"What's the case?" Victoria asked as soon as James Aron ended his phone call.
Aron placed his phone on the table. "A rape case."
Victoria's eyebrow lifted slightly. "Who called you? The perpetrator or the victim?"
"The perpetrator. But the client is a well-known singer. You've probably heard his name."
"Who?"
"Andrew Hazel. The singer of I Want to Know You."
Victoria shook her head slowly. "I don't know him. But if you mention the actor Alister Edward, that's someone I recognize."
Aron smiled faintly. "I know him too. He's acted in a lot of horror films."
"He's actually a vampire."
Aron let out a short laugh. "That's impossible. I've seen him acting during the day."
Victoria grinned, her tone relaxed. "All of that was filmed in a studio."
"Seriously?"
"Yes. I'm not lying. He's one of my followers. The studio belongs to me as well."
Aron stood up from his chair, looking at Victoria with mild surprise. "You must be very rich to own a studio."
Victoria only nodded, offering no further explanation.
"Are you about to leave?" he asked after a moment.
"Not me," Aron replied, the corner of his lips curving into a smile. "Us."
Victoria chuckled softly and stood as well. "Yes. Us."
Outside the building, the bright weather illuminated the ever-moving city of Manhattan. The roads were packed with various vehicles, while the sidewalks were crowded with pedestrians heading toward their respective destinations.
"We're going to Brooklyn," Aron said as he flagged down a taxi.
Victoria nodded quietly. A yellow cab stopped in front of them, and they both got in. Not long after, the vehicle pulled away from the area.
"How did that artist get your number?" Victoria asked, breaking the silence.
"His manager contacted me. I forgot to ask how," Aron answered honestly.
"That's fine."
"So far, from what I've noticed… when clients start contacting me directly, it usually means the court or the police will be calling next to handle the case," Aron continued.
"That's a good start."
"It's all because of you," Aron replied.
Victoria smiled faintly. "Consider it payment from me."
"Payment for what?" Aron asked deliberately, even though he already knew the answer.
Victoria leaned closer to Aron's left ear. "Your blood," she whispered, almost brushing against his earlobe—close enough to send a shiver down the young lawyer's spine.
After that, there was no more conversation. They remained silent until the taxi stopped in front of the NYPD Bushwick building.
"This is the first rape case I'll be handling," Aron said as soon as they stepped out of the cab.
"Don't worry. I'll help you," Victoria replied calmly.
Aron let out a small breath. "I'm relieved to hear that."
They then stepped into the building together, moving side by side without saying another word.
"The client is still in the interrogation room," Aron said after finishing his business at the counter. "We'll head upstairs."
Victoria followed behind him. The two of them went up to the second floor. As soon as they arrived, they turned right, but their steps came to a halt when a police officer was escorting a young woman who had just come out of a room.
The girl kept her head lowered as she walked past Aron, and at that exact moment, she passed by Victoria. Victoria caught something— the faint scent of the girl's hair, subtle yet stirring an unusual sense of curiosity.
"Wait," Victoria said, gripping Aron's arm before he could take another step. Aron turned to her.
"Why?"
"That client really is the perpetrator. The girl who just came out… she's the victim," Victoria whispered.
Aron flinched, his eyes widening.
"What else did you see?"
"The client… he's truly vile," Victoria replied curtly, her tone firm.
"There's no need to defend someone like that. It's better if we just leave," Aron said, trying to steady himself.
"But you can defend that girl," Victoria insisted, her sharp gaze fixed on him.
Aron fell silent for a moment. Then his phone vibrated in his trouser pocket. He pulled it out.
"It's a call from the singer's manager. I'll take this for a moment," Aron said.
Victoria watched him briefly before turning away. She walked slowly until she stopped in front of the Homicide & Major Crimes office. Through the doorway, she saw a girl sitting with her head lowered, her body drawn inward as if trying to make herself invisible.
Victoria continued forward, entered the office, and stood in front of the girl.
"Are you… okay?" Victoria asked gently.
