“Kels, is that you?” Charlotte asked while she loomed in Kendall’s direction.

'Kendall?' Grayson thought.

Immediately, Kendall eyed her alarmingly as though she wanted to indicate something. She couldn’t do anything about the situation, as Grayson had already exposed her. If only the git hadn’t moved, she wouldn’t be in this incommodious state.

Fortunately, Charlotte got her hint. They had been friends for almost a decade and she knew that this might be another of her covert cases. Right away, she shrugged like she just mistook Kendall for someone.

“Oh God, so sorry! I thought you were someone else I knew,” she apologized quickly.

Kendall smiled awkwardly. “Nah, it’s okay, miss. I’m used to it. People do always think I look like someone they know.”

She then lurked back, eyeing Grayson like she was giving her a clue. Grayson, however, just looked at them with a crooked face, as if he was trying to comprehend what had just happened. It was clearly evident that Kendall was frantic when she saw the woman walking by a while ago. He really thought that she was her ex-girlfriend or maybe, perhaps, someone in the past that knew her secret.

Either way, none of his expectations materialized.

After that, Charlotte was already out of their sight. She left the premises forthwith at the same time the lady had finished wrapping Grayson’s bouquet. The tightness in Kendall’s chest loosened from having escaped from the tight spot she had been in some minutes before.

“Thank you so much, sir!” the lady said while giving him the bunch of roses.

Grayson just smiled at her as he took it. Meanwhile, he couldn’t get out of his mind about Kendall’s weird and conspicuous reaction.

...

While they were driving to Grayson’s next stop, Kendall’s phone rang of a sudden. She fished it out of her pockets, hitting the button on the screen.

“Who was the handsome guy you’re with, Kels? Why didn’t you tell me you already got a boyfriend?” Sighing, Kendall realized it was just her friend Charlotte.

“I’m on duty! Bye.” She answered rapidly, without giving Charlotte any details.

“Wait—” Before her friend could speak up, Kendall dropped the call and placed it back in her pocket.

Grayson quickly noticed it and asked her out of curiosity. “What do you mean, duty? What the hell are you talking about, Hailey?”

Kendall coyly smiled at him. Whilst her arm was in the stirring wheel, she gazed up to the rear front view mirror. “Oh, it was nothing. It was just my brother asking for an update.” She then gulped and added, “He knew about the initiation and my duty to you as a new member of the group.”

'Damn, that was close. Whew, I almost got caught!' She sighed internally. Kendall knew that if she continued entertaining Charlotte and her nosy mouth, it would compromise her job.

Hastily, she changed the topic to veer him away from asking another question. Looking back at the flower Grayson was holding, Kendall confirmed, “Are we driving to Abigail’s location to drop the bouquet?”

The young man shook his head. “No, change of plans. Drive to the nearest strip club.”

“Strip club?” The reluctance in her voice was apparent.

“Yes. Why, have you never been in a strip club before?” His eyebrow curved upward.

Kendall paused in driving and retorted, “I thought we’re going to Abigail’s place to give her the bouquet? Why are you suddenly changing your mind?”

Grayson ignored her and grabbed his phone to call Chester. As soon as Chester’s voice was perceptible, he said, “Dude, call the entire group and tell them we’re going to the pub.”

She heard Chester on the phone, but it was unclear.

“Yes, the usual place. Same time.” He looked at his watch and answered, “Be there in an hour.”

Grayson then placed his phone back in his jeans' side pocket. Creasing his forehead, he asked in confusion, “Why did you stop driving?”

'Nevermind.' Kendall heaved a sigh and just held the steering wheel again, shifting the gear of the car to drive to the nearest strip club.

...

It was dawn when they arrived at the place. The dark and estranged influx of the night was neither deafening nor empty for the people roaring inside the club; rather, it was an evening to be downtrodden with their wild profligacy. For Grayson, it was different, as the arrival of dusk would give him validation on something.

A lot of cars had already been parked at the location, yet they were still able to get a parking space. Chester and Grayson’s other friend were in the front yard of the club, waiting for the both of them. When the two reached the group, Grayson and Kendall greeted them.

