Chapter 12
“What’s going on here? Who called this in?” one of the officers demanded.
“I did!” Aline called back without hesitation.
An officer stepped forward. When he got a look at Mitch, his expression shifted in recognition. “Mr. Fuentes, are you hurt?”
“I’m fine,” Mitch replied coolly. “This man tried to kill me. This is the weapon he used.” He handed over the gun.
The officer took it, then turned to Aline, eyeing the gun in her hand. “And what about yours? Carrying an unlicensed firearm is a serious offense.”
“Oh, this?” Aline smiled and raised it. “It’s a toy gun. Picked it up at the mall earlier. You’re not planning to confis- cate toys now, are you?”
Mitch, who had just taken a handkerchief from his assistant and was casually wiping his hands, suddenly froze. A look of surprise flickered in his eyes as he glanced over at Aline.
He thought, ‘A toy gun? I’ve actually been bluffed… by a toy?’
His thin lips curved into a slow, amused smile. “Ms. Moore,” he said, voice laced with irony, “I take back what I said earlier. You’re far more interesting than I thought.”
In that moment, a chill crept up Aline’s spine.
Mitch was dangerous-her instincts screamed at her to stay far, far away.
*
Because of the incident, Aline and the others were brought to the police station to give statements.
As she stepped out of the interview room, she spotted Clayton, flanked by his close friends and Joyce, waiting in the main lobby.
The moment he saw her, Clayton stormed over. “Are you out of your mind? You actually pointed a toy gun at Mitch’s head? Don’t forget-we’re married. If you offend him, you’re dragging Hill Group down with you!”
“Married?” Aline let out a cold laugh. “If I were really your wife, then when those gunshots rang out, you wouldn’t have shoved me aside to protect Joyce.”
Clayton froze, guilt flashing across his face.
Jimmy, one of his friends, sneered from the side, “Joyce’s delicate. Of course she needs protecting. You think we’re gonna throw ourselves in front of a bullet for you? Get real.”
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“Oh? But don’t you all love to say how strong and capable Joyce is? That she’s just as tough as any man? What hap- pened to that now? Suddenly she’s helpless?” Aline shot back, her tone razor-sharp.
Jimmy choked on his words, face turning bright red.
Joyce’s eyes flickered. “Aline, Clayton was just trying to help. Do you have to be so petty about it? This is exactly why people say women are too emotional.”
“Petty, my ass!” Clarice came striding out of the interview room, having just heard the tail end of that comment. “Your lover shoves his own wife aside to protect you, and you have the nerve to call her petty? Joyce, you might be the boldest mistress I’ve ever seen!”
She hadn’t missed what went down back at the restaurant-and she’d been fuming ever since.
Her voice was loud enough to echo across the entire station. People giving statements nearby turned to stare.
Clayton’s face darkened instantly.
Joyce snapped, “Stop calling me a mistress!”
“Then what are you?” Clarice fired back. “Clayton is Aline’s husband. When shots were fired, he pushed his wife aside to protect you. What is he, some kind of noble saint? Or did you save his entire family from death or some- thing?”
Her words came fast and furious, like a verbal machine gun.
Every head in the police station turned in Joyce’s direction.
Joyce’s face stiffened. She wanted to argue back, but couldn’t come up with a single valid excuse.
Clayton, embarrassed and angry, snapped, “Aline, did you seriously put your friend up to this? Just to turn this into a public spectacle and humiliate me?”
Clarice shot him a glare. “I said what I said. It had nothing to do with Aline!”
