<b>Chapter </b><b>280 </b>


    3010


    In Mandino Police Station, a police officer walked in with a grave expression and ced an urgent case file on the desk. “Jackson, there’s been a criminal case in Briteron. Due to unusual circumstances, it’s been transferred to our department.”


    The victim was a 37–year–old man named Simon Tate. His parents are elderly. His sister, Alice Colton, was sentenced to two years in prison for child abuse and extortion. The primary suspect in this case is Aria Saxon.


    Jackson looked up in shock. “Aria?”


    He immediately left his own work. Snatching up the case file, he rapidly scanned through it and barked, “Go find Captain Fletcher right away! The chief said anything involving Aria goes straight to Captain Fletcher.”


    “Copy that!” The officer immediately went to find him. Fryderyk had just wrapped up a difficult case and was assigning his team to draft the closing report when he received the news. Without dy, he rushed to the office area.


    Fryderyk asked, “What’s going on?”


    Jackson hurried over and handed him the case file, exining, “From what we’ve got so far, this isn’t a major case. Not a shred of solid evidence–strictly speaking, we can’t even officiallybel Aria as a suspect.”


    Fryderyk scanned through the case file, listening as Jackson continued his analysis.


    Jackson said, “Looks like someone’s deliberately targeting Aria. They even brought Simon’s parents to the station, causing a scene at the entrance and demanding answers from us.


    “They’re trying to use public pressure. If Aria didn’t have strong connections, she’d likely have been framed already.”


    The so–called motive for Aria’s murder–that insurance fraud case from years ago–held no water whatsoever.


    Jackson lowered his voice. “Someone’s pulling strings. The town cops deliberately pushed this case up to force our involvement.”


    Fryderyk’s expression darkened.


    While Aria was still toiling day and night in Jamn tobat the epidemic, someone was scheming behind her back to frame her.


    “We need to get to the bottom of this,” Fryderyk ordered. “Let’s head to Briteron–now!”


    After spending days on end immersed inb work, Aria simply moved into the lounge to save time.


    Aria finally called it a night early. With some rare free time in her hands, she decided to carve a seal.


    On the tabley a piece of stone, its deep crimson hue like fresh blood, nearly identical in material to the seal she held in her hand.


    Time slipped away unnoticed.


    A crisp knock interrupted Aria’s work. Setting down what she was doing, she rose to answer the door.


    Outside, the warm yellow light spilled into the night, casting Owen in silhouette. Aria couldn’t quite make out his expression. “What’s wrong?” she asked.


    Owen slightly raised his right hand with thete–night snacks in <b>it</b>, his eyes softened with warmth. He said, “I brought you somete–night snacks–peach pies and chicken nuggets.”


    She had barely eaten anything for dinner.


    As soon as Aria caught a whiff of the food, her stomach growled right on cue. She stepped aside and said, “It’s cold out. Come in.”


    Owen stepped inside, set the takeout containers on the coffee table in front of the sofa, and began unpacking them.


    61%0


    Aria washed her hands and sat on the sofa, her gaze lingering on the food before meeting his eyes. “Did you make this especially for me?”


    Owen recalled how the volunteers had mobbed him earlier demanding food, but replied with perfectposure, “Nope.”


    Unintentionally, he nced up, his gaze sweeping across the desk behind her, where <i>two </i>pieces of stones caught his eye–onerge, one small–their warm–toned surfaces shimmering gently under themplight.


    Owen asked. “Are you working on that piece of stone?“.


    Afia nodded. “Yeah.”


    With a mouthful of pie, Aria’s voice came out slightly muffled, carrying an unexpected warmth that softened her usual aloof tone.


    AD