“Sup, man. We were waiting for you guys for almost thirty minutes. Why are you so late?” Chester asked.

Grayson pointed at her. “I got a slow driver.”

Will snickered. “Damn, what happened, Hailey? Where was the skill you flexed to us back then?”

Kendall flicked her eyes in sarcasm. “You know—I was just being careful not to leave any scratches on this guy’s car.”

“Fuck, you’re right. Grayson’s really prickly with his collectibles,” Anton added.

Chester then meddled while hooking his arms to Grayson and Will. “Alright, shitheads. Enough talking and let’s get inside to get some real deal!”

The entire group laughed, except for Kendall.

They were half a meter away from the bouncer, where the entrance was, when suddenly a thought came out of Kendall. She blocked the entryway when the group was already there.

“Wait! No one is a minor here, right? All of you are eighteen or over the eighteen?” she quickly asked.

The bouncer smirked at Kendall’s inquiry. “The lady is right, bros. You got any identification cards with you?”

Grayson answered in a matter-of-fact tone, “Er, yes, Hailey. That’s the point why we are here.”

Kendall nodded. “Are you guys sure? Let me check your IDs. I want to validate it.”

Hesitatingly, the men gave their identification cards to Kendall. It was an instinct for her, as a police officer, to ask that question, as she had been doing this for years.

“Why will you get it? Shouldn't the bouncer be the one to check our IDs?” Grayson befuddled. He grabbed his friend’s ID and directly gave it to the bouncer.

Grasping the reaction she had, Kendall paused for a moment as she quickly assessed her actions. She then realized at that moment that she had just acted out of her undercover character, Hailey Madison.

'Shit! God, this is the third time of the day I almost got caught.' Grunting inwardly, she titled her head to calm herself for a while.

Meanwhile, the bouncer tapped Kendall lightly on her shoulders. “Miss, your ID?”

“You seem like you are out yourself today, Hailey,” Grayson commented.

Kendall neglected him and gave the bouncer her fake ID, which came from the headquarters itself. “Here.”

The bouncer flipped it open and scrutinized it. Soon after, when all of them were cleared, the bouncer allowed them to go inside.

Then Grayson gestured his hand to the group, waving it to come closer to him. “Come with me, guys. I just rented a room for us.”

Chester’s coquettish smirk became more noticeable when he said it. On the other hand, Will and Anton gave only a baffling, agreeable reaction.

As soon as they walked inside, heaps of women instinctively sat beside each guy. In the room's corner, Will and Anton got themselves their own hussy, as well as with Chester. On the other side, near where Kendall was sitting, Grayson was wrapped around a curly-red-haired woman.

However, what she didn’t expect was that Grayson would also be assigning her a stripper. Kendall didn’t know what to answer as soon as he told her. Quickly, the woman in a silver brassiere and panties approached her with delight. The stripper looked sweet and approachable to Kendall, but she wasn’t just interested in doing anything with a woman of the same preference for sex.

“Hey there!” she greeted pleasantly.

Kendall coyly smiled. “Er, hi…”

“Hailey, you got a sweet pea over there. Don’t mind Grayson and just enjoy the night, eh?” Chester asked as he raised the bottle of beer.

“Yeah, Hailey! This is our treat for putting up with Grayson for the whole week,” Anton remarked while caressing the chest of the stripper beside him.

She didn’t respond and just lifted her bottle of beer to take a swig from it. Unexpectedly, while she was drinking, the stripper leaned closer to her, which made her more uncomfortable.

Choking the beer, she dropped it down on the table and moved away from the stripper.

“Err, Miss. I’m really sorry but I’m not interested. You can stop making advances, because both of us are straight. If you want, you can join the others.” Kendall suggested, pointing at Chester and Anton.

“Your friend paid for the services. I’m just doing my job.” She stepped away from Kendall and just sat beside her.

