After cleaning herself, Elise slowly came outside the restroom.
By then, the police had already arrived at the hospital.
Several officers were inspecting the victim’s body while questioning the doctors about the condition of the murder scene and the possible cause of death.
But everyone was waiting for one person.
Elise.
Because she was the only witness present at the time of the murder.
A nurse gently guided her toward a nearby bench and made her sit down carefully.
“You should drink some water,” the nurse said softly before handing her a glass.
Elise’s trembling hands slowly took the glass.
Her throat felt painfully dry.
She drank the water slowly, trying to steady her breathing.
After a few moments, one of the police inspectors walked toward her and sat down in front of her.
Before asking anything, he carefully observed her condition.
Her pale face.
Her trembling fingers.
The fear still visible in her eyes.
He took a slow breath before finally speaking in a calm voice.
“So, madam… you are the one who witnessed the murder, right?”
Elise slowly nodded.
The memory alone was enough to make her chest tighten again.
“Tell me everything in detail,” the inspector said gently.
Before speaking, Elise took a deep breath, trying to force all her fear back inside herself.
“I was slowly walking toward the alley,” Elise said quietly.
“I… I wasn’t in the right state of mind.”
The inspector continued listening carefully while another officer started writing everything down.
“When I reached the middle of the alley…” her voice trembled slightly, “I saw a man stabbing a woman.”
The room became silent.
“He was laughing…” Elise continued slowly.
“Like some creepy psychopath.”
She paused for a moment, her fingers tightening around the empty glass in her hands.
The horrifying memory was still fresh inside her mind.
“Then…” she swallowed nervously, “he made a deep cut around her neck.”
The officers exchanged quick glances.
The way Elise described the murder was too detailed.
Almost disturbingly detailed.
One of the policemen leaned forward slightly.
“Why didn’t you stop him?”
Elise immediately looked down.
“I… I was speechless.”
“You didn’t try to save the victim?” the officer asked again, suspicion slowly entering his tone.
“I did,” Elise answered quickly.
“I ran after him.”
“And?”
“He disappeared.”
The inspector frowned.
“What do you mean disappeared?”
Elise slowly looked up at him, fear still visible in her eyes.
“He vanished… like air.”
Silence filled the room again.
The officers looked at one another uncertainly.
Then one of them spoke with visible disbelief.
“Are you kidding right now?”
“The bloodstains on your clothes…”
The inspector’s voice had turned completely cold now.
“You were the first person found at the scene.”
Elise’s eyes widened slowly.
“And there’s no CCTV footage proving your innocence.”
The words hit her like ice.
“We have no evidence of another person being there,” another officer added while staring directly at her.
Elise immediately shook her head.
“No… I’m telling the truth—”
“Miss Elise,” the inspector interrupted firmly, “until we verify your statement, you are under suspicion in this murder case.”
Fear spread across her face instantly.
“No… no, I didn’t kill her…”
But the officers had already made their decision.
The inspector slowly took out a pair of handcuffs.
“I’m placing you under arrest on suspicion of murder.”
Before Elise could process what was happening, the cold metal cuffs locked around her wrists.
The sharp sound echoed through the hospital hallway.
Elise stood there frozen in shock, her trembling hands restrained while the nurses nearby watched helplessly.
For the first time that night—
She truly felt alone.
The police brought Elise to the station late that night.
The interrogation continued for hours.
Bright lights burned above her while different officers kept asking the same questions repeatedly.
“Who was the man?”
“Why were you there?”
“How did the blood get on you?”
But Elise’s answer never changed.
“I’m innocent.”
Her voice had already become weak from exhaustion and fear.
“I didn’t kill anyone…”
Yet no one truly listened to her.
The officers only became more suspicious every time her story remained the same.
“He disappeared like air?” one of them mocked coldly.
“Do you expect us to believe that?”
Elise lowered her trembling gaze, trying desperately not to break down.
Then suddenly—
One of the lady constables lost her patience.
“Stop lying!”
A sharp slap landed across Elise’s face.
The impact forced her head to the side.
Within seconds, her cheek turned red.
The room fell silent for a moment.
Elise slowly looked down again, her eyes filling with tears, but she still whispered the same words quietly—
“I’m innocent…”
One of the inspectors stepped away from the interrogation room and took out his phone.
The moment the call connected, he spoke confidently,
“We found the culprit.”
Inside the room, Elise slowly lifted her tearful eyes after hearing those words.
“She’s a girl. Her name is Elise.”
Her heartbeat instantly dropped.
“No…” she whispered weakly.
