Trouble in Paradise

Neal was just an ordinary officer back then.

I arranged to meet him at a cafe near the university. Through the clear window, I saw him approaching me step by step.

Over the years, the young man with passionate eyes and a heart full of zeal had gained a touch of nonchalance and determination.

As the door swung open with a loud ring, he walked in, drawing everyone's attention, but he only had eyes

for me.

I stood up and smiled at him. "I'm sorry I'm troubling you again.

"No trouble," he replied.

With Neal's help, I managed to locate the homeless man. His name was Marcelo Kramer. He sat quietly with his handcuffed wrists resting on his lap. He stared blankly at his wrists, unresponsive even when I greeted him. "I'm Ariana. I'm the woman you dragged into this mess," I said.

He finally reacted upon hearing my voice, lifting his head to glance at me. It was clear he was seeing me

for the first time.

"You should leave," he said softly before lowering his head again.

Having gone through so much trouble to get in, I couldn't just leave. "You're accused of attempted murder, not just causing harm. Do you understand the difference between the two?"

He remained silent, uncooperative. Anticipating this, I continued, "The difference is that the Hawk family can turn three years imprisonment into ten years, and ten years imprisonment into life imprisonment. You'll never get out." "It's impossible," he interjected softly.

"I didn't kill anyone. I just accidentally injured someone's shoulder. It wasn't intentional. Sometimes I lose unconsciousness and don't know what I've done. You can have me examined by a doctor; Ill be acquitted.

He seemed distant, his words suddenly flowing like rehearsed lines. However, they were tinged with insecurity, as if someone had manipulated him.

"Despite being accused by you, I'm still free, while you're in prison. Is that what you call an acquittal? You've admitted to causing harm, simplifying the investigation. Soon, the case will move forward-

"Go away, go away," he interrupted me. "Once you're in prison, I can get out."

What did he mean by that?NôvelDrama.Org holds © this.

After interacting with him, I was more convinced than ever that something was amiss, I realized now that this whole situation was directed at me.

Knowing there was no point in staying any longer, I stood up and said, "If you want to get out, I'm the only one who can help you."

I didn't expect that one conversation would help clear my suspicion. What I aimed to do was plant a seed of doubt in his mind, allowing fear to grow infinitely within him. When he couldn't bear it anymore and felt trapped that was when he would surely contact me. Back home, I received a call from Yasmine. "Ari, I've just sent Marcelo's Information to your email."

"Where did you get it from?"

"Oh, Mr. Harmon gave it to me. He said he got it from Pete. Just take a look, and let me know if you need anything else. Anyway, I trust the two of them. Whatever you want, they can make it happen for you!"

She usually spoke loudly, but her tone suddenly turned ambiguous when she said, "What's going on, Ms.

Ari?"

She mimicked Pete's tone when calling me...

-Why

"Why are you lying to me? I remember you said Pete was your archenemy. Isn't he being unusually nice to you now, helping you out in the police station and backing you up?" "Nothing's going on between us. Stop imagining things!

Now that I owed Pete another favor, I wondered how many bottles of vodka that sly man would demand this time to keep my mouth shut.

Feeling a headache coming, I rubbed my temples. I could already envision him gloating about how he had, helped me with everything when we met in the future...