Kendall’s discomfort was replaced with relief. “Good thing you were assigned to me because I'm not interested. We can just talk if you'd like that. And please, just stop flirting with me because it scares the shit out of me.”

Cringing at the thought of the stripper’s advances, Kendall shook her head in denouncement.

Eventually, the stripper agreed. “Okay sure. Whatever, miss. If that’s what you want.”

In the meantime, Grayson noticed Kendall’s aloof reaction toward the stripper. She barely entertained her, as though she was bored and uninterested. The woman, however, tried to talk to her, but Kendall was too indifferent to give her any hint of pretensions.

On the contrary, Kendall loomed over at Grayson’s table. Watching him from a short distance, he was already kissing the stripper next to him. Kendall felt she was instantly cheated, knowing that Abigail would surely be disheartened if she saw her boyfriend philandering to anyone he meets accidentally.

'God, I pity Abigail for loving this dick! She doesn’t deserve to be treated like this! Goodness! What a fucking a-hole.' She pondered while her glare was fixated on him. Throwing the empty bottle on the table, she grabbed another one.

Kendall kept her tabs on Grayson while looking at the both of them, almost fucking on the couch. Her guilt even rose more when she noticed him going inside the delicate private part of the stripper. She then noticed that the young man was already intoxicated as his face became redder and his moves were quicker.

Likewise, his friends matched his fervor and debauchery, as all of them were preoccupied with their bimbos. Kendall felt so helpless that all she could do was shake her head and avert her attention away from the group. She couldn’t understand the senseless passion these men desired that would likely last only after they jerked off.

Moreover, as a woman, she couldn’t stand gawking at Grayson’s cheating and abuse of Abigail’s genuine affection. She tried to resist the urge to smack him in the face, but her temper overwhelmed her when she saw Grayson’s mouth casting inside her womanly part. Kendall could tolerate his mild fondling and petting with the stripper; however, she wouldn’t keep still on his upfront and boorish obscenity.

So, Kendall dragged the mildly intoxicated Grayson outside of the room, which shocked everyone. Without letting him speak, she pinned him on the wall, hauling his blue-teal collar up.

“What the fuck are you doing, Hoffman?! You got a girlfriend who sincerely loves and respects you despite your shitty personality! And this is how you repay her? Don’t you ever think, just in a minute, how your disloyalty will badly affect her when she realizes it?!” she spat.

Shocked by her sudden gesture, he asked, “What the hell, Hailey? We’re enjoying and don’t you include Abigail here!” He then removed her knuckles from his collar. “What do you know about Abigail’s emotion, anyway?! You’re not her!”

Kendall hit him in the chest, pushing his back against the wall. Her eyes were already dimmed with anger. “What do I know?! Fuck, I know what she feels! Because, like her, I’m also a woman who can’t bear men like you who have no respect!” She smacked him again in his chest. “Unfaithful idiots like you who always fool around with anyone without a least of remorse!”

Grayson’s eyes darkened, and his jaws clenched. His gaze intensified as the black strands of his hair fell across his eyebrows. Stepping closer to Kendall, he licked his lips in a sinister way while his silver-steel eyes beamed at her.

"So... You're really a woman, huh? It means you're straight."

Kendall was utterly surprised that Grayson had picked up on that. Her hand on his chest withdrew as she felt a disturbing, fuzzy feeling in her chest. She didn't know why, but she suddenly felt exposed.

She gulped, and replied, trying to rebut him, “So what if I am? Is my gender that big of a deal?”

Grayson didn’t answer and just moved away from Kendall. He went back inside the room while Kendall was following him. She was completely bothered by his reaction that it bugged her to death. She knew that what she did might rebound to her in the future. Yes, Grayson already got the fact that she was a woman, but that was just it.

Even with that fact, Kendall felt troubled, as she couldn’t pinpoint what its cause might be.

Grayson then called his friends who were quite busy. “We’re going. Get up.”

Chester, who was still in shock, grumblingly asked, “What? Why? Come on, Grayson! We’re just getting started!”

“Let’s go,” he strongly answered.

