"I know the request sounds ridiculous, but I have no place to stay," Elowen hurriedly added when Lucien said nothing. "Please," she pleaded, her voice low.
Her heart was beating fast with nervousness, mixed with deep embarrassment. This was something she had never asked of anyone before. She had always endured things quietly. But what other option did she have now? She had no friends. And she would never have asked this of him if her mother hadn't done what she did at the hospital.
Lucien still didn't answer.
He studied her in silence, blue eyes sharp and assessing. Years of interrogation had taught him how to read people—when they were lying, manipulating, or acting out of desperation. And the woman sitting in front of him didn't look calculating.
She looked cornered.
But still…
"Absolutely not," he said at last, his voice firm. He didn't even bother asking what her problem was. He didn't know her, and he couldn't let emotions cloud his judgment. He had to be cautious.
Elowen's shoulders stiffened. Her lips trembled slightly. The small hope she had been holding onto faded instantly. Her eyes stung with tears, but she forced herself to hold them back.
"I understand," she whispered, nodding slowly, as if she had already expected that answer.
She turned her wheelchair and left, her head lowered, dejected.
Lucien watched her go. For reasons he couldn't explain, his chest tightened. It was a strange feeling—one he had never felt for anyone before. Still, it wasn't enough to make him change his mind. He was a private person. He couldn't possibly have someone sharing his space.
He turned and walked back to his office.
Six hours later.
Inside Lucien's office.
"Are you okay, Detective Calderwood?" a voice asked with concern.
Lucien blinked twice, looking at the man in front of him in confusion.
"You've been sighing since I came in," the man continued.
It was John, a fellow detective who had come to discuss a case they needed to solve together.
Lucien closed his eyes and sighed again. He had been spacing out ever since his encounter with Elowen, and he didn't understand why. He had never been an emotional person. So why did she bother him this much?
"I'm fine, John," Lucien replied, forcing a faint smile.
John studied him for a second with an uncertain look, then nodded.
They continued their conversation, but Lucien barely absorbed any of it.
Minutes passed, and soon it was time to clock out. The sky outside had turned dark.
Lucien grabbed his small work bag, said goodbye to the other officers, and left the building.
He had barely stepped outside, heading toward his car, when a very low voice called out—almost inaudible, but he heard it.
"Detective Lucien."
His heart skipped without warning.
That voice had been in his head for hours.
He slowly turned.
Elowen was there, moving toward him.
His eyes flickered with surprise. He hadn't expected her to still be around.
"Why are you still here?" Lucien asked quietly.
His blue eyes fixed on her, and he immediately noticed how weak she looked—much weaker than earlier that day.
"I was waiting for you," Elowen said softly, swallowing hard. Her dull eyes still carried traces of dried tears.
"If this is about what you asked me earlier, my answer is still no," Lucien said flatly. Without waiting, he turned and resumed walking toward his car.
"Please, I don't have anywhere to stay," Elowen said, moving quickly to follow him.
She had actually left after he rejected her. She had almost called a cab to take her back. But the moment she thought of the suffering and humiliation waiting for her at the Whitemere mansion, she turned back. She couldn't go back there. Not no matter what.
"Where were you staying before we met today?" Lucien asked, stopping in his tracks.
If they hadn't met today, would she have come looking for him to make such a request? he wondered.
Elowen opened her mouth, then closed it again. She didn't know what to say—or maybe she did, but didn't know how to say it.
"You should go home," Lucien said, moving toward his car and reaching for the door. "It's late."
"I can't go back there, please," Elowen said urgently as she tried to move closer to him.
Suddenly, she whimpered.
Her face twisted in pain as she clutched her abdomen.
Lucien turned immediately.
"What's wrong?" he asked calmly, watching her closely.
"My stomach hurts," she whispered.
He stared at her, wondering if she was pretending. But the pain on her face looked real. Too real.
"It hurts," Elowen said again, louder this time, as the pain intensified.
Lucien exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair. He walked to the back of his car and opened the door.
"I'll take you to the hospital," he said.
Before she could react, he moved closer, carefully lifted her into his arms, and placed her gently into the back seat.
He closed the door firmly.
And drove off.