Loving You

Chapter 3

Zena's POV

I nervously fidgeted with my fingers, unsure of what to say to the Mayor.

"Zena, I'm waiting for an answer," he pressed, his tone sharp yet expectant.

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. The room suddenly felt too small, the heavy oak desk between us feeling more like a barrier than protection.

"Zena, are you okay? Is there a problem?" he added, genuine concern flickering across his usually stern face.

I quickly shook my head, forcing my voice to sound steady.

"Philip, there’s no problem. I assure you, we're handling the case the best way we possibly can at the station."

He leaned back in his chair, studying me, his fingers tapping a slow rhythm against the armrest.

"Are you sure? I don't want anything tarnishing the good name of my administration," he said, his gaze piercing.

"I’m sure," I said, firmer this time. "Rest assured, we will handle it. I will handle it."

For a moment, he just stared at me, his expression unreadable. Then he sighed, rubbing his temples as if warding off a headache.

"Tell me," he said at last, "do you have any leads on who's responsible for these kidnappings?"

I took a deep breath, choosing my words with care.

"We have a lead, but you know very well that I can't disclose our findings. Please trust that my team is fully committed."

He frowned but nodded slightly, accepting the professional boundary.

"Alright. I don’t have much of a choice but to let you do your job," he said grudgingly. "But don’t make me regret appointing you Chief. I won't survive a scandal like my predecessors did."

The warning was clear, and it hit its mark.

"That’ll be all for now. I'll let you get back to work," he said, standing up.

I followed suit, smoothing down my uniform out of habit.

"It was nice meeting you, Zena. I'm counting on you. Don’t disappoint me," he added before striding out of the room, the heavy door clicking shut behind him.

As I watched him leave, I let out the breath I'd been holding. My knees felt slightly weak, but I forced myself to stand tall. I had worked too damn hard to crumble now.

I rushed back to the station, my heels clicking briskly against the tiled floor. The weight of the Mayor’s expectations gnawed at the edge of my mind, but I tried to shake it off. I needed focus, not fear.

Back in my office, I stared down at the El Fuego case file as if it might leap up and reveal all its secrets. The walls around me seemed to close in with the magnitude of what was at stake.

"Chief, everyone’s seated," Ceila's voice broke into my spiraling thoughts. "We're just waiting for you. Remember, the meeting can't start without you."

I nodded briskly, pushing my chair back and grabbing the folder.

As I walked toward the meeting room, I caught Ceila falling into step beside me.

"How did it go with the Mayor?" she whispered.

"Bad," I muttered. "He’s worried about the recent disappearances. And if I don’t fix this soon, my job might be on the line."

Ceila’s brow furrowed, but then she gave me a fierce, reassuring look.

"Don’t worry. We'll catch El Fuego. This time, he’s not slipping through our fingers."

I offered her a small, grateful smile before stepping to the front of the room.

The meeting started, reports flying across the table, strategies thrown out and discussed. I nodded and gave out orders, but my mind remained half-anchored to the Mayor’s words, and to the growing fear that El Fuego was always one step ahead.

"That’s all for now," I finally said, standing tall before my team. "Stay sharp. Stay hungry. We cannot allow El Fuego to get away again."

As the team dispersed, the exhaustion hit me, but I shook it off and returned to my office. There, I buried myself in the case file again, hoping that somewhere, between the lines and the evidence, the answer would reveal itself.

Hours passed unnoticed until my phone rang sharply, dragging me back to reality.

"Kelly, hi," I greeted, already feeling lighter just hearing her voice.

"Where are you?" she exclaimed.

"At work, where else?" I said, confused by her urgency.

"Oh my goodness, you forgot," she groaned.

The realization slammed into me.

"Dinner with Noah," I gasped.

"NOW you remember!" she snapped. "We're already at the restaurant, and Noah is practically pacing holes into the floor."

"I’m so sorry," I pleaded, grabbing my bag. "I lost track of time."

"Just get here before my brother loses his mind," she said. "I'll text you the address."

The line went dead before I could apologize again.

I rushed to my car, not even glancing in the mirror. No time to change. No time to fix my hair. Just go.

When I arrived at the restaurant, Kelly was waving wildly from a corner booth. I hurried over, feeling painfully aware of my wrinkled work clothes.

"Oh my goodness, what are you wearing?" she gasped, clearly horrified.

"I didn’t have time to change," I apologized breathlessly.

"But—" she started, only to be cut off by Noah.

"Kelly, enough," Noah said, standing up and giving me a warm smile. "My baby looks beautiful no matter what she wears."

Heat rose to my cheeks. Kelly rolled her eyes.

"Okay, enough PDA! I didn’t come here to watch my best friend and my brother drool over each other," she teased. "I came to celebrate my best friend’s promotion!"

She raised her glass.

"To Zena—who came here with nothing but grit and heart, and built something beautiful. You deserve every good thing this world has to offer. I’m so lucky to have you in my life."

Tears welled up in my eyes. I clinked my glass against hers, feeling the emotion swell inside me.

"Thank you," I whispered, my voice cracking. "I love you both with all my heart."

"We love you more," Kelly said, pulling me into a fierce hug.

Noah cleared his throat theatrically.

"My turn," he announced, flashing a nervous smile.

"You are amazing, Zena," he began, his voice dropping into something softer, more intimate. ''You’ve changed my life in ways I can’t even explain. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me."

Kelly dramatically coughed, "Ahem, your sister is sitting right here."

We laughed, but Noah stayed focused, his hands visibly trembling now.

And then, just when I thought my heart couldn’t be any fuller, he dropped to one knee.

Everything around us blurred, the restaurant, the music, even Kelly’s gasp, as Noah pulled out a small, velvet box.

"I love you so much, Zena," he said, voice shaking slightly. "And that’s why I know, without a doubt, that this is right. Will you marry me?"

Time froze.

My heart slammed against my ribs, and tears spilled freely down my cheeks.

"Yes," I whispered, somehow finding my voice again.

"Yes, Noah. A thousand times yes."

The restaurant erupted into applause as he slid the ring onto my finger and stood, pulling me into his arms.

For the first time in a long time, everything felt exactly right.