That evening, Williams lay sprawled on his bed, headphones tossed aside, when he heard a bang on the door.
“Come in,” he muttered.
His father stepped in, voice sharp as steel. “Williams. We need to talk.”
Williams sat up slowly, already bracing. “About what?”
“Your future. Enough with this music nonsense. The force needs young blood, and you’re fit for it.”
Williams clenched his jaw. “Dad, I’ve said it a thousand times. I’m not throwing away my dream just to chase criminals.”
“Williams!”
He cut him off, heat rising in his chest. “Ain’t parents supposed to back their kids up? You’ve never supported me. Not once. And now that I finally got into MM Academy, you’re still against me? I thought you’d be proud. Guess I was wrong. Maybe Mum would’ve been happy…”
The words ripped out of him