But the inspector continued speaking coldly on the phone as if her fear meant nothing.
“Yes. We have her in custody.”
After saying that, he ended the call.
The sound of the call disconnecting echoed heavily inside the silent room.
Elise sat there frozen, her handcuffed hands trembling in her lap.
At that moment, she realized something terrifying—
No one was trying to prove her innocence anymore.
They had already decided she was guilty.
But then—
Through her blurry vision, someone appeared near the doorway.
At first, Elise couldn’t see clearly.
The bright interrogation light and the tears in her eyes made everything hazy.
Yet somehow…
That presence felt strangely warm.
Comforting.
Safe.
Something about it immediately calmed the fear crushing her chest.
The officers inside the room suddenly became silent.
Elise slowly lifted her head and forced herself to stand up weakly.
Her heartbeat became uneven as she looked toward the door.
A man was standing there.
______________________________________
“Tell me, Enzo… where are we going?” Lucien asked while looking at him carefully.
“Police station,” Enzo answered immediately.
Lucien frowned slightly.
“Why? Did they finally catch the culprit?”
Enzo remained silent for a moment before speaking quietly,
“Lucien… forgive me for hiding this from you.”
Lucien’s expression changed into confusion.
“But please… don’t get shocked.”
“What are you even saying?” Lucien asked sharply.
“I don’t understand anything.”
Enzo closed his eyes briefly as if preparing himself for something painful.
The car finally stopped in front of the police station.
Before the guards could even open the door properly, Enzo hurriedly stepped out.
His condition was still weak.
He staggered slightly while walking, struggling to keep his balance because of the fever and exhaustion.
“Enzo—”
But he didn’t stop.
Lucien immediately followed behind him as both men quickly entered the station together.
Enzo’s footsteps suddenly stopped the moment he saw her.
Elise looked completely helpless.
Her face was pale, one side of her cheek still red from the slap, and her exhausted eyes looked lifeless under the harsh station lights.
For a second—
The entire world around them disappeared.
Their eyes met.
And Enzo felt his chest tighten painfully.
“Elise…”
The moment she saw him clearly, something inside her finally broke.
All the fear.
All the loneliness.
All the terror she had been holding in alone.
It shattered instantly.
Elise stumbled forward and ran straight toward him.
Before anyone could react, she wrapped her arms tightly around Enzo, clinging to him desperately while breaking down into uncontrollable sobs.
She cried like a child who had finally found safety after drowning in fear.
Her body trembled violently against him.
And despite his weak condition, Enzo immediately held her back just as tightly.
Like he was afraid she would disappear again if he let go.
“It’s okay…” he whispered shakily while holding her close.
“I’m here.”
Meanwhile, the entire police station had fallen into complete silence after witnessing the scene.
____________________________________
Lucien pov:_
Lucien stood frozen near the entrance.
The moment his eyes landed on the girl in the middle of the police station—
His breathing stopped.
Elise.
For a second, the world around him became completely silent.
He couldn’t hear the officers.
Couldn’t hear the footsteps.
Couldn’t even hear his own heartbeat.
All he could see was her.
Her trembling body.
Her red swollen eyes.
The handcuffs around her wrists.
And that broken expression on her face that looked as though the world had crushed her completely.
Lucien’s mind went blank.
Because the girl standing in front of him…
Was the same girl he had been desperately searching for.
The same girl he thought had disappeared forever.
And now—
She was standing here as a murder suspect.
His chest tightened painfully.
A strange ache spread through him the moment he saw the tear stains on her cheeks.
Then suddenly, Elise looked up.
Their eyes met for the very first time.
Lucien felt something inside him shatter silently.
There was fear in her eyes.
Fear so deep it almost looked hopeless.
And yet…
The moment she saw Enzo—
Life returned to her expression instantly.
She ran toward him without hesitation and collapsed into his arms crying uncontrollably.
Lucien stood there motionless watching them.
Watching how desperately she held onto Enzo.
Watching how Enzo protected her without caring about anyone around them.
And for the first time in years—
Lucien felt jealousy.
Not because Enzo was holding her.
But because she trusted Enzo enough to break down in front of him.
Meanwhile, Lucien could only stand there…
Like a stranger in the life of the girl he never managed to forget.
Lucien stood there unable to move.
While Elise cried helplessly in Enzo’s arms…
His own memories slowly began tearing him apart from inside.
It felt cruel.
Almost unbearable.
Because after all those years—
After endless nights of searching…
After convincing himself she was gone forever…
She was finally standing in front of him again.
Alive.
Breathing.
Crying.
