Ch. 31
The Witness and the War Freak
The police station was quieter now, though the faint hum of the old fluorescent light above Selene's head was slowly driving her insane.
She sat on the metal bench.
Across from her, Raze leaned back on his chair, a pack of ice pressed lazily against his bruised lip. He looked perfectly relaxed like this was a regular Friday night for him.
Selene sighed softly.
How is he this calm? We literally just got dragged here.
She was only there as a witness, technically. But somehow, she still felt like she was being detained too.
The door slammed open.
A woman in heavy jewelry and an expensive-looking coat stormed in, followed by two other parents and a man who looked like he wanted to be anywhere else but here.
"There he is!" the first woman shrieked, pointing a manicured finger at Raze.
"That delinquent! He attacked our sons!"
Attacked? Lady, your kids started it. Selene blinked, unimpressed. The police officers immediately tried to calm her down, but she only grew louder.
"He should be expelled! A boy raised without manners! I bet his mother didn't even—"
Selene's eyes narrowed slightly. And there it is. The classic insult.
She turned her head to glance at Raze.
He was sitting there quietly, posture straight, face blank like every word just slid off him. Not even a twitch of emotion.
It made Selene wonder.
Why isn't anyone here for him? His parents? Guardian? Someone?
Before she could think more, another one of the parents a middle-aged man slammed his hand on the desk.
"That boy's been trouble since last year! We warned the school–"
Then came the next blow, sharper than the rest. The woman in pearls scoffed and sneered at Selene.
"And you, young lady!? Pretending to be innocent. What kind of girl gets involved with a violent punk like that? You look like a slut clinging to your thug boyfriend!"
The entire station went quiet.
Even the officer handling the paperwork froze mid-scribble. Raze's eyes flicked upward and for the first time, Selene saw it: that dangerous look. His pupils sharpened, his jaw tightened, and the ice pack slipped from his hand.
"Say that again," he warned, voice low, calm, but heavy with threat.
The parents gasped, one of them shouting, "See! Look at him! He's threatening us now!"
Selene had been sitting there quietly the whole time, arms crossed watching like she was viewing a bad drama unfold.
But that last insult? It clicked.
She slowly turned her head toward the noisy woman, raising one brow high.
Her expression was pure disdain like a queen glancing at a peasant who'd dared to speak out of turn.
"Excuse me?" Selene said, her voice cold and steady. "Are you stating a fact, or just spouting nonsense because you're bored?"
"What! Do you even know who I am? I can get you expelled from your school in a heartbeat!" The woman's jaw dropped.
Selene didn't even blink. She tilted her head, a mocking smile curving her lips.
"The fuck?" she said casually.
"Should I know you?"
Gasps filled the room. One of the officers choked on his coffee. Even Raze looked stunned, blinking like he wasn't sure he heard her right.
Did she just curse?
Selene, of all people the calm, regal girl who always spoke like she was reading poetry just dropped an f-bomb in the middle of a police station.
And she didn't even flinch. The woman's face turned red, her voice shaking with outrage.
"Y–You disrespectful brat! I'll file a complaint against you too!"
"Feel free," Selene said coolly, crossing her legs.
"Just make sure you tell them exactly what your son was doing before he got his face punched in."
Raze coughed, half-chuckling under his breath. The officer in charge awkwardly tried to break the tension.
"Everyone, please~ let's calm down. Miss Valen is here only as a witness, and Mr. Raze was acting in self-defense."
The door suddenly opened again.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop when Mr. Valen, Selene's father, stepped in. His presence alone was enough to silence every complaint, every raised voice, every nervous shuffle.
Mr. Valen wasn't just composed he was the kind of man whose calmness commanded fear. Tall, perfectly dressed in a charcoal suit, his sharp eyes swept across the room, assessing everything in seconds.
"Father?" Selene blinked, a bit startled. The police officer cleared his throat.
"Ah, yes. We called your guardian to confirm the report, Miss Valen."
And right behind him, stepping in with a disinterested look on his face, was none other than Jaxen Montclair.
Selene stared.
She folded her arms tighter, muttering under her breath.
"Oh, the police asked for my guardian. I see why Father's here..."
Then her eyes shifted toward Jaxen, irritation creeping into her tone.
"But why," she whispered, "is he here?"
Raze glanced between the two men, confusion flickering across his face.
The loud mother who had just been screaming insults at Raze visibly shrank, her hand falling from her hip.
The officers stiffened in their seats. Even Raze, who didn't seem to care about anyone or anything a few minutes ago, found himself straightening up.
Selene leaned slightly to the side on her chair, watching them both with a bored look. The head officer immediately stood up.
"Ah! Mr. Valen, sir, we didn't expect...we didn't mean to trouble your daughter—"
The room fell into an uncomfortable hush.
"...Your daughter?" one of the parents whispered.
Mr. Valen's eyes briefly softened as he looked at Selene. He gave her a nod subtle but warm before turning back to the police.
"She's here as a witness, correct?" His voice was even, calm.
"Yes, sir," the officer said quickly.
"She's not at fault in any way. She even helped us contact the authorities when the fight broke out."
The mother who had mocked Selene earlier turned pale. Her mouth opened, then closed, like she couldn't form words.
"Wait, your daughter?" she finally croaked. "As in... the Valen family?"
"Oh, so you do know them. Good. Saves me from explaining." Jaxen smirked from the side, amused.
Murmurs rippled through the room.
The other parents began whispering frantically.
"The Valen family... from Valen Industries?"
"Impossible! I've never seen their daughter before."
"She's the only one...no one's ever photographed her publicly—"
Selene exhaled softly, crossing her arms.
Here we go again. Every single time.
The moment they hear my last name, people either panic or kiss the floor.
Villainess perks.
"I was hoping we could just quietly settle this, but apparently drama follows me everywhere." She tapped her heel lightly on the tiled floor, tone dry.