“What the fuck, Grayson!? We’re not yet done,” Will thwarted.

“We’re done. I came here with a purpose and I already got what I need. There’s no reason to stay here,” He explained while his penetrating eyes were transfixed on the woman whose face was on the ground.

...

The next day, things between them seemed clearer. They were sitting under the shade of the tree to cover themselves from the intensive heat of the sun. Grayson was leaning on the bark of the sturdy tree while studying. On his right side was Kendall, who seemed to be reading a calculus book.

Grayson paused for a moment to observe Kendall. He couldn't get over what had happened last night and how Kendall chastised him. She did, after all, have a woman's heart, as it turns out. It piqued his interest in her more that he wondered why Kendall befriended him.

“Do you like me?” he asked it casually.

Kendall snorted, unbothered by his question. “No.”

“Do you like one of my friends?”

“No.”

Frowning, he queried again. “Are you spying on me?”

“No.” She answered him again jadedly while her eyes pinned on the book.

“If then, why do you prefer to hang out with guys?”

She shrugged. “Why not?”

He kept staring at her and he soon noticed her lips curving occasionally, as though the calculus book that she was reading was funny. Grayson then shook his head in indignation, like the woman beside him was a hopeless case.

“I’ll be adding some rules to our friendship now, knowing that you’re not a lesbian,” he stated.

Still focusing on the calculus book, Kendall just nodded at him.

“You can’t wear anything that will give anyone a hint that you’re a girl. You can’t wear sexy clothes, make-up, or even dress-up. I don’t want anyone to misinterpret that you’re my girlfriend or my friend’s girlfriend.” He then eyed her down. “J-Just stay the same and keep acting like a lesbian—with your black tees and ripped jeans.”

“Easy. No problem,” Kendall replied in between her chuckles.

“Why do you keep laughing? Is studying calculus even that fun?”

“What? Is there something wrong with that?” Kendall retorted as she kept tightly on hold of her book.

Grayson couldn’t ignore her inattentiveness, so he finally took the calculus book from her hand. As soon as he opened it, he discovered she was just reading a comic book. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry at this woman’s peculiarity. All he knew was that Kendall was the kind of woman who got a tenfold layer of personality.

“Give it back to me, Grayson!” she grunted while reaching out from his grasp.

“So, this is what you’re really reading, eh?” He teased while containing his laughter that was about to burst out.

Kendall huffed, crossing her arms to her chest. “What is it to you if I’m reading a comic?”

“Hailey, you know this is the reason you’ll easily fail the class. You don’t even bother to read your notes or review it,” he reprimanded her as she tried to get the comic book back.

She groaned in annoyance. “Why do you care, Grayson? This is what I want to read and I’ll just study later before the class.”

Kendall incessantly tugged the comic book from Grayson. Finally, Grayson gave up and threw it to her, which she immediately caught without a hitch.

“Instead of studying for exams, you chose to read rather useless stuff. If I were you, I’ll get that calculus book and read it,” he advised.

Kendall was about to respond when suddenly, a woman walked up to them.

“What is this Gray? Is she the new flavor for the week? Got tired of your usual flings?” Her defined and arched eyebrows lifted while her hands were on her waist, arms raising proudly.

Kendall couldn’t reply and was undoubtedly speechless. Meanwhile, Grayson just looked at her with spite and contempt.

“What do you want?” The deep tone in his voice even got more serious.

It was Cady, Grayson’s ex-girlfriend. They had broken up a long time ago, but she still pushed herself to Grayson and fought anyone whom she saw flirting with him. Cady was beautiful and as pretty as Grayson’s present girlfriend, Abigail. Her noticeable features couldn’t be disregarded. She had blue eyes, strawberry blonde hair, and a voluptuous body that was desired by the many.

However, despite this, she was the complete opposite of Abigail. Cady is feisty, smart, yet very desperate to get Grayson’s attention. From the moment she had seen him in their freshmen year, Cady knew that Grayson was the right man for her.

“So, it’s true. She’s your new slut? Am I right?” She grinned smugly.