And somehow that hurt even more.
A painful lump formed in Lucien’s throat as old memories started flooding back one after another like wounds reopening all at once.
He remembered the first time she smiled at him.
That small innocent smile which never cared about his title, his power, or the crown resting on his head.
Back then, she looked at him like he was simply Lucien.
Not the President.
Not a ruler.
Just… a man.
And maybe that was the reason he could never let her go.
He remembered winter mornings where she used to walk beside him complaining about the cold while secretly slipping her freezing hands into his coat pockets just to annoy him.
He remembered pretending to be irritated—
But later smiling alone because her warmth stayed with him long after she left.
He remembered her laughter echoing through empty hallways.
The way she used to talk endlessly about random things while he silently listened for hours just to hear her voice a little longer.
He remembered nights when he stayed awake thinking about her without understanding why his chest felt lighter whenever she was near.
And then—
He remembered losing her.
That day destroyed something inside him permanently.
People thought Lucien became colder because of politics.
Because of responsibility.
Because power changes people.
But no one knew the truth.
The truth was—
He buried his heart the day she disappeared.
There were nights he searched for her until sunrise.
Nights where he stared at old photographs until his vision blurred from exhaustion.
Nights where he almost convinced himself she had died somewhere alone and afraid.
And every single time that thought crossed his mind—
It felt like someone was slowly ripping his soul apart.
Yet despite all those years…
Despite all the pain…
The moment he saw her tonight—
One look was enough for his heart to recognize her instantly.
As if it had been waiting only for her this entire time.
Lucien slowly looked at Elise again.
At the girl crying uncontrollably after carrying fear all alone.
And suddenly his eyes burned.
Because he realized something heartbreaking.
While he spent years missing her…
She had spent those same years suffering somewhere far away from him.
Alone.
And he wasn’t there to protect her.
____________________________________
Enzo’s eyes slowly filled with tears while holding her.
Seeing Elise break down like this shattered whatever strength he had left inside him.
His arms tightened around her weak trembling body as if he was trying to shield her from the entire world.
And then—
He started crying too.
Not loudly.
Not dramatically.
Just silent painful tears falling from a man who had been carrying too much guilt for far too long.
Slowly, they broke apart from the hug.
Enzo immediately cupped her face carefully in both hands.
His fingers trembled against her cold cheeks while he looked at her like someone who had finally found a lost piece of his soul.
But Elise suddenly started hitting him weakly on the chest.
Again.
Tears kept falling uncontrollably from her eyes.
“Why were you so late?” she cried out painfully.
Her voice cracked completely.
“Why… why… why?!”
Each word sounded more broken than the last.
“You said nothing would happen to me…”
“You promised…”
Her small fists kept striking against his chest helplessly while sobs destroyed every sentence.
Enzo didn’t stop her.
He stood there taking every hit silently because he knew—
She wasn’t hurting him.
She was pouring out every second of fear she suffered alone.
“I was scared…” Elise cried like a child.
“I was so scared…”
Enzo immediately pulled her back into his arms again before her legs could give out completely.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered repeatedly, his own tears falling into her hair.
“I’m sorry…”
Meanwhile, Lucien stood a few steps away watching everything with burning eyes and a shattered heart.
Because the pain in Elise’s voice…
Was the kind of pain no person could fake.
The entire police station had fallen into deadly silence.
None of the officers had expected this reaction.
None of them had expected Enzo to come personally.
And they certainly had not expected the President himself to be standing there watching everything with terrifyingly cold eyes.
Fear slowly spread across the faces of the police officers.
Especially the lady constable.
The moment she noticed the red mark on Elise’s cheek, her face turned pale instantly.
Enzo gently held Elise’s face again, carefully brushing his fingers across the swollen cheek.
The second he felt the warmth of the injury beneath his fingertips—
His expression darkened.
“Who did this to you?” he asked quietly.
That calm voice was far more frightening than shouting.
Elise’s lips trembled immediately.
Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks again.
But she didn’t answer.
She simply looked at him helplessly before breaking down once more and hugging him tightly as if she was terrified he would disappear if she let go.
Enzo immediately wrapped his arms around her protectively.
And at that moment—
Every officer inside the station realized they had made a terrible mistake..
Lucien finally stepped forward.
His cold eyes landed directly on the red mark across Elise’s cheek.
And something inside him snapped.
“Who the hell did this?”
His voice echoed through the entire station.
For the first time—
People saw the President truly angry.
Not calm.
Not controlled.
Angry.
The atmosphere instantly turned terrifying.
