DAVE

I slouched in my chair, scanning through reports, when my phone buzzed. I glanced down, squinting at the screen, wondering which headache was waiting for me this time.

The lab results from last week's alley mess blinked on my screen. I skimmed fast-knife, attacker, victim, just routine stuff. Then a name stopped me.

Meredith Stevens.

I stared at the screen and read it again.

Her DNA was on the knife. On the attacker. Even traces on the victim.

The lab tech's note made my stomach twist: "Blood type unusual. Mutated. Rechecking for accuracy."

I leaned back, rubbing my eyes. Yesterday, she'd sat across from me in a spotless office and told me she'd seen nothing.

That wasn't true.

Blood type... mutated? What the hell is happening? My head started pounding just thinking about it.

I waved Miller over, "You gotta see this." My throat was dry, like I'd swallowed sand.

He leaned in, frowning. "Meredith Stevens... wait. Are you kidding me? Her DNA... at the scene?"

I ran a hand through my hair, gripping the edge of the desk. "It's there. And her prints. In the building. She lied yesterday. Saw nothing? Bullshit."

Miller shook his head. "You really gonna confront her?"

"Yes," I said, standing abruptly. "I'm going now. Screw appointments".

I drove to Aurora Luxe Holdings. At the front desk, the receptionist frowned when I asked for Meredith.

"Ms. Stevens?" she said. "She's not in today. Working from home"

Perfect, now I have to go to her house.

I pulled her address from police records. Standard procedure for VIP witnesses. Her building was one of those where every visitor got scanned. Perfect. I had enough reason-witness statements, timelines to justify this visit.

The city lights streaked past. My fingers dug into the wheel. My heart was pounding. Not from the drive. From what I was about to do

When I reached her building, the doorman squinted at me.

"Detective Callahan?" he said, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes. Police business. Need to see Meredith Stevens. It's urgent." I showed my badge, hoping it would be enough.

After a tense pause, he relented. I took the elevator up, every floor feeling heavier than the last.

Her door cracked open. She peeked out. Hair loose, eyes wide. Her hand gripped the frame so tight the knuckles turned white. She blinked like she was trying to collect herself.

"Detective Callahan... what are you doing here? In my home?" Her voice was sharp and tight. "You... have no right to just show up."

"I need to talk to you," I said, keeping my voice calm but firm. "About that night. About the alley."

Her expression hardened immediately. "I... I run a company, Detective. An empire. You barging in here... this isn't acceptable. I don't have time for this."

"I'm not here for small talk," I said, glancing at her carefully. "Your prints are at the crime scene. DNA, fingerprints, even on the knife. That's not small talk. That's evidence. Can you explain that?"

She stiffened, hands moving to her sides, as if bracing herself. "I... I don't know what you want from me. I already told the office I'm working from home. I have work to do. You're... overstepping."

"You're hiding something," I said, taking a careful step closer. "Yesterday, you told me you saw nothing. That's a lie. Your DNA says otherwise. You were there. You know it."

Her eyes darted away, and I noticed her movements were slower than usual, almost faint. Her skin looked pale, and she was breathing shallowly.

"I... I can't-" she whispered, voice weak.

"Yes, you can," I said. "You can tell me what happened. You can't pretend the evidence isn't there."

Her hand went to her side, brushing the ribs, and she stumbled slightly. I caught her before she fell.

"Whoa... steady," I said. She was weak, burning up, trembling.

"I... I'm fine," she whispered, weakly pulling back.

She's pale. Weak. And lying. God, what the hell is going on?

Then I saw it-the blood spreading across the right side of her shirt. My mind snapped back to Sarah's statement: the creature had been stabbed on the right side.

"Meredith," I said, voice softer but urgent, "how did you get this wound? Why isn't it treated?"

She shook her head slowly, whispering, "No... no hospital. Please..."

I took a careful step closer. "You could be dying. I don't care who you are. You're coming with me. Hospital. Now."

Her lips trembled, and she tried to pull away, but I gently held her arm. Her body was weak, her breathing shallow, yet she still carried herself like the CEO she always was.

Something deep in me screamed. This wasn't just a lie.

This was... something else.

"Meredith Stevens," I said quietly, "who are you?"

DAVE

Blood spread across the right side of her shirt. 

I wanted to call an ambulance-but stopped. She could barely stand. I couldn't risk scaring her... or trapping her.

"Meredith," I said, stepping closer, voice low but firm. "You need help. Hospital-level help. Now."

She pressed a hand to her side, shallow breaths shaking her. "No hospital, Detective. Please... you don't understand."

"I don't understand?" I gritted my teeth. "Your blood's on a knife. Your prints are at the crime scene. DNA-"

"I had nothing to do with that," she snapped, voice tight. "I'm not a criminal. I run a company. I'm busy. I'll be fine. Just... go."

