Xavier~
"Did you find the address?" She looked at me with eagerness as I returned to the car.
"Yes." I nodded, watching her eyes light up with excitement as she took my phone from my hand and checked Jordan's address.
"Then let's go."
"Right now? Are you crazy?" I frowned at her.
"This address is far away from the city, and it's already 7 p.m. It'll take all night to get there by car."
I couldn't believe her enthusiasm. After everything we'd been through in the last 24 hours, she still had that fire in her eyes.
"So what's the problem? I can drive." She shrugged her shoulders, completely indifferent to the situation. Typical Bella—pushing through everything as if her body didn't need rest.
"Bella, you should go home right now. Your family must be worried about you since you didn't return yesterday. I promise you, tomorrow morning I'll take you there." I tried to remind her about her family, hoping it would make her reconsider.
She had been working non-stop—like a machine—since yesterday. No sleep, no food. Not even a moment to breathe, let alone take a bath. I marveled at her endurance but was also worried about her breaking point.
"Mr. Thompson, don't worry about me. I'll manage. Just drive." Her voice was calm but firm, and when she called me,
"Mr. Thompson" instead of "Xavier," it felt like she was drawing a line, reminding me to stay professional.
I quietly started the car, still wondering why she sometimes allowed herself to slip into calling me Xavier, only to snap back to the formal "Mr. Thompson" when things got serious. It confused me, but I wasn't going to push it. She had her walls, and I wasn't about to cross them.
Alan must be missing her, eagerly waiting for her to come home, but she didn't seem to care right now. This murder case consumed her entire world. I wondered what her husband would think if he knew she had spent the last two days with me. He had sounded extremely irritated when I overheard their conversation earlier.
"Why did you stop the car here?" she asked, irritation flashing in her eyes when I pulled over in front of a halfway house.
"First, eat something." Her stomach growled right on cue, and she placed her hand over it, finally realizing how long it had been since her last meal. Her dedication to this case was impressive, but it wasn't healthy.
"Okay, let's eat something, but we have to hurry before he leaves that place." She sighed and stepped out of the car.
This woman was truly amazing—her brilliant mind continued to astound me. The way she connected the dots between the transport company and Jordan Lucas was incredible. Her sharpness of gathering evidence left me in awe. I still couldn't believe how she managed to retrieve Jordan's address from the transport manager's computer.
I had been angry earlier, watching her flirt with that man to get the information. It had boiled my blood, but when I saw her tears, I regretted how I had lashed out. Still, why hadn't I thought about the transport company first? It would have saved us from the red-light area.
"Two sandwiches and two coffees," she ordered before I could get us a proper meal, her efficiency once again winning over. Observing her ability to save time, I let out a sigh.
"How did you learn about that transportation company, Miss Luis?" I asked, taking a bite of my hamburger.
"A visiting card I found at John's table caught my attention." She shifted into a more comfortable position, crossing her legs in the passenger seat. Her odd seating posture made me want to laugh, but I held it in. It was good to see her feeling more relaxed around me.
Her phone buzzed again. This time, it was Alan calling.
"How are you doing, Alan?" she asked softly, her voice instantly gentling. She sipped her coffee as she spoke to him, trying to mask the exhaustion in her tone.
"Why haven't you come home yet, Mama? I miss you." Alan's complaint was innocent, but I could hear the longing in his voice.
"Mama is working on a big case; she will come home soon." Her voice wavered slightly, and I noticed her trying hard not to cry.
"Okay, Mama, I'll take care of myself. I'm a big boy now."His response was mature beyond his years. It struck me how self-sufficient her son was and how understanding. Bella stared at her phone, her face tightening when she saw her husband's number pop up on the screen again.
"Are you going to tell me where you are now, Bella, or should I file a missing report for you instead?" His frustration came through loud and clear.
"I am not a child who needs to report every movement, and how many times do I have to tell you? I'm busy with my case!" Her irritation spilled over, her voice rising as she finally snapped.
A smile tugged at my lips. It wasn't often that I saw her this angry, especially not at him. Usually, she was calm with her husband. This change stirred something inside me—an odd satisfaction that I didn't want to acknowledge.
"You are with that scumbag, aren't you?" Her husband's voice was practically a scream.
"You're right. I've been with my client since yesterday, and I'll be spending more time with him tonight. Don't call me again." She cut off the call, tossing her phone onto the dashboard and turning to stare out of the window.
I wanted to comfort her, but it wasn't my place. I had no right to cross the boundaries she'd set, even though seeing her agitated like this made me want to do something, anything, to help.
"Mr. Thompson, let me drive. You've been driving for the last seven hours, and I can see you're exhausted." Her voice softened, and I glimpsed that caring side of her, the one she always tried to hide behind her professional mask.
I sighed and pulled over. She was right. I was exhausted, but I didn't want to add to her burden. She barely slept last night, curled up on that uncomfortable couch. But on her insistence we switched seats, and at 7 a.m., we finally reached our destination.
She looked tired from the long drive, but the moment she saw his house, it was like a switch flipped. Her energy returned instantly, and she didn't hesitate as we approached. I reached for her hand to guide her past the staring eyes, and for once, she didn't pull away. Instead, she walked silently by my side, her determination palpable.
Each step toward Jordan made my heart race. After all this time, the moment had finally arrived.
"Welcome, Xavier Thompson," Jordan's voice rang out as he stepped into view, his laugh dangerously low.
"You've finally found me."