"Case closed" meant all legal proceedings had been completed or that the investigation had been solved.

Done. Final. Resolved.

But do you know how much it costs to close a case?

A million? Maybe.

A life? Probably.

I'm Holly, and I just had an accident. Our bus fell off a cliff, and it was damn tragic!

If I were a normal person, I would have just cursed the heavens for making me unlucky yet thankful for being lucky enough to make it out alive.

But I'm no regular person.

I'm an investigator, and I was just dead-pissed. I was so close to finding out the truth—so close to closing a case.

But damn that bus. Such bad timing!

"You went to that mountain again, didn't you?"

Save me from the scolding, please. I've had enough bad luck for today.

"You know I had to do it, Xander. This is my work," I replied as soon as I came home, my clothes a mess.

"Why do you look like that?" he asked, approaching.

"Our bus fell off the cliff."

"That's what happens when you don't listen to me. How many times do I have to remind you to quit those dangerous missions, Holly?"

Xander is my boyfriend. He might sound concerned, but I'm not sure if he really is.

"Oh yeah? Didn't you stop reminding me when Quinn came?"

"Oh, come on! Quinn again?"

Yes, Quinn again.

Quinn is Xander's colleague—or maybe another girlfriend.

Honestly, I don't know anymore because in our house...

Every morning, Quinn is there.

Every lunch, Quinn is there.

Right before sleeping, Quinn is still there.

They're always together that sometimes, they look more like a couple than us.

"Quinn and I are just colleagues, Holly. Stop overthinking," he explained, and I nodded.

Same old, same old.

"Make her your girlfriend if you want, Xander. I don't really care."

I shrugged. It already seemed like that anyway.

"Do you think I'll stay with you if there's something going on with us? That's plain common sense, Holly."

"Whatever. If you say so..."

Xander and I are not the sweetest couple. We don't go on dates, don't celebrate anniversaries, don't exchange 'I love yous', don't... make love.

But I couldn't leave him, and I have my reasons.

That night, I fell asleep on our sofa. I was half-awake when I felt a damp towel on my skin.

And there was Xander... cleaning my wounds and scratches.

Xander's always like this. Cold on the outside, warm inside.

Or so I thought?

"Look at you taking care of that girl! How sw—"

"Lower your voice. She's asleep."

I know that voice. Quinn's.

She's here again, but what's new?

"I don't really get why you have to do this, Xander."

"We already talked about this," Xander replied, still cleaning me.

"Yes, but don't you think it's unnecessary?"

"She's good, and I need her."

He needs me?

But he already has me, doesn't he?

"I know, but you are Xander Russo, for God's sake! Say a word, and everybody will follow your order."

"It's not that simple, Quinn."

"It is! You're just dragging things around. Why? Do you like her for real now?"

Wait. What does she mean 'for real'?

I know Xander and I aren't as sweet as other couples, but we are a couple! And couples like each other.

"When I say it's not simple, it's not simple. When did you become so nosy?"

Xander's voice seemed irritated, and I'm kinda lost.

What are they talking about?

"What's not so simple about getting her to follow you then? You're rich and influential. Can't you make a simple girl obey?"

"It's not simple because she's good. Literally and figuratively. She fights well and does her job very well, but her heart is also just as good. I need time."

"Time for what?"

"Time to win her heart."

"Why?"

"Because you can't just make a good girl bad overnight."

I wanted to ask about what I heard, but maybe I was too tired, too sleepy.

Not long after, I drifted to sleep, completely forgetting about Quinn and Xander's conversation.

The next day, Tessa Adams, my friend and the leader of Investigation Unit One, visited me.

"Holly, about the A mission..." she started, but I cut her off.

If there's one thing I learned, bad news always comes after every leader's home visit. And I refuse to hear it.

"Please save it. My mind won't change. I want to come."

"But it's risky. We don't know if the informant was telling us the truth or if it's a trap."

"I know the danger that mission entails, Tessa. I wasn't born yesterday, okay?"

Tessa sighed.

I know I can be a bit stubborn, but I need to be on that mission.

I have answers that I need to find, and it is the one and only case that I haven't closed.

"It's in the underdeveloped part of Ydris Mountain. If something goes wrong, Xander will lose his mind."

Whenever there was danger, Xander would always persuade me to back out from the mission.

I used to find that sweet, so I'd turn missions down without a say. He was all I had left, so his opinion matters the most to me.

But I'm not giving this mission up. Not this time.

"No, I'll go. Don't worry about Xander," I said firmly.

Tessa's eyes lit up. Not to boast, but I am really good at what I do.

Give me a mission, and I'll get the job done. So me being there will make a difference.

"Alright! This could be a game-changer, Holly. If that's really the base of the Mafias, we'd hit a jackpot! This kind of mission leaves no regrets."

Tessa was about to say more when Xander walked in.

Faking a cough, she winked at me and left.

"Xander..."

"I know what you'll say, and I'm saying no."

No? Who said I was asking for permission, though?

"Do you know how dangerous Ydris Mountain is, Holly? God! Why do you have to be so reckless and make everyone worry about you?"