Grayson paid her no attention and just walked away. Following him, Kendall stood up. Nonetheless, before she could ever step on the field, Cady stopped her.

“Stay the fuck away from my man, bitch.” She gritted.

Kendall brusquely laughed at her warning. “That git is all yours for all I care, missy.”

Patting Cady’s shoulder, she marched through the field, finding the young man who was always tied with unending drama.

After their classes and later that night, Grayson and his friends decided to go to a bar again to have fun.

Of course, Kendall didn't have a choice but to go with them.

Grayson and Kendall arrived at the bar in less than no time; she dropped him off first at the entrance to look for a parking space. As soon as she got the perfect spot, the boys were already inside regaling like there was no tomorrow. Meanwhile, Kendall decided to stay at the parking spot to blow some chaff off.

She grabbed her pack of cigarettes from her side pockets and lit up the stick. Kendall rarely smoked. However, she did when she felt like she needed some air to breathe in. Guarding Grayson Hoffman had already given her a lot of stress and pressure, so much so, that she had barely visited her family.

'Ah, finally! A minute for myself.'

She smiled while relishing the heated smoke of nicotine and tobacco down to her lungs. Kendall knew she needed this as it would help her calm down before facing that git again.

After whiffing the last remnants of the burning cigarette, she threw it on the ground and crushed it with her snuff-colored combat boots. She then walked ahead to the venue to get to the boys. With her palms crunched up in the pockets of her leather jacket, she moved to the black front door of the pub when, suddenly, a young woman halted her.

Kendall tilted her head up to face her. The woman looked familiar to her as though she had seen her before. She was wearing a tight pink crop top and a checkered miniskirt that perfectly accentuated her bright auburn hair. Kendall noticed that the red-haired woman was backed up by her other friends, who were already waiting behind her.

“What do you want, miss?” Kendall asked, seemingly tired from all Grayson’s girl drama.

The short-blonde woman behind the red-haired challenged her with a feisty smirk. “Is this the girl you’re talking about, Sandra? She looks so awful and with no breed!”

“How dare you get close to Grayson? He’s Sandra’s! So back off, bitch!” Another high-pitch valley girl added.

“Is this the girl he chose over you? Eww, what happened to his standards, girl?!”

Then, Sandra sneered, “Get away from my man, slut!” She pushed her away, to which Kendall soon recovered from stepping forward.

Simultaneously, her violent actions made Kendall remember her as the woman walking toward them when Grayson kissed her. Realizing this, she now understood why the red-haired woman was hopping mad.

Regardless of their insults, Kendall had none of them, as she just rolled her eyes and ignored them. She thought of them as shallow teenagers who were so engrossed in girl drama and Grayson. With this, she went back to the front door with the plan of following where Grayson and his friends were hanging out.

“You fucking bitch! He’s mine!” Sandra yelled, slapping Kendall in the face.

Instantly, Kendall felt the massive weight of Sandra's palms. She dabbed her cheek and realized it had gotten swollen. “Hey, miss... First, I don’t care about him and I don’t care if he’s yours. Second, I don’t like him and will never like him at all. Third, I’m not one of his girls who’s so dumb to impose themselves on a guy who is only interested in sex.” Kendall brushed her lips with her thumb and warned, “So please, for the love of God, back off.”

“What the fuck did you just say?” Her response miffed Sandra with annoyance.

Kendall neglected her and walked out of their way.

Even so, the gang was too adamant about it. They recklessly pulled Kendall to them and attacked her with no leniency. They surrounded her in the middle, giving Kendall scratches on her face and hitting her abdomen.

“You bitch! How dare you say that?!” Sandra yanked Kendall’s hair so tight that she could almost feel the blisters on her scalp.

Another girl beside Kendall clawed her arm, bashing it with full force. “Fucking slut! You don’t have any right to say that!”

Kendall didn’t know what was already happening. It was like she just got mauled by every species of a feline animal intending to nail her in the coffin. Still and all, she tried to practice maximum tolerance and let them hit her until she found a way to get out of the plight.

