week
They didn’t move.For a heartbeat, neither blinked nor lowered their weapon. The darkness between was thick, lit only by the flickering remnants of the busted overhead light. Her hood shadowed her face, and Alex could barely make out the shape of her jaw and the firm grip of her gloved hand on the trigger. But he could tell she was calm and wouldn’t hesitate to act."You’re on the wrong turf, Officer," she said coolly, voice slightly altered through some kind of audio modulator. "La Rosa doesn’t appreciate unexpected guests."His aim didn’t falter. “Put the gun down.”She ignored the command entirely, taking one step forward. “This is trespassing, detective. You brought your people into our house, all ready for a fight. And for what? A few crates you don’t understand and a war you’re not built for?”Alex’s eyes narrowed. She spoke clearly and carefully, as if she had done this a hundred times before. And for some odd reason, it felt like she recognised him.“Who are you?” he asked.
The briefing room smelled strongly of burnt coffee. You could feel the tension in the air, as if it were gnawing under your skin. Officers in tactical gear filled the benches; some were rubbing their tired eyes, while others fidgeted nervously, already feeling the pre-mission jitters. While some appeared to be still waking up, the majority displayed a glare that indicated their frustration.Nobody enjoyed being summoned at the break of dawn for a raid that was assembled with less than a day's notice.Alex Ramos stood at the front, arms crossed and jaw clenched, looking serious. He was more than just another person in the room; he wasn’t there just to participate in the raid but was the man who had orchestrated it all. “You sure about this intel?” Jenna asked, leaning toward him, her voice pitched low enough to avoid catching the captain’s attention. Her ponytail was still damp from the gym, and she smelled faintly of cinnamon gum and doubt. “An anonymous tip with no ID could be ba
The bullpen was already buzzing when Alex walked in.Officers leaned across desks, coffee in hand, tossing yesterday’s gossip like poker chips. Phones rang, radios hummed, and somewhere in the corner, someone was laughing way too hard at a bad joke. Typical morning chaos.Except this morning wasn’t typical—not for him.“Look who finally showed up,” Jenna’s voice rang out from behind her desk. His partner was leaning back in her chair, her boots resting on her drawer, and a half-full cup of black coffee balanced on her knee.“You miss me, or just enjoying the circus?” Alex muttered, walking toward his desk.Jenna grinned. “Both. Congrats, by the way. Five days ago, only those who kept tabs on the police department and ongoing investigations knew your name. Now? You’re trending right under a celebrity divorce.”Alex shot her a look. “Don’t start.”“I wouldn’t,” she said sweetly, then slid a tablet across the table with her boot. “But you might want to take a peek before the chief finds
“Answer the question, Ramos. Why did you kiss me?”Ava’s voice was sharp enough to cut steel, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.Alex leaned casually against the wall, looking maddeningly relaxed for a man who should be begging for his life.“It’s called selling the story, Doc,” he said with a shrug, the corner of his mouth lifting. “You want believable? That’s how you get it.”He looked utterly unbothered, like he hadn’t just thrown a grenade into their already precarious arrangement. “Making it believable,” he added, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.“That’s not believable—that’s reckless,” Ava snapped, every muscle in her body tense.He only leaned back further against the marble railing, exuding lazy confidence. “You didn’t seem to mind,” he said, tilting his head slightly.Ava glared daggers at him, her fingers curling into fists at her sides. “We agreed on public appearances,” she reminded him. “We didn’t agree on that.”Alex just shrugged one shoulder, comp
The Reed estate glittered under a thousand lights.The charity gala, on paper, was a fundraiser for children's hospitals. In reality, it was a declaration. Eleanor Reed had orchestrated every detail—flowers, music, the high-society guest list—all to showcase the newly engaged Dr. Ava Reed and Detective Alexander Ramos.The moment Alex and Ava stepped onto the marble floor, the room hushed, cameras flashing like a rainstorm.They were a picture.The city's favourite new power couple.If only it didn’t feel like playing Russian roulette.“You know this is insane, right?” Alex murmured out of the corner of his mouth, adjusting his cufflinks.“Smile,” Ava said through gritted teeth, her hand looping through his arm. “Or I’m stabbing you with this heel.”He let out a soft chuckle. “Kinky. But you’re actually the one with the scowl,” Alex said quietly, barely moving his lips.Ava tilted her champagne glass toward her lips. “I’m not scowling.”He grinned. “You are. Smile. Pretend I’m charmi