Adrian nodded and opened the incident report linked to Nathan Reeves’s file.
As the confidential records loaded onto the screen he drew a slow breath.
He tapped the incident report, and after a brief loading screen a series of encrypted government logs appeared.
Unlike the public records available to ordinary citizens, these files contained the Pairing Authority’s internal timeline, documenting every registered event connected to the day’s compatibility process.
His eyes moved steadily down the report before he began reading aloud.
“According to the activity log, Nathan Reeves acknowledged receipt of his compatibility notification at 8:35 a.m.
Twenty-three minutes later his designated partner, Evelyn Ashford, checked in to Westbrook Apartment.”
He paused to scroll farther.
“At 9:30 a.m., was still in his registered apartment from the moment Evelyn Ashford had arrived, and then one hour later, at exactly 10:28, Lena Hartwell arrived at the same address.”
The office grew noticeably quieter.
Adrian’s expression became more serious as he continued reading.
“Three minutes after her arrival, the Authority received an automatic emotional distress alert from Miss Hartwell’s pairing bracelet.”
Cassian finally turned away from the rain-streaked skyline.
“Emotional distress?”
Adrian nodded.
“The bracelets continuously monitor the wearer’s vital signs throughout Pairing Day.
A sudden spike in heart rate, abnormal breathing patterns, or signs of extreme psychological trauma automatically trigger an internal alert.
According to the report, the system classified the incident as a Category Three psychological event.”
Cassian said nothing.
His face remained as composed as ever, yet the atmosphere in the office seemed to cool several degrees.
Adrian continued scrolling through the report.
“At 10:46 a.m., Miss Hartwell submitted an emergency appeal requesting a temporary suspension of her assigned pairing.” His brows slowly knitted together as he reached the next line.
“The request was rejected automatically without review.
Three minutes later she exited the apartment building.”
His finger paused over the screen.
“No…”
Cassian’s gaze settled on him.
“What is it?”
“She came back.” For the first time since the conversation began, complete silence settled over the office.
“The building’s security records show that Miss Hartwell returned less than fifteen minutes later.
She remained outside Apartment 2801 for approximately six minutes before leaving again.” He lowered the tablet slightly.
“The report doesn’t explain why she came back or what happened while she was there.”
“It doesn’t have to,” Cassian replied quietly.
Adrian immediately understood.
She had gone back because she was not ready to give up.
Something she heard inside that apartment had convinced her to leave for good.
He resumed reading.
“At 11:18 a.m., Miss Hartwell’s compatibility assignment was officially activated, and one minute later your profile was released to her.
The Authority then issued a mandatory seventy-two-hour reporting order requiring her to begin the trial marriage.” He reached the end of the report before lowering the tablet.
“That’s everything the Authority recorded.”
The office fell silent once more.
Outside, rain continued to stream down the floor-to-ceiling windows, reducing the city’s skyline to little more than blurred.
After several long moments Cassian turned away from the window and faced Adrian.
“That doesn’t have the entire record to tell me why.” Cassian spoke up.
Adrian inclined his head in quiet agreement.
“No.
They don’t.”
Cassian buttoned his tailored black coat with the same unhurriedly that he made before reaching for the keys resting beside his phone.
“Retrieve the surveillance footage.”
“Of the apartment?” Adrian asked.
“The lobby,” Cassian corrected.
“I want to see the moment Lena Hartwell walked into that building… and I want to see the moment she walked back out.” A brief silence followed before he added, his voice no louder than before.
“Government reports record facts.
Faces reveal the truth.”
Adrian immediately returned to the tablet, submitting a classified request through the Authority’s secure network.
Within moments the surveillance archive from Nathan Reeves’ residential building appeared on the screen.
The recording flickered to life.
A timestamp appeared in the upper corner: 10:27:48 A.M.
The lobby came into view.
People moved in and out of the building as they normally would, paying little attention to one another.
Residents greeted the concierge, delivery personnel wheeled carts toward the elevators, and the revolving glass doors opened and closed in an endless rhythm.
Then Lena appeared.
She stepped through the entrance with hurried strides, her hair slightly disheveled from the wind outside.
One hand clutched her handbag tightly against her side while the other held her phone, the screen still glowing from what was likely a dialing area.
She looked nervous but she was smiling.
It was not a broad smile, only the quiet, unconscious smile of someone expecting to see the person she loved.
Adrian glanced toward Cassian.
The Alpha had not moved, his attention still fixed on the screen as the footage continued playing.
Lena disappeared into the elevator, and several minutes later another camera feed activated automatically.
Apartment 2801.
The hallway was quiet.
Lena appeared in the frame, walking toward the apartment with quick, eager steps.
The door had been left slightly ajar, and without hesitation she pushed it open and stepped inside.
The moment she crossed the threshold she disappeared from view.
Adrian frowned as he switched between the available camera angles, checking each one carefully before finally shaking his head.
“That’s when she reached the apartment,” he explained.
“But I can’t find another camera angle that covers the inside.”
Cassian’s brows drew together.
“The apartment doesn’t have a CCTV camera in the sitting area?”
Adrian slowly turned his head toward him, lifting an eyebrow.
“Who in their right mind installs a camera in their sitting room?”
For a moment he simply stared at his boss.
Was Cassian seriously being this nosy, or did he actually need to know every single detail of what had happened inside that apartment?
They continued watching the available camera feeds and nearly twenty minutes passed before Lena finally appeared again in the hallway, standing just outside Apartment 2801.