Sandra added as she continued to pull her hair. “You man stealer! Get away from him!”

“Ah! Will you guys stop it?!” Kendall tried to request.

However, the ladies disregarded her plea and continued to hit her. Leaving her with no choice, Kendall then shoved her head back and covered her face with her forearms.

“You fucking bitch! You stole him away from me!” Sandra shrieked with passion and outrage.

“Hell, lady, I don’t even like him! You can have him all you want! I don’t frigging care!” Kendall responded while shielding herself from the incoming attacks.

Sandra's feisty gang incessantly attacked her on both sides and back. Kendall bore it for a minute while waiting for an opening where she could get out. Soon after, when she saw Sandra’s arm retracting away from her hair, she immediately grabbed and twisted it on her back to stop her.

“Argh! You fucking whore! Get your hands away from me!” Sandra cried in pain while her arm was curled up sideways.

Kendall’s sudden move took Sandra's friends aback. However, this didn’t make them stop, as a short-haired woman was about to pounce on her when she kicked her in the gut.

“Arrghh! You crazy bitch!” the short-haired woman shouted as she was thrown onto the ground.

The others tried to hit Kendall again, but to their dismay, she had quickly booted their asses to the floor before they could ever jab her. Heaps of cries coming from them surrounded the entire area, as though the bar had become a public place for brawling.

Kendall spat, while she gripped Sandra’s wrist tightly. “I told you, ladies, to fucking stop it!”

“Let me go! Damnit! I’m going to sue you for this!” Sandra yelled.

“Sue me? Like hell, you will!” Kendall was already at the point where she had enough. She couldn’t take any of these anymore, eventually arriving at the point where all odds were against her.

Then she tried to calm down. Kendall breathed in for a moment and puffed another sigh. Momentarily, she let go of Sandra’s wrist and fixed the atrocious aftermath she had encountered with these crazy bitches.

“Are you girls out of your mind? Why are you wasting your time with that git who doesn’t care about you? My God! That asshole doesn’t deserve this kind of attention! Why are you defending him like your life is on the line?! He’s a fucking womanizer who doesn’t even care about your feelings!”

Kendall stopped for a while to breathe in and then added, “You shouldn’t let a man drill you with sex only."

The girls were left flabbergasted. They didn’t expect Kendall to react in such a way or even bring them down with much skill and knowledge in fighting. More so, she was so intimidating that the entire group was pacified to be left in a dumbfounded state.

Kendall was already fed up. She couldn’t take it anymore, starting from Grayson’s childish pranks to these girls’ petty insecurities. This was not what she had expected when she agreed to do this job. It took a toll on her dignity that she couldn’t help but feel besmirched as a police officer. She knew she was better than this and could do more than deal with immature teenagers.

Gritting her teeth, Kendall turned her back away from them and walked towards the main road. She called a taxi and immediately got inside as soon as a yellow car stopped by. Gazing at the distance, she saw herself in the mirror with her face bruised from cuts and scratches. Her hair was disheveled and her cheeks were burning red.

Kendall couldn’t help but laugh at her state right now, as though a skilled and trained inspector like her just got mangled by crazy Grayson’s admirers.

With a trace of downright ache and chafe, she laughed. 'I look like a mess...'

...

She soon reached the headquarters with a single thought to talk with the chief. With her close fist, Kendall marched inside the office with heavy, yet quick footsteps. Her coworkers tried to talk to her, but she ignored them as she eyed Chief Spencer’s room.

When she got there, Kendall immediately settled on the vacant seat in front of the desk, which made the chief gape at her with confusion. Chief Spencer was about to ask Kendall when she preceded him with an exasperated glare.

“I’m quitting this case, chief. It’s not that I couldn’t do it, but I just can’t take this anymore. And no—before you say anything else, hear me out.” She heaved a sighed and continued, “It wasn’t just Grayson’s cocky attitude or his childish pranks. It’s everything and everyone surrounding him. The kid is always attached with drama that even my life has turned into a pathetic mess!”

