Reluctantly yours

Episode 2

Luna’s POV

I woke up to the sound of my phone ringing, which was unusual. Groggily, I stared at the caller ID and realized it was my boss. My heart sank. Why would he be calling this early?

I picked up the phone, feeling concerned. “Hello, good morning, sir,” I greeted cautiously.

"Miss. Blackwood, I’m sorry for calling at this unconventional time, but there’s a serious case, and HQ has chosen you to investigate it," he informed me.

"But sir, I’m on leave," I replied, hoping he’d understand.

"After this case, HQ has guaranteed a year-long leave for every official involved," he countered.

I sighed in defeat. "What’s the case about?"

"Agent Blackwood, report for duty." Then, he hung up.

I groaned and flopped back onto my bed. Being a detective was always draining, but I had no other choice—I had to do what I had to do.

Reluctantly, I stood up from my bed, stretched, and made my way to the bathroom. Stripping off my clothes, I turned on the shower and stepped in, letting the warm water relax my muscles and wake me up.

After my shower, I dressed and headed downstairs. Just as I reached the bottom, Tiana walked out of her bedroom.

"Babe, where are you going all dressed up?" she asked, confused.

"I’m going to work," I answered, fastening my watch.

"Aren’t you on leave?" she remarked, raising an eyebrow.

"Turns out there’s an important case that couldn’t wait for me to finish my leave," I complained.

Tiana burst into laughter.

"Don’t laugh at my predicament," I said, faking annoyance.

"I wasn’t the one who asked you to choose this job," she teased.

I rolled my eyes. "I just hope I’m working with a good lawyer—not someone like Hudson."

Tiana smirked. "Oh, you mean the best boss and partner to work with?" she said sarcastically.

I chuckled. "You know, I never told you about my date yesterday."

"That’s true! Spill the tea," she said, making a puppy face.

I grinned mischievously. "Well… my date was Hudson."

"What?! How?" she asked, wide-eyed.

I grabbed my bag. "I’m late for work!" I called out, already heading for the door.

"Luna! Come back and finish what you started!" she shouted, but I was already waving as I walked out.

"You know I hate suspense! Luna—Luna, come back!" she yelled.

Laughing, I slipped into my car and drove off.

~~~~~~

Luna’s pov

I walked into HQ and headed straight to the commander's desk.

"Good morning, sir," I greeted, standing at attention.

"You're one minute late," he said without looking up.

"I'm sorry, sir," I replied, remaining still.

"Take a seat," he finally said, glancing at me.

"Thank you, sir." I sat down cautiously.

"Has your regional commander briefed you yet?" he asked.

"No, sir," I responded.

"There was a murder case last week," he stated.

"I thought the culprit was already convicted?" I asked, confused.

"Turns out he was wrongly convicted—framed, actually. Now it’s up to us to find the real murderer." He slid a file across the desk toward me.

I took the file and started flipping through the pages when he added, "You’ll be working with Hudson Carter."

"Hudson?" My eyes widened in horror.

"I know he’s a tough nut to crack, but you don’t have a choice. He’s representing the victim’s family as their lawyer, and he has most of the evidence. So..." He gave me a pointed look.

"It’s okay, sir," I replied, forcing my voice to stay neutral.

"Go through the file and begin the investigation immediately—there’s no time to waste," he ordered.

"Understood, sir," I said while sneaking a quick peek at the contents of the file.

"You’re dismissed," he said dismissively. I stood up and walked out of the office, only to run into my boss.

"You didn’t tell me I’d be working with Hudson," I said, narrowing my eyes at him.

"So you’d opt out? Nope. Look, I’m sorry, but just do this—for the victim. Help him get justice," he pleaded.

"Whatever," I grumbled.

"And that’s a yes!" he grinned, pulling me into a one-sided hug.

“Yes, it's a yes—but Hudson?" I groaned.

"I know, he’s not exactly the easiest person to work with, but look at the bright side—he’ll actually help you get the job done," he said, trying to convince me.

"Not without a ton of criticism. You know we worked together before, and it was far from a walk in the park. Can you believe he told the agency I was terrible at my job? Because of him, I was demoted two ranks! Thank God I was able to prove myself," I huffed.

"He’s self-absorbed, no doubt, but you’re going to have to suck it up. Okay?" He gave me a pointed look.

I sighed. "Fine, I’ll suck it up."

"Good. Now, how’s the fiery Tiana?" he asked, a look on his face I couldn’t quite place.

"She’s fine—though she’s been extra wicked lately," I joked, making us both laugh.

"Alright, extend my greetings to my lady," he said with a smirk.

I smiled. "I sure will."

He nodded, then grinned mischievously. "See you later, Lulu."

"Don’t call me that!" I whisper-shouted, glaring at him.

"Whatever, Lulu," he said again, laughing as he walked away.

I groaned, facepalming. "Why do I even bother?"

As I turned to leave, I accidentally bumped into someone. Spinning around quickly, I started to apologize.

"I'm so sorry—like, really, really sorry," I pleaded.

She scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Better watch your step next time… unless—" She stopped herself, smirking as if deciding I wasn’t worth finishing the sentence for.

That was it. I grabbed her arm, making her turn back to face me.

"Sophia," I said, my voice laced with warning. "As much as I try to be respectful, I have my limits too. Don't push me, or you'll see a side of me you won't like."

Without waiting for a response, I let go and walked away, fuming.