"I can't just go," I said, scanning the wound again. Deep. Jagged. Yet... almost healing itself. "You could be dying. I'm not leaving you like this."

"I said no hospitals," she whispered, shaking her head. "I don't need anyone interfering. No one should know. You don't get it."

"I get it," I said, lowering my voice. "You're high-profile. People notice. But I know a doctor-discreet. No records, no one will know. Just here to patch you up. That's all."

She shook her head, a little more forcefully this time. "I cannot have anyone touching me, Detective. People would see me. I can't... I'm exposed enough as it is. You have no right-"

"I have every right," I said, keeping calm but firm. "You're hurt. You're vulnerable. That's all that matters right now. You're human, Meredith. Humans get hurt."

She pressed her lips tight, shoulders stiff. "I'm not... like other people, I can handle this. You don't get it. I handle everything myself."

I stepped closer, my voice softening. "I don't care about your company, your reputation, or who notices. You need care, now. I'm not leaving until you accept it."

She hesitated, eyes flicking to the window as if checking outside. Shoulders sagging slightly, she finally said, "And... if I let your doctor come... no one will know?"

"No one, You'll stay in your apartment. It will be discreet and quick. I'll be right here."

A long pause. Then, finally: "Okay... fine. But just... don't touch more than you need to."

I nodded, relief washing over me. "Good. That's all I need. Just stay still. You'll be fine."

I looked up and froze. Her hazel eyes... they flickered gold. Just for a second. But enough.

"Your eyes..." I whispered under my breath. Heart racing. "Did they just... flash gold?"

She dropped her gaze immediately. "You're imagining things," she said softly. But her tension betrayed her.

I shook my head. "I'm not imagining anything. Something's not right here. You're hiding something."

She flinched as I reached for a clean cloth and antiseptic. "Focus on the wound. That's all that matters," she said.

I dabbed carefully, wrapping the wound as best I could. Every motion brought me closer, yet she didn't pull away-just watched me, tense but composed.

A noise outside cut the quiet. Something-or someone-moved past the blinds.

I tensed-not just at the sound, but at how she reacted. Her body stiffened, ready to move. And then... her eyes.

Her eyes glowed, bright and fierce. This wasn't a trick of the light-it was real. They were locked on the shadow outside, her whole body tense, ready, and alert

I stepped back, my heart racing. "Meredith... what the hell-?"

She didn't say anything. Every part of her was alert. Those golden eyes stared straight at me.

Then, just like that, it was gone. Her eyes went back to normal, calm. But my heart was still racing. That power... it was still there, hanging in the air.

"Please... just go now," she whispered, low, almost pleading.

I didn't move away "Meredith... what the hell is happening to you?"

Her eyes shone a little gold in the dim light as they met mine-a silent warning that made my stomach twist.

I clenched my fists, torn between shock, curiosity, and doing my job.

"Then tell me one thing, Who attacked you? And why won't anyone else know?"

She didn't answer right away. Those golden eyes stayed in my head. Whatever she was hiding... it was dangerous. Way more than I could understand.

Outside, the shadow moved again. The room felt tense, like you could cut the air with a knife.

The apartment was quiet after Dave left. It felt heavy. Like the air was waiting for something to happen.

I stayed by the door for a long time. My back pressed against it. My side hurt with every heartbeat. I wanted to stay still, but I couldn't. My body kept moving even though my mind didn't.

I kept thinking about the way he looked at me. His eyes stayed on me, calm and focused, like he was trying to understand me. Like he was trying to see something I wasn't ready to show. I leaned back against the door, holding the edge, wishing I could disappear without moving.."

I didn't show him everything."

It didn't matter. He'd seen too much anyway.

I slid down the door slowly until I was sitting on the floor. Knees to my chest. My hand pressed to the wound. The pain wasn't sharp anymore. It just stayed there, steady and heavy, reminding me it hadn't gone away.

A quiet, bitter laugh slipped out. Smart move. Really smart.

I pressed my forehead against my knees,trying to calm down. I tried to breathe. In. Out. In. Out.

It didn't help at first. My mind kept replaying him. The way he paused, how his voice dropped when he told me to go to the hospital. The way he looked at me when my eyes betrayed me.

I shouldn't have let him get that close. I shouldn't have helped that woman. I shouldn't have let him see me bleed.

But I always do. I can't stop. And this time... it might've cost me.

After a long while, I pushed myself up. Locked the door. Checked the windows twice. Just in case.

Then I went to bed. I couldn't sleep. I laid there staring at the ceiling, thinking about everything that could go wrong. Thinking about what he could do if he tried to investigate. What if he talked to someone? What if he ran background checks? What if he tried to follow the trail of people I'd helped?

                                     ***

Morning came so fast. I got dressed like nothing happened.