“What do you mean, Whitlock? I thought you’ve gotten close to the kid? What the fuck happened?” His brows furrowed as he leaned away from the chair.

“This isn’t what I signed up for when I joined the law enforcement. I want to be in front of the action, doing raids and operations! This is not what I’m trained to do! Dealing with Grayson was already a handful, chief, but also dealing with his crazy women? No shit, but I’m completely done.” Kendall lifted her arms in defeat.

She then added, “I want to be assigned to a new case, chief. It’s okay if you punish me by being suspended. I just don't want anything to do with Grayson or his bunch of crazy followers.”

Chief Spencer took a deep breath and waited for Kendall to calm down. When he noticed her getting back to her senses, he replied calmly, “Being police, Janice, is not all about cross swords and lock horns. Yes, our job is risky and may sometimes be dangerous, but being a police is just not all about it. It comes with a passion for our responsibility, loyalty, and sacrifice for the common good. Whether the job is small or big, every single part of the operation is very important. We chose you to do this case, Janice, because we believe you are the only one who can do it. I have seen fire and passion in you, Whitlock, since then. Don’t let this case lose your love for your job. Take it as it is, swallow your pride, and sacrifice for the greater interest.”

“Chief…” Kendall didn’t know how to respond.

He continued, “We serve our people. We sacrifice and we humble ourselves for the safety of everyone. That’s what we do, Janice—that’s what your grandfather did. If you can't do that, then maybe this profession isn't for you, Inspector Whitlock.”

Kendall heeded the chief's words whilst sniffing. She then regretted her actions and thought of her grandfather. She loved being a police officer and would do her job to the extent of her limit. Chief Spencer’s statement reminded her of the real meaning of being a policewoman. She now knew that what she would learn from this assignment would be far more important than the lessons she would have learned from raids and busting operations.

With that in mind, she tilted her head to apologize to him, “I-I apologize, chief. I was clouded, so clouded with everything that had happened.”

Luckily, Chief Spencer understood her. He didn’t reprimand her or punished her for her rash actions as he just let Kendall leave the office to think things through. Spencer knew Kendall’s genuine love for her work and he wanted to let her know how important the case she was handling was.

...

A few minutes later, after Kendall’s conversation with the chief, she came across Noah. The man seemed to notice the distress in her that he'd ask her to join him for a meal.

“Hey, Whitlock. Want to grab some dinner?”

Kendall partly smiled but looked uninterested. “I’m fine. Not really hungry right now, Inspector Green.”

Noah, however, ignored her disinterest and tried to even cheer her up. Pouting, he said, “Come on! It’s my treat.”

Instantly, Kendall’s gloomy face faded into a more pleasant countenance. She nodded and softly smiled at him. “Alright. Just because this is your treat.”

Later on, the two went to a nearby food stall while they ate triple cheeseburgers, reflecting on their jobs. Kendall told him about her conversation with the chief, to which Noah listened with much interest.

“I-I God... I really had just enough of it.” She sighed as she dropped the wrapper on the tray.

“I understand. You know I’m your partner and I can clearly see your struggles with this case. To be honest, if I were in your shoes, I would have knocked that git to his senses,” Noah retorted while grabbing the bottle of coke.

Kendall laughed at him. She was grateful that she had Noah’s support ever since day one. If it wasn’t because of him, she would have probably lost her shit on the first day.

“Thanks, Inspector Green.” She lifted her eyes to meet his and curved her lips upward.

Noah then patted her shoulders. “You can do this, and I believe in you. I know because you’re the best police officer who can nail this case. You’re one hell of a fighter, Inspector Whitlock. No one can stop you on that.”

He crossed his arms and winked. “Besides, you also have me as your partner. You can never go wrong with that.”

Smiling at her, his blue eyes wrinkled with delight.

The enormous weight that she was carrying a while ago soon faded. Kendall felt happy with Chief Spencer and Noah’s exhortation to her. Because of this, she was even more determined to do her job better.