I laughed bitterly. "Care about me? When did you ever care about me?! Weren't you always busy with Quinn? And what? You can go anywhere whenever you want, but I can't?"

Xander didn't say a word. As always.

Whenever we have heated conversations, he'll just slam the door and leave.

Just like what he did right now.

He did text me a few minutes later, though.

"I'm coming home late. Lock the doors, and don't wait for me," he said.

I didn't reply. I didn't need to.

Cold treatments are not new to us anymore.

Instead of being productive, curiosity got the best of me. I wandered into Xander's office.

I've rarely been here. It was his space, and I've always respected it.

Not today, though. I was really curious.

Going in, I saw a slightly ajar cabinet. I hesitated, but my heart pounded.

Dead-curious, I gently pulled the door open and started rifling through the contents.

Suddenly, my fingers brushed against something cold and metallic.

When I looked, I paused.

A gun?

Why would Xander have a gun?

Xander might be cold and distant, but he had never been violent. He's also a businessman, so his work wouldn't require one.

I sat on the floor and carefully scanned the gun in my hand.

Was he in some kind of danger?

Was he hiding something from me?

One scenario came after another, troubling me to my core until I couldn't stop my mind from spinning out of control.

Maybe I was so absorbed in my thoughts that I didn’t even notice my phone vibrating.

It wasn’t until I heard the front door open that I snapped back to reality, shoved the gun back, and dashed downstairs.

"Why haven’t you been answering your phone?" Xander asked.

"I-It was on silent," I said, my voice barely steady. "I didn’t hear it."

Xander's eyes narrowed as he approached me, and I panicked.

"I've been calling you for hours. Do you have any idea how worried I've been?"

His concern seemed genuine, but I couldn't stop thinking about the gun.

What was this man hiding?

I was still pretty preoccupied when Xander asked me to have dinner, so all I did was nod.

I was about to confront him when the door swung open, and Quinn's voice filled the silence.

"Evening, Holly!" Quinn greeted, carrying her overnight bag.

What's with the bag? Is stopping by no longer enough for her?

Is she planning to stay over this time?

"Mind if I crash here for a bit?"

Yeah, I figured.

"Of course not," I replied, forcing a smile. "Make yourself at home."

With Quinn around, I felt an indescribable tension. Oddly enough, I felt like she wasn't here for Xander this time, but for me.

We do not talk much, but I could feel her watching my moves closely, and it scared the hell out of me.

By the time we all sat down for dinner, Quinn spoke up.

"So, Holly," she began, casually swirling her fork in her pasta, "how's Xander as a boyfriend?"

I nearly choked on my food.

I glanced at Xander, who seemed just as taken aback as I was.

"He's... fine," I replied cautiously. "Why do you ask?"

Quinn smiled. "Just curious. You two are an interesting pair. Anyway... what would you do if you found out he wasn’t as perfect as you thought?"

My heart skipped a beat.

Is her question random, or was she hinting at something?

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Quinn shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh, you know, like if he had secrets? Things he wasn’t telling you. How would you handle that?"

Xander shot Quinn a sharp look. "What are you getting at, Quinn?"

But Quinn only laughed and raised her hands in mock surrender.

"Relax, Xander. I’m just making conversation. It’s just that Holly seems so trusting. It makes me wonder if she ever questions anything."

I forced a laugh, though it sounded hollow even to my own ears. "Everyone has secrets. It’s part of being human."

"True," Quinn said, her gaze never leaving mine. "But some secrets are bigger than others, don’t you think? Like, what if he was involved in something dangerous?"

"That’s enough, Quinn," Xander said sharply. "You’re making Holly uncomfortable."

But Quinn’s smile only widened.

"Sorry, Holly. I didn’t mean to upset you. It was so quiet, so I thought something to think and talk about was good."

Dinner continued in silence. As soon as it was over, I excused myself and went to our room.

Quinn's questions troubled me, though. They kept replaying over and over in my mind.

Was it really nothing? Or was it intentional?

Just then, Xander came inside.

"Can we talk?" he asked.

I nodded, and we sat on the edge of the bed.

"I’m sorry about Quinn. She has a way of pushing buttons."

I looked at him, searching his face for answers. "Xander, is there something you’re not telling me? Something important?"

Xander sighed. "Holly, there are things about my life and my work that I can’t share."

"I'm your girlfriend, Xander. Why not?"

"Because the less you know, the—"

Before Xander could finish, someone knocked, and Quinn poked her head in.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I was wondering if we could talk, Xander?"

Xander looked at me apologetically. "Can we finish this conversation later?"

Helpless, I nodded.

I'm the girlfriend, but I felt like I was the one borrowing his time.

I was making breakfast the next morning when Quinn walked into the kitchen with a broad smile.

"Guess what, Holly? I’ve decided to move in for a while. Xander and I talked about it last night."

My heart sank.

How could he decide without consulting me?

"Move in?" I echoed.

"Yeah," Quinn said brightly. "I hope you don’t mind. It’ll be fun having another girl around, don’t you think?"

I smiled—pretentiously.

"Sure. It’ll be... interesting."