Naia took a deep breath. One, to steady herself after an exhausting exercise. Second, to collect her thoughts.

She really didn’t want to be involved with law enforcement right now!

When she felt the metallic handcuff lock in her arms, her eyes twitched.

"Could police officers really apprehend civilians so roughly?" she asked, tutting. "Count me disillusioned."

"You attacked a police officer," the voice, baritone and straight to the point, responded. "You can be charged with direct assault against law enforcement."

After a pause, he added, "This transgression can land you 6 months to 6 years in correctional prison." As if to ensure she knew the gravity of her crime.

"Tsk."

He stretched his hands to hold her shoulders because he had to make sure she didn’t run or make any sudden movements. He explained this to her, lest she misunderstand.

She was indeed the one who attacked first. In retrospect, he was probably just trying to grab her attention.

But how could Naia succumb so easily? "But I thought you were a bad guy! This is self-defense! Who touches ladies casually?"

"..."

"I mean, Officer, I know you’re not that kind of man, but how can I—a girl who’s not even in college—know that? You know how we ladies have to guard ourselves well, right? I remember an ad from the police about it!" Her tone was filled with veiled meaning, and she wondered if this guy could get it.

She heard a pause, followed by a sigh. After a few tense moments, he let her shoulder go and allowed her to move freely, though without removing her handcuff.

She turned around, and she stared at the man for a moment. He had sharp features, deep eyes, and a certain gravitas to him. Naia, who had been spoiled by Kael’s looks, wasn’t moved at all. Instead, she just found him a little annoying.

The man also stared at her for a few moments, though his facial expression remained steady. "What are you doing here?" he asked. "The nearest village is a few kilometers away."

"Why can’t I?"

There was no law against being here!

"This does not seem like a woman ’protecting’ herself," he said. "There are plenty of wild animals here.

"Further, there is a massive explosion nearby," he said. "For public safety, law enforcement naturally has to investigate and see any clues that could paint a clearer picture of what had happened."

Naia sniffed, but otherwise retained a neutral facial expression. "The explosion from earlier? I think I did hear it."

"There have been a lot of deaths and damage reported. It was fairly recent, so we’re apprehending every suspicious individual around," he paused to look at her. "I’m sorry, but walking alone in the forest counts as being suspicious."

"I’m a camper," she said with a shrug.

He gave her a look of not believing her, then proceeded on giving her a one-over.

Naia followed his gaze and looked at herself: Casual wear and sneakers. Her pants were sturdy so she wouldn’t get bitten by snakes, but that was about it. She wasn’t even wearing a backpack.

"I got scared by the explosion and left my camping area and backpacks behind," she said, face still neutral. "It’s not that complicated."

"You can prove your innocence at the station."

In the end, she just didn’t say anything, just let herself be pulled by the arm. "How did you get here? Where’s your camping site?"

Her eyes twitched. "I forgot," she said. She thought of what the town’s CCTVs could’ve captured, but that would just be her riding a motorcycle from a blind spot.

At this point, explaining things could make her even more suspicious.

She was taken to the local police station. All local police had a shared identity database for every citizen, including people’s records. It didn’t matter if she didn’t have an ID, they could use her fingerprint.

Luke didn’t know what to expect, but it certainly wasn’t this name.

[Nadia Cerra, 19 Years Old]

The girl in the picture looked a bit different, less lively, but it was her.

"You..." he narrowed his eyes. "You are Houser Sierra’s missing daughter, Nadia."

She blinked, realizing that this guy might actually be more involved in that case. Although her name was publicized along with that family’s various transgressions, most people wouldn’t remember it or would not have it at the top of their mind unless they encountered it/used it very often.

Err...

What kind of fate is this?

There goes her plans to appear poor, injured, and disheveled.

For the safety of the detectives, their names were naturally not released in relation to their cases, at least not to the public. She wasn’t that interested either, and the risk of hacking a government site was never worth it with her limited skills.

That said, even if she did take a peek, all she’d have was a name, and this guy hadn’t exactly introduced himself yet.

She immediately summoned all of her limited acting prowess and shivered, looking at Luke in fear. The names of her parents were in her records, so she naturally couldn’t deny the relationship. She could only separate herself from their crimes.

"I..." she paused, looking around like a terrified chick. "I...it depends who you work for..."

"What do you mean?"

"I...people are after me, I think," she said. "I don’t know if it’s my father who sent me or some of his partners but, I...please don’t tell anyone you found me! Not until he’s behind bars!"

"I barely escaped those evil men!" she said, looking like a helpless young girl who had nowhere to go. When she saw the other officers look at her in pity, she knew her acting wasn’t bad at all.

So, she decided to push her luck a little. "I was so scared! Can you let me go—"

Luke ruthlessly cut her off mid-sentence. "It’s too late to act now," he said, even helpfully showing his bruised arm, definitely obtained during their spar earlier.

"..."