Dr. Walles stood still, the file clutched tightly in her hands.
For several seconds, no one spoke. The room felt heavy, as if the air itself had thickened. Her eyes moved slowly across the pages, then froze on a name. Her fingers trembled.
"She was my college mate," Dr. Walles finally said, her voice barely above a whisper. "We studied medicine together."
Aric straightened, instantly alert. Darian's gaze softened, sensing the weight behind her words.
"After we graduated," she continued, swallowing hard, "she married a man none of us knew. He never came to reunions. Never met her friends. Slowly… she disappeared."
Her lips pressed into a thin line.
"He kept her locked inside the house. No phone. No letters. No visitors."
She shook her head. "By the time we realised something was wrong, it was already too late."
Dr. Walles' eyes glistened.
"Years later, she came to me. Pregnant. Terrified."
Her voice cracked. "She said her husband was cheating. She wanted an abortion but feared she'd never conceive again."
She wiped her eyes impatiently.
"I told her to keep the baby. I thought… maybe it would save her."
She let out a shaky breath.
"She delivered twins."
The word hung in the air.
"The girl survived. The boy didn't."
Darian's chest tightened painfully.
"I preserved the baby boy," Dr. Walles said softly. "Not for science. For memory. So he wouldn't be forgotten."
Aric clenched his jaw.
"After the delivery, her husband took the baby girl away."
Her voice hardened. "Later, he accused her of infidelity. Said the child wasn't his."
Dr. Walles closed her eyes.
"That broke her."
Silence swallowed the room.
"She attempted suicide. We admitted her immediately."
Her hands curled into fists. "Then we found out she was pregnant again."
Aric's eyes widened.
"We planned an abortion. But her condition worsened rapidly."
She lowered her voice. "She had been brutally assaulted for years."
Darian felt sick.
"I begged her to go to the police," Dr. Walles said. "She refused. She said she would end it herself."
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
"She never returned."
A long pause.
"It's been more than twenty-five years… maybe thirty."
She suddenly looked up at Aric.
"Officer… why are you looking for her now?"
Aric answered carefully.
"I'm sorry, Doctor. Valor is dead. She's linked to an ongoing murder investigation. A man named Williams."
Darian added quietly, "We traced evidence back to her."
Dr. Walles' face drained of colour.
"The baby boy…" Darian asked softly.
She stiffened. "He lived."
Aric froze.
"He revived in the third week," she said. "A miracle."
She hesitated.
"He works in the FBI now. His name is Lucien."
Darian felt his heart sink.
"I raised him as my own," she said urgently. "I never told him the truth. Please… don't."
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
"I don't want him to suffer the way she did."
Aric nodded slowly.
"Your secret stays with us."
The car ride back was silent at first.
Aric broke it by flipping through the report again, irritation growing.
"A woman erased this cleanly doesn't just vanish," he muttered. "Neither does her daughter."
Darian hesitated. "What if Carrie is Valor's child?"
Aric turned sharply. "That's a dangerous guess."
"But Lucien is connected," Darian said. "And the timing fits."
Aric called Alex. "Run a DNA comparison—Carrie and Valor."
"Yes, Chief," Alex replied. "I'll update you."
The call ended.
Suddenly, Darian's stomach growled loudly.
Aric chuckled. "My bunny is hungry."
Darian's cheeks burned red. "Stop."
They pulled up in front of a hotel.
Inside, candlelight flickered.
The waiter smiled. "Two for candlelight dinner, sir?"
Aric gestured with a smile"Yes".
After seated.
Darian panicked when he saw the menu prices.
"I cannot afford" he thought.
"I'll just have sparkling water," he said quickly.
Aric frowned. "It's my treat."
He ordered calmly.
As they ate, a girl's voice cut in.
"Oh look—our old chunky classmate."
Natasha laughed loudly, then noticed Aric.
"Hey handsome," she smirked. "Why ruin your taste by sitting with this filthy poor thing?"
"That's enough," Darian snapped, standing up.
Aric finally spoke, disgust clear on his face.
"What kind of trash talks like that?"
Natasha scoffed—until Aric called security.
"I don't care who you are," Aric said coldly. "Throw them out."
The manager bowed. "Yes, sir."
They were dragged out.
Outside, Darian whispered, "I'm sorry for the trouble, Chief."
Aric looked at him quietly.
"No," he said. "You never were."
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