Edward didn't sleep another night...But this time, the sleeplessness wasn't caused by files or investigations.It was her words,her gaze,her cold control...That drained him.
He remembered her whisper during the interrogation:
"You need rest... Look at your eyes."
He sat on his bed, feeling dizzy...Then murmured, staring at the ceiling:
"She was right… damn it, she was right about everything."
For the first time, he let go of duty.He turned off his phone without thinking.And sank into deep sleep...As if the whole world had vanished beneath his feet.
🌃 A new night...
He woke up with a strange clarity.Got up. Showered.Then drove to his favorite restaurant...The same place he used to visit with his ex-lover.
He sat quietly.Ordered his usual: grilled chicken and salad.He didn't want to think about anything… not the case, not the betrayal, not Maya.
But everything changed when he heard the sound of her heels.
He knew that rhythm.Soft whispers floated through the tables:
"She's stunning... is she famous?"
He didn't lift his head.He didn't need to see her. He knew it was her.
She stood in front of him.Leant in slightly and whispered:
"Eating without me? How dare you?"
Then she sat across from him, with unwavering confidence.She ordered the same dish…And added a rare bottle of wine — the kind only sold to the elite.
She smiled calmly:
"You slept well, didn't you?You know… you're more handsome now. And calmer."
And him?He said nothing.Continued eating silently, refusing to acknowledge her presence.
Until she reached out, held his face between her hands...Drew him closer, stared deep into his eyes:
"Why pretend? … You think I don't know…That you've truly fallen?"
Then she pulled out a slim file and placed it before him.
On the cover:The name of his former boss — Chief of Police.
She spoke while continuing her meal:
"You wonder why no one can arrest me?Why I walk in and out as I please?You think I'm just a mystery?No, Edward… I've been part of the game since the start.In fact... I'm the one who wrote the rules."
He opened the file.Just a few pages, but enough to ignite a fire:
Fingerprints.Sealed orders.Suspicious deals.A cover page bearing Maya's signature... and an official stamp.
He muttered, his voice hoarse:
"Was it him? Did he kill?Are you… really the villain?"
Maya smiled, swallowed her last bite, and wiped her lips with an embroidered napkin.Then said:
"Every question… has its time.And this... is my gift to you. For the night you betrayed me."
She stood, picked up the wine bottle, and placed it in front of him:
"A promotion is near… I'm sure of it.And here's another gift… a rare bottle — like me."
She left the place, without looking back.
And Edward?
He sat there… surrounded by tasteless food,a file that burned every belief he held,and a bottle...that embodied a woman he could never extinguish.