The fluorescent lights of the Twelfth Precinct made everything look harsher, from the scuffed tiles underfoot to the steel gray expressions on the officers’ faces.

Jean followed Hannah through the sliding doors, her eyes scanning every desk, every corner, until they landed on him.

Logan sat at a metal table in an interrogation room just beyond the glass wall. His coat was gone, his shirt sleeves rolled up, revealing the fresh redness along his knuckles. A bruise was already blooming along his jaw, but his posture was straight, his gaze steady, locked on the detective opposite him.

He didn’t look defeated. He looked dangerous.

A uniformed officer blocked Jean’s path. "Ma’am, you can’t go in there."

"That’s my husband," Jean said, her voice colder than she meant it to be.

The officer’s brow lifted slightly. "Even so, he’s in the middle of..."

The door to the interrogation room opened, and Detective Harlan stepped out, folding his arms. "You must be his wife, Mrs. Jean Kingsley."

Jean nodded, her stomach a knot. "Why is he here?"

"Assault," Harlan replied bluntly. "Witnesses caught him at the scene. Tyler Dominic’s pressing charges, and with the media already circling, this isn’t going to go away quietly."

From inside the room, Logan’s voice cut through like a blade. "Jean."

She stepped past the detective before he could stop her. Logan’s eyes met hers and for the briefest moment, the mask cracked. There was a flicker of something raw, something almost guilty.

"Are you hurt?" She asked quietly.

"I’m fine," he said, voice low, controlled. "Go home."

"I’m not leaving you here," she shot back.

The detective cleared his throat. "Mr. Kingsley, unless your wife’s acting as your attorney..."

"She’s leaving," Logan interrupted, though his gaze didn’t move from hers. "Jean, please."

There was no anger in his tone this time, only an unshakable urgency that made her chest tighten. She wanted to demand answers, to make him explain why his hands were bloodied and why Tyler’s name was now tied to the police report. But she also saw the warning in his eyes... Not here. Not now.

Hannah stepped forward, placing a hand on Jean’s arm. "We’ll wait outside."

Jean let herself be pulled back toward the hallway, her pulse racing. Behind her, the metal door clanged shut again, sealing Logan inside.

__________________________

Jean’s hands trembled as she stepped into the cold night air outside the precinct. The yellow glow from the streetlamps didn’t make the place feel any less bleak. Hannah stood beside her, arms crossed, watching the street like a hawk.

Jean pulled out her phone and scrolled to Jared Kingsley’s number. It rang twice before his deep voice answered. "Jean? What happened? Have you already reached the police station?"

Her voice cracked despite her best efforts to keep it steady. "Yes I’m here but Logan’s been arrested. Tyler is pressing charges for assault. The police won’t tell me much, but it’s bad. I need you here."

There was a beat of silence on the line, then Jared’s voice dropped to something more urgent. "We’ll be there."

Another voice came on the line... softer, but with a mother’s edge of steel. "Jean, it’s Martha. We’ll be there as soon as we can. Don’t let anyone talk you into making statements without counsel. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Jean whispered, though the word felt hollow. "I understand."

She hung up just as a sleek black car pulled to the curb. The door opened, and Tyler Dominic stepped out, dressed immaculately, the smirk on his face illuminated by the streetlight.

Hannah stiffened, stepping subtly in front of Jean, but Jean moved around her before she could stop her. "Tyler," Jean called, her voice carrying a tremor she couldn’t quite hide.

He turned toward her with mock surprise. "Jean Adams. How delightful to see you here."

Her hands clenched, but she forced herself to speak. "Drop the charges. Please. If you care about anything other than your ego, just... stop this."

Tyler’s eyes flickered with amusement. "Care? Oh, Jean. I care very much... about making sure Logan learns what happens when he steps into my world uninvited."

"This isn’t about you and him," she said, her voice sharper now. "This is about you wanting to hurt me."

He stepped closer, lowering his voice so only she could hear. "Everything I do is about you. Hurting him is just... efficient."

Jean’s chest tightened. "You’ve already taken enough from me. Don’t take him too."

"You know what... this is exactly the look I love seeing on your face." Tyler tilted his head, studying her like a collector admiring a rare artifact. "Beg me."

The words hit like ice water. Jean felt Hannah tense beside her, but she didn’t move. For a long moment, Jean stared into Tyler’s eyes, weighing the cost of her pride against the risk to Logan.

When she finally spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper. "Please... Tyler."

His smile widened, slow and cruel. "Now we’re getting somewhere."

Tyler’s smirk deepened as if he’d just won something far greater than a legal battle.

The crunch of tires on gravel broke the moment. A dark SUV pulled up fast, headlights cutting through the thin fog curling in the street.

The back door swung open, and Jared Kingsley stepped out first, his towering frame rigid with contained fury. Martha followed, her coat wrapped tightly around her, her eyes instantly locking on Jean.

"Jean!" Martha called, striding forward.

Jean stepped back from Tyler instinctively, but the damage was already done... Jared’s sharp gaze flicked between them, his expression darkening.

"What the hell is going on here?" Jared’s voice was low but carried the weight of authority.

Tyler looked positively pleased with himself. "Just a friendly conversation. Jean and I were discussing ways to... resolve this unpleasantness."

Jared’s jaw tightened. "Get away from her."

Tyler glanced at Jean one last time, as though savoring the way her whispered please still hung between them, unspoken but heavy. "We’ll be in touch," he murmured, before stepping back toward his car.

Martha reached Jean, placing a warm but urgent hand on her arm. "Are you alright?"

Jean nodded quickly, though her throat was tight. "I’m fine. We need to get Logan out of here."

Jared’s eyes were still locked on Tyler’s retreating figure. "I’ll handle it from here," he said, his tone a promise of retribution.