Aron looked at Victoria as they sat across from each other in the interrogation room, waiting for Richard Cedric to arrive. The silence was heavy, broken only by the hum of the air conditioner.
"How was last night? Did you get any sleep?" Aron asked casually.
"I didn't sleep at night," Victoria replied calmly. "I sleep during the day. Didn't you know?"
"But the other day, you slept soundly at my place."
Victoria's gaze lifted, her eyes serious as she studied Aron's face.
"Who are you, really, Aron? Why does your blood let me survive in daylight?"
"Just consider it a coincidence," Aron answered nonchalantly. "A coincidence that you got to drink my blood."
"Don't think I'm the only one in this city."
"It only works on you."
Victoria furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?"
Before Aron could answer, the interrogation room door opened. A man in a full suit was escorted in by a police officer.
"Richard Cedric?" Aron stood immediately.
"Yes."
"I'm James Aron. This is my assistant, Victoria. Your mother contacted me to defend you."
"Oh… thank you for coming," Richard said, his voice filled with relief.
"If you two are ready, just knock when you're finished," the officer reminded before leaving. Aron nodded in acknowledgment.
Richard sank into the chair, his face tense.
"I didn't do it. I didn't kill my boss."
"I understand," Aron replied calmly. "But I need to ask you a few questions."
"Go ahead."
"What's your job?"
"I'm an accountant. More precisely, an auditor."
"An auditor for that company?"
"No." Richard exhaled deeply. "Actually, the company I work for takes on assignments to audit other companies—problematic ones—privately."
"What do you mean?"
"We conduct financial investigations, including fraud. It depends on the client who hires us."
"Doesn't every company have its own auditors?"
"True. But internal audits can be easily manipulated. That's why many fraud cases go undetected."
"So how can your company investigate big corporations?"
"We have our own team of investigators. Not just one or two—many. All experts."
"You know them personally?"
Richard shook his head. "Do you know the Axel building?"
"Yes."
"Our company rents four floors there—seventh through tenth. My department is on the seventh floor. Investigators are on the ninth. We're not allowed to go up there."
"How long have you worked there?"
"Five years."
Aron exhaled slowly. "I'm still trying to understand the company's business model. Investigating the finances of another company isn't easy."
"Our clients aren't ordinary people. CEOs, shareholders, company owners. When we take an assignment, they pave the way. Our investigators infiltrate their companies as employees."
Aron nodded slowly. "How long does it take them to gather the information?"
"A month. Maybe longer. But don't ask me how they do it," Richard admitted honestly. "Because I don't even know myself."
"Has your company taken on any assignments recently?" Aron asked, his eyes fixed on Richard with a serious expression.
"Yes, we have," Richard replied. "We were investigating a company developing AI for the newest fighter jets, built by an aviation corporation."
"Did you notice anything unusual about the case?"
"Of course. Out of all the cases I've handled, this one was the most complicated. It took three months, and at first, we couldn't detect any irregularities. But the company's CEO kept pressuring my employer to continue the investigation. Eventually, we uncovered major fraud."
"How did you know there was fraud?"
"As I said, my company has many investigators. Their job is to gather evidence, then compile all the information for us to analyze."
"What's your relationship like with your employer?"
"No issues. My employer is very kind and supportive."
Aron furrowed his brow. "Why were you in his office last night?"
Richard exhaled slowly. "We finished auditing the entire company last night. At 10:45 p.m., my manager went upstairs to hand a USB drive to our boss. But after all the employees left, I had to stay behind to destroy the collected data. Around midnight, I received a call from my boss telling me to come upstairs."
"So after you went up, your boss was still alive?"
"I'm not sure. When I arrived, I saw him lying on the floor. I thought he had a heart attack—we all knew he had heart problems. I immediately started CPR."
"Did you see anyone else at the time?"
Richard shook his head.
"A cleaner?,"
"No, I didn't see anyone. I told the police I was only performing CPR, but they didn't believe me."
"Was there CCTV in the elevator or your boss's office?"
"There's CCTV in the elevator. But the tenth floor has none—that's a private area."
"What about the lobby downstairs? Security guards?"
"Yes, there were guards."
Aron's brow tightened as his mind raced, processing all the information.
"For now, I can't rely on the police investigation. My assistant and I will have to investigate ourselves. I hope you can be patient. I'll do everything I can to clear you," Aron said firmly.
Victoria, who had been silent until now, glanced briefly at the CCTV feed. Then she turned to Richard Cedric, whose hands were still cuffed on the table.
"Close your eyes for a moment," Victoria instructed.
Richard blinked, confused by the command.
"Just do it. Don't worry," Aron reassured him.
Richard closed his eyes tightly.
"Don't open them until I tell you," Victoria said again. Richard nodded obediently.
Without wasting a moment, Victoria pricked the palm of Richard's hand with the tip of her fingernail. The motion was quick, precise, and completely unnoticed by Aron.
She then placed the tip of her fingernail into her mouth, remaining completely still—calm and composed, unlike before, when her body would tremble every time she performed this action.
"You can open your eyes now," Victoria instructed.
Richard Cedric slowly opened his eyes. His expression was still confused, his gaze shifting between Aron and Victoria, full of questions.
"How…?" Aron asked, his voice soft but filled with curiosity.
"I'll tell you later," Victoria replied calmly, her tone steady and controlled.
"Alright, Richard. We're heading out for now. But don't worry—just trust us," Aron said, gently patting the man's shoulder.
"I trust you both," Richard answered, a relieved smile appearing on his face.
Aron and Victoria stood up simultaneously. Aron knocked lightly on the door. As soon as it opened, he let Victoria step out first.
Before following her, Aron gave Richard a small, subtle gesture—a simple hand movement, enough to make the man smile in relief, as if a weight had lifted slightly from his shoulders.
*
"Wait here for a moment. I need to see Detective Craig to get permission to investigate the crime scene," Aron said as he turned back, his voice calm yet firm.
"Alright. I'll wait here," Victoria replied, her eyes lingering on Aron for a moment before the lawyer hurried toward the Homicide & Major Crimes office.
Victoria walked slowly toward the staircase. Every movement she made drew the attention of detectives and officers passing by. Her presence seemed to linger in their vision, causing some of them to glance back twice, as if unsure whether what they had seen was real.
Not long after, Richard Cedric was escorted out of the interrogation room by a police officer. At the same time, two men wearing black jackets came up the stairs. The moment their eyes met Victoria's, their faces went pale. Shock flashed across their expressions, and without hesitation, they turned around and hurried back down the stairs.
Richard Cedric, who witnessed the scene, was equally stunned. His eyes widened as he glanced at Victoria before being led downstairs.
"Lycan… what are those beasts doing here?" Victoria whispered, a frown forming on her face.
Moments later, Aron emerged from the office, his steps quick.
"Come on. We've got permission," he said shortly.
"No need," Victoria replied. "We need to see the body."
Aron stopped mid-step. His brow furrowed, clearly confused by her words.
"Why?"
Victoria looked at Aron and lowered her voice, wary of being overheard.
"Your client is innocent. Going to the crime scene won't give us anything. Everything there was carefully staged. We won't find any clues."
Aron fell silent.
"The fastest way," Victoria continued, her tone controlled, "is for me to get blood from the body."
Aron drew a short breath before nodding slowly.
"In that case, wait here. I need to see Craig again to get permission."
Victoria nodded. A faint smile curved her lips as she watched Aron hurry back into the office. But the smile didn't last. Her thoughts returned to the two men in black jackets she had seen earlier.
Her jaw tightened.
"Maybe it's time I wiped them all out," she whispered softly, her face dark with restrained fury.