Even the guards standing behind him lowered their heads nervously.
The lady constable who had slapped Elise stepped forward trembling.
“S-Sorry, sir…” she stuttered fearfully.
“We didn’t know that—”
“That what?” Lucien interrupted sharply.
His voice was so cold that it made everyone freeze.
“That she’s human?” he asked furiously.
The constable immediately went silent.
Lucien ran a frustrated hand through his hair, trying to control the rage building inside him.
But the moment he looked at Elise again—
At her trembling body still clinging to Enzo—
His patience completely shattered.
Suddenly, Lucien walked straight toward the inspector.
Before anyone could react—
He grabbed the inspector harshly by the collar and slammed him backward against the desk.
The sound echoed violently through the station.
The inspector gasped in shock while everyone around them froze in fear.
Lucien’s eyes were burning with fury.
“You handcuffed her?” he asked in a dangerously low voice.
“You touched her?”
The inspector struggled to speak properly under Lucien’s grip.
“S-Sir… we were only following procedure—”
“Procedure?” Lucien repeated with disbelief and rage.
“She came to you terrified after witnessing a murder and this is how you treated her?”
Meanwhile, Enzo carefully guided Elise toward the nearby bench.
Her legs had become too weak to support her properly after everything that happened.
He slowly made her sit down while keeping one arm protectively around her shoulders.
Even then—
Elise still refused to let go of him.
Her trembling fingers clutched tightly onto his coat as if he was the only thing keeping her from falling apart completely.
So Enzo sat beside her and pulled her closer into his embrace again without hesitation.
Elise quietly rested against his chest, still crying softly while trying to calm her uneven breathing.
Enzo gently stroked her hair over and over, silently comforting her.
“It’s okay…” he whispered weakly despite his own exhausted condition.
“I’m here now.”
Meanwhile, the terrifying tension between Lucien and the police continued in the background—
But Elise no longer cared about any of it.
Right now, she only wanted to stay where she finally felt safe.
The inspector was still struggling to explain himself when suddenly—
Slap.
The sound echoed sharply across the entire police station.
Everyone froze.
Lucien had slapped the inspector so hard that his face turned to the side instantly.
Complete silence followed.
No one moved.
No one even dared breathe too loudly.
The inspector stood there shocked, one hand slowly touching his burning cheek while fear spread across his face.
Lucien’s chest rose and fell heavily with anger.
“This,” he said coldly, “is for touching an innocent person before proving anything.”
His voice remained controlled, but the fury behind it terrified everyone far more than shouting ever could.
The officers lowered their heads immediately.
Even the lady constable started trembling harder after witnessing the scene.
Meanwhile, Elise looked up weakly from Enzo’s embrace, startled by the sound.
And for the first time—
The entire station realized how dangerous Lucien could become when someone precious to him was hurt
“Use your energy to catch the real culprit,” Lucien said coldly.
“Not the person who tried to help the victim.”
His sharp voice cut through the silence of the station like a blade.
The inspector lowered his head immediately, unable to even look him in the eyes anymore.
Lucien’s breathing was still uneven from anger.
He pointed toward Elise without taking his eyes off the officers.
“She came to your station terrified, covered in blood after witnessing a murder…”
His jaw tightened.
“And instead of protecting her, you treated her like an animal.”
No one dared respond.
Because every word he spoke was true.
Meanwhile, Elise remained sitting on the bench beside Enzo, quietly holding onto his sleeve while tears still rolled down her face.
Enzo gently rubbed her back, silently calming her down while his own eyes remained filled with guilt and pain.
Lucien looked at her again.
And seeing the fear still visible in her expression only made his anger worse.
“She is not your criminal,” he said firmly.
“She is your witness.”
“Sorry, sir…” the inspector said nervously, lowering his head completely.
“You can take her back.”
Lucien let out a cold breath, trying to control the anger still burning inside him.
“Of course I’ll take her back,” he said sharply.
“No one here can stop me.”
The entire station remained silent.
Even the officers standing nearby avoided looking directly at him.
Lucien slowly stepped back, running a tired hand through his hair once again as he forced himself to calm down.
Then his eyes shifted toward Elise.
She was still sitting beside Enzo quietly, emotionally exhausted after everything she had endured.
For a brief second—
The fury in Lucien’s expression softened.
Because seeing her alive in front of him after all these years felt almost unreal.
And seeing her hurt…
Felt unbearable.
He spent years searching for the person his heart never forgot… only to find her broken, afraid, and in someone else’s arms.
Some pain is not from losing someone… but from finding them too late.
@shayarasehar11