The girl slowly lifted her face. A clear bruise was visible on her left cheek.
"Who are you?" the girl asked, her voice trembling slightly.
"I'm an assistant to a lawyer," Victoria replied calmly.
"I'm sorry… I don't have money to pay," the girl said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"That's… nothing you need to worry about. We can represent you for free," Victoria said with a gentle smile.
"Really?"
Victoria nodded. At the same time, Aron entered the office. His eyes immediately searched for Victoria before he walked over to her.
"This is my boss, James Aron. He's a very experienced lawyer," Victoria said, introducing the man beside her.
"I'm Emma," the girl replied softly.
Aron looked at Emma calmly, his tone professional yet gentle. "What happened, Emma?"
Emma took a short breath before beginning her story. "I work as a pizza delivery driver. Last night, I delivered an order to the house of a famous singer. When I arrived, he asked me to come inside."
"You went in?" Victoria interjected.
Emma nodded. "Normally, I wouldn't do that. But that night… I was too excited. I really am his fan."
"So you went in without any coercion?" Aron asked to confirm, his gaze sharp but not judgmental.
Emma nodded again. "I only intended to stay for a moment. After Andrew paid me, I was already about to leave. But then he asked if I was his fan. I said yes. After that, he invited me to see where he creates his songs. At that moment, I didn't think much… I just followed him."
Suddenly, a male voice interrupted from behind.
"Excuse me, who are you two?"
Aron and Victoria turned at the same time. A man in a blue shirt walked toward them, his face filled with questions.
"I'm James Aron, a lawyer," Aron replied calmly. "This is my assistant, Victoria. I am Miss Emma's defense attorney. May I discuss her case?"
"Last night, around eleven o'clock," the detective said, resting his hands on his hips, "your client filed a report stating that she was nearly sexually assaulted by a famous singer."
Aron listened attentively.
"We made an arrest and conducted interrogations," the detective continued. "However, both statements contradict each other. The singer claims that your client was the one who initiated sexual contact, but he rejected her. On the other hand, your client's statement is completely different. So…"
The detective paused, taking a breath before continuing.
"We had no choice but to release him temporarily. There's no solid evidence to detain him."
Aron did not respond immediately. "What about the bruise on my client's cheek?"
The detective sighed softly before answering. "The singer claims your client inflicted it on herself out of frustration. That said, we still sent her for a medical examination and filed an injury report. For now, we're waiting for further results."
"Why was the suspect released so early?" Aron asked, his dissatisfaction clear. "Shouldn't he be detained until the results come out?"
"That order came from higher up," the detective answered honestly. "There's nothing I can do."
He paused before adding, "The problem now is that the singer has also filed a police report, accusing your client of lying. So we have to open a further investigation. Both statements will be submitted to the prosecutor. If there's still no evidence supporting either side, this case may have to be closed."
Aron nodded slowly, understanding the complicated situation. "In that case, may I take my client home now?"
"Yes, of course," the detective replied. "We'll contact her again if additional statements are required."
"Alright," Aron said as he stood up. "Thank you, Detective."
"You're welcome."
The detective walked away, leaving them behind. Aron turned, his gaze settling on Emma.
"How old are you?" he asked.
"Eighteen."
"Who do you live with?"
"I live alone."
Aron glanced briefly at Victoria before looking back at Emma. "Your family?"
"In Kentucky."
"That's quite far," Aron said, his brow furrowing slightly. "Any close relatives nearby?"
Emma shook her head slowly. "I came here to chase my dream."
"To become a singer?" Aron guessed.
Emma shook her head again. "I want to be a songwriter."
Aron let out a short breath, as if weighing his thoughts. "That's fine. Come on, we'll take you home."
Emma stood up without saying a word. She followed Victoria and Aron out of the office, the hallway feeling quiet despite the soft echo of their footsteps.
"Where's your phone?" Victoria asked as she walked beside her.
Emma fell silent. She reached into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out a phone with a dark screen.
"The battery's dead," she said simply.