They had shot her.
She tried to drag herself forward. Every movement was agony. She had to hide the wallet. With the last flicker of strength, she slipped it beneath a broken stall. No way was she letting that go. That little leather purse, so small, so ordinary, felt cursed now. She should've known. Should've stopped.
Footsteps thundered closer.
Shouts. Orders. Panic.
She hoped that the man who had called her was not who she thought he was.
There were more screams.
And then, there was nothing.
Darkness claimed her. It all looked like a dream until she came to slowly recognise the sterile smell of antiseptic thick in the air.
The beeping, faint yet rhythmic sound of a heart monitor. Kalisa blinked against the soft, artificial light above her.
Her body ached. Her side throbbed. But she was alive.
Her gaze drifted and landed on him, sitting beside her bed.
Handsome was an understatement. He was stunning. Same chiselled jaw, same sharp cheekbones. Hair swept perfectly back. Eyes the colour of a frozen sea, locked on hers with unnerving calm.
Her stomach clenched.
"No… it can't be…"
"Was it him? The man she stole from? Had he found her?" She asked herself.
She tried to speak, but only a whisper escaped. "No… no way…"
The man leaned forward, a slight smile tugging at the edge of his lips.
"Glad to see you're awake," he said. His voice was low, rich, dangerously calm. "I'm Detective Caleb."
She blinked, dazed. "You're not…?"
"No. I am not here to arrest you if that's what you are about to say."
He looked too much like him. The resemblance was uncanny. Not just in appearance, but in presence. The kind of man who turned heads the moment he stepped into a room.
"You were lucky," Caleb continued, "the bullet missed anything vital."
Kalisa tried to sit up but hissed in pain and dropped back down.
"Easy," Caleb warned, reaching out instinctively, then pulling his hand back. "You need rest."
She squinted at him. "Why am I here?"
"I found you after you collapsed. Got you here just in time," he said. "The men chasing you… weren't exactly gentle."
"Were they supposed to be gentle?" Kalisa asked with a soft voice, hidden in so much pain.
They both laughed, Kalisa could only imitate something like a peal of laughter.
"I don't think so, you seem to annoy them greatly," he said with a calm smile.
She pressed her lips together. "So… you're really a detective?"
Caleb nodded. "And you're really a mystery."
Kalisa couldn't stop staring at him. He didn't look like a cop. Too polished. Too refined. More like a CEO or a prince in a tailored blue suit.
"Why were those men chasing you?" Caleb asked, his tone light, but his eyes razor-sharp.
Kalisa hesitated, then smiled mischievously. "Why are you this damn handsome?"
Caleb blinked. "What?"
She reached slowly, sensually, brushing her fingers along the curve of her chest. His breath caught. He froze.
But even in his stillness, she noticed it, the subtle shift in his posture. The way his hand clenched. The way his jaw tightened. She grinned.
He was affected.
But Caleb quickly composed himself. "Focus," he said, voice firm again. "What did you take? Who were those men?"
Kalisa's playful look faded. She turned her head away. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Caleb arched a brow. "Lying's not going to help you."
"You don't have proof," she said, then glanced at him. "Do you?"
He leaned in slightly. "I don't need proof to know you're in danger. That wasn't normal, Kalisa. They weren't chasing you, I guess it was because of the wallet."
Just as Kalisa was about to say something, the door creaked open, it was just the nurse. She walked in briskly, her white scrubs rustling softly against the floor. In her hand was a small tray with syringes, pills, and a plastic cup of water.
"You're awake. Good," the nurse said, her voice gentle but efficient. She moved to Kalisa's side, checking the IV and glancing at the monitors before turning her attention to the medications.
Kalisa winced as she tried to adjust herself on the bed, her side still raw with pain.
"You shouldn't move too much," the nurse warned. "You're lucky the bullet didn't pierce your kidney. Another inch and…" she trailed off, shaking her head. "Well. Let's just say, you owe your life to that detective."
Kalisa's brows furrowed. "Detective Caleb?"
The nurse nodded, preparing a syringe. "Yes. He brought you in just in time. Stayed with you the whole way, didn't even wait for backup. Said he couldn't risk losing you."
Kalisa's breath hitched slightly. She glanced toward the chair he had been sitting in. Empty now. The warmth of his presence still lingered in the air.
The nurse administered the injection, then handed her the cup and pills. "He must really care," she added, eyeing Kalisa curiously.
Kalisa smiled faintly, her voice a whisper. "He's… a good man."
But even as she said it, a flicker of something else stirred in her chest. Guilt, confusion and fear.
Because good men didn't usually chase after girls like her.
The nurse gave a small nod, as if satisfied by the answer, then began packing up the tray. "You should rest. The worst is over."
But Kalisa wasn't so sure.
As the door shut softly behind the nurse, the room grew quiet again, but the tension remained.
Her eyes drifted to the door.
"How did you know my name?" She asked calmly, slowly turning towards Caleb and trying not to reveal her surprise.
Caleb smiled, "I am a cop, remember!"
"That's not the answer to my question. How did you know my name?" She asked again, but this time their eyes were locked.
Kalisa was not going to be deceived by his handsomeness and smooth talk.
"Well, you told me before you passed out," he replied.
"I see." Kalisa sighed.
Caleb smiled. He loved the way he was unsettling her.
"As for the wallet, I took an intelligent guess since you mistakenly dropped it when you passed me before all the gunshots started."
Kalisa shook her head, "I see, you must be a very good detective."
"Are you scared?" Caleb asked like one in total control.
"Why should I be?" Kalisa asked.
"I don't know, some really bad men are after you and they do not mind taking your life," Caleb replied.
"Give me your hand, let me show you how scared I am," Kalisa said.
Before Caleb knew what was happening Kalisa placed his hand inside her hospital gown and on her naked boobs.
Caleb froze. Kalisa moved his hand gently across her pointed nipples.
Caleb saw her boobs, they were the nicest he had seen in a long while. Form and fine. Pointed and needy.
He did not know what got into him as he caressed it before he came to his senses.
But, he was too late, Kalisa had managed to remove his wallet in a swift and stealthy way without his knowledge.
"I don't know what you think you are doing, but I can clearly see you are not afraid to die or go to jail."
She opened her mouth to respond, but the door swung open with a bang.
Kalisa's breath caught.
Justin stepped in.
He looked furious.
But more than that, he looked terrified.
Caleb stood up instantly, tense. "Who are you?"
Justin ignored him. His eyes locked on Kalisa. "What did you do?" he asked, voice raw.
Kalisa's pulse quickened. How did he know she was here?
Because Justin was not supposed to be there.
And in his hand… was the wallet.
Her blood ran cold.
Because the wallet, she'd hidden it.
Or so she thought.