Both of them already had a stimulating conversation when her phone rang. Quickly, Kendall picked it up and recognized that it was Grayson who was calling her.

“Hey, I need to go, Inspector.” She pointed at the road and added. “Gotta get back to my work.”

“Is it the kid again? I can offer you a ride. Where is it?” he suggested as he reached the back of his neck to rub it.

Kendall bit her lips. She was hesitant to accept Noah’s offer, but the man was rather too nice for her to turn down. “Uhm, alright… Yeah, sure. It’s downtown at a local pub.”

Consequently, Noah drove her back to the bar where Grayson and his friends were staying. After a couple of minutes of driving, they arrived at the place where Kendall was already greeted by Grayson’s grouchy face.

Immediately, she gazed back at Noah to bid him goodbye. “Thanks again, Inspector Green, for the treat and the ride.”

“Anytime, Whitlock.” He smirked as he leaned closer to her to open the door on her side.

Shocked by his gesture, she felt her breathing pause as she noticed Noah’s body closer to her. When she felt him reclining away and inclining back to his seat, Kendall reflexively released a relieving sigh.

“Go get him and knock down his peg,” Noah cheered.

Smiling coyly, Kendall responded, “I definitely will.” She then stared at his bright eyes and bit her lips. “Thanks again, Noah. I really appreciate your support.”

Noah gave her a playful smirk. “I’m just one call away if you need me.” His lips then pursed in a teasing manner. “Although it’s kind of weird hearing you say my name.”

Kendall raised her eyebrows coyly. “Do you want me to go back with your surname, Inspector? We'd be busted if Grayson hears.”

He bit his lower lips for a moment. “No. It’s just weird—but…” Noah’s pupil narrowed as he continued. “I like it, Kendall.”

She gave him a slight nod of agreement, as her lips couldn’t hide her glee. “Same. Good night, Noah.”

“Good night, Kendall.”

“Don’t stay up late, Green. I might call you when I need you,” Kendall teased.

A deep-entrancing voice of mirth escaped from Noah. Kendall then exited the car as Noah said, “Call me anytime. I’m at your beck and call.”

"I will, Noah. Thanks again..." Replied Kendall as she waved her hand. Grayson, who was at the side, could hear their intimate farewells.

After that, Noah drove off while Kendall was left alone with Grayson to deal with. Bulking up all her renewed patience, she walked toward him. She quickly noticed his frown at her while his foot kept tapping on the concrete ground.

“Where the heck you are, Hailey?” he hissed.

Kendall didn’t respond to his question and just took his keys.

However, Grayson was too obstinate as he asked her again, “Who is that guy? Why did you disappear suddenly and come back with another man?”

She kept her mouth shut and ignored Grayson’s incessant interrogation. Kendall didn’t want to pay attention to his cockiness or his insults anymore. With this, she just went inside the car and drove throughout the ride without saying a single thing.

Even so, Grayson didn’t stop as he asked her another question again. “I heard what happened with you and Sandra. Why didn’t you fight back, Hailey? For someone who could fight a guy easily, those ladies are just nothing. Why didn’t you deal with them right away?”

Kendall only listened to Grayson, trying not to bite back a word towards him.

“And who is that guy you’re just with? Is he your boyfriend? Your fling when you need something to let out?” He gritted his teeth with annoyance.

She stepped on the pedal, and the car came to a screeching halt. “Shut the fuck up, Hoffman! I’m not in a mood to entertain any of your rudeness, lest banter with your childish insults!”

Grayson was about to open his mouth to answer when he met her piercing scowl.

“I’m already so tired of dealing with your antics, so please, keep your mouth shut, before I do anything else that you will surely regret!”

He was astonished by Kendall’s reaction. Grayson wasn’t sure why, but he found himself nodding at her. He then shut his mouth immediately, obeying Kendall’s admonishment. With this, it got him wondering why Kendall could silence him just like that.

He couldn’t explain it, but he got this lingering feeling that she spoke with such authority, as if she was more experienced, more mature, and much more... Older?