"Go on, you handle the criminal," Lucas said firmly, brushing past Marcus. "I need to get out of here."
He glanced at his watch—and froze.
"Shit! It's already eight in the morning." His voice tightened with urgency as he faced Marcus. "You take care of questioning the victim's family. I have to head to my law firm."
There was a flicker of irritation in Lucas's tone. "Thanks to you, I didn't even get a minute of rest last night."
Marcus gave a half-smile, lifting his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. Sorry. And hey—thank you for today, brother. Seriously."
Lucas shot him a look. "Thank your clients, not me."
Marcus couldn't resist teasing. "Fine… I love you, honey."
Lucas groaned. "Are you done?!"
With that, he stormed off, heading home. A quick shower, a rushed breakfast, and moments later he was sliding behind the wheel of his car, steering toward his firm.
The office was quiet, almost too quiet. But as soon as Lucas stepped inside, he spotted her—a woman sitting nervously in the waiting area. The moment she saw him, she stood, eyes wide and pleading.
"Sir… please, save me." Her voice trembled.
Lucas stepped closer, offering her a glass of water from the side table. "Take a breath," he said gently, masking the sharp instincts already buzzing in his mind. "Now… tell me what happened."
The woman clasped the glass, her fingers shaking as she spoke. "I've been married twenty years. My parents arranged it. At first… it was fine. We were happy. I have two children—a boy and a girl, both still in school. But recently… things have changed. My husband hardly talks to me. He comes home late, says he's already had dinner outside. When he's angry, he raises his hand at me. He never used to be like this. I… I want a divorce, sir."
Lucas leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable. "Alright. But does your husband want to divorce you? Remember, both sides have to agree. I'll need to review some documents, and it would be best if you tried to talk with him once more."
She nodded quickly, sliding a neat folder across his desk. "Please… go through these. I'll wait for your advice."
Once she left, the silence in the office returned, but Lucas's mind was anything but quiet.
The scent still lingered. Faint but undeniable.
Her husband is crippled… he couldn't possibly do what she claims.
Lucas's jaw tightened. That woman is clever. Too clever. She's spinning the story to her advantage. Her husband hit her because she…
His thought cut off with a sharp rap at the door.
The assistant entered quietly, placing a steaming cup of coffee on Lucas's desk before leaving without a word.
Lucas's eyes didn't leave the folder. He could already smell the lies trapped between its pages.
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Continue....