Black pants. Gray blouse. Hair in the perfect chignon. A touch of makeup. Just enough to pass for normal..

But I wasn't normal. I felt tired, sore, and still angry. But no one needed to know that.

I Walked out of the apartment, the city was busy, full of noise. Cars honked, people talked as they moved along. The smells of food and traffic were in the air. I kept my head down and walked, trying to act like everything was normal.

When I got in the car, I just sat. Hands in my lap. Tried to shake off the pain, but it stayed. My mind kept going back to last night. To Dave. To what I could have done differently..

By the time I stepped into Aurora Luxe, I had put on my mask. Face calm. Back straight. Acting like nothing had happened.

"Elena," I said before I even reached my office.

She was there. Standing outside my office, tablet in hand. Always ready and professional.

"Good morning, Ms. Stevens. Nine a.m. moved to nine-fifteen. Traffic?"

"Yes. Thanks."

She followed me inside quietly. Closed the door softly.

"Board lunch at one," she said. "PR wants a statement about Langford rumors. I drafted three options."

I nodded. Sat. Not really thinking about the options. My side still hurts and my mind still caught on Dave.

"And Victor Langford is downstairs," she added.

I looked up. "Already?"

"He asked if you were available. I said you were busy."

"With what?"

"Morning review."

I exhaled softly. "Let him wait."

"Of course," she said.

She hesitated a little. "Do you want me to reschedule anything else today?"

I shook my head. "I'll manage."

She nodded. "Okay. Coffee will be here soon. I'll keep interruptions low."

She closed the door behind her. Everything went quiet.

I sat at my desk, opened a file I had memorized. My eyes moved over the numbers and names, but I wasn't really reading. Dave's face kept cutting in. The way he had paused. The way he looked at me. Like he wanted to understand, like he wanted to help, like he... cared.

I pressed my hand to my forehead. I shouldn't have let him see that. Shouldn't have let him get close. But I always try to help people. Even when it gets me in trouble.

Elena came back a few minutes later.

"Ms. Stevens... Victor Langford is still waiting for you. Eleven o'clock," she said, calm, matter-of-fact.

I blinked. Oh. Right. Of course he did.

"What does he want this time?" I asked, trying to sound casual, but my voice came out sharper than I meant.

"To smile in your face," she said, flat. "And cause trouble later."

"Sounds about right."

"He's been asking questions. Quietly."

"About?"

"You."

I laughed softly. "That's new."

"He's telling people you're... unstable."

"Because I don't need him?"

"Yes," she said.

"Fine. I'll see him."

She frowned, like she didn't like it. Good. Someone should.

Victor showed up right on time. He walked in like he owned the place. Hair perfect, suit sharp, that fake-perfect smile. And of course, he noticed everything. Great. Just what I needed today.

He looked like he stepped out of a fancy magazine. Too bad he didn't come with honesty.

"Meredith," he said. "You look... thinner."

"Oh, thanks for noticing," I said. "Really helpful. Now, what did you come here for?"

He smiled like he thought he was charming. "Still sharp. Shame, really."

"Uh-huh. And the point is?"

"The board worries. Late nights. Strange incidents. Police interest."

I raised an eyebrow. "Worried or gossiping?"

"Observation."

"Right. Observe this," I said. "I'm not scared."

He glanced at my side for a split second. Quick. Too quick. I made a mental note to never let him see the my reaction to pain when I move

"You push too hard," he said quietly. "Even strong women break."

I leaned back, slow and casual. "Careful. Men who think I break? They disappear from relevance. Just saying."

Perfect timing-Elena opened the door. "Ms. Stevens has another meeting."

Victor's smile didn't reach his eyes. "We'll talk soon."

"Nope," I said. "We won't."

He left. Door closed. Silence. Bliss.

I sank back into my chair, hand on my side, thinking: Yep. Just what I needed. A man judging me while I'm bleeding. Fantastic.

Dave was a problem. Victor was a threat. And the city... was watching.

I took a sip of the coffee Elena had left, warm, bitter, and normal, like nothing had happened, but inside everything felt different

I made it through the day. Meetings, calls, decisions... one after the other. I kept everything calm on the outside. Nobody had to know the chaos running through my head.

But I felt it. Every glance. Every whisper. Every step outside my office. I felt the world watching me. Felt it close.

And I couldn't stop thinking about Dave. About what might happen if he tried to dig. If he asked questions. If he connected dots he shouldn't.

I hated that I couldn't stop worrying. Hated that I always tried to help people. Hated that it always brought trouble to my door.

I closed my laptop after the last meeting and just stared out the window. The city was alive-car honking, people rushing, lights flashing everywhere. It felt like it could swallow you whole if you weren't careful.

And I knew it wouldn't end. Not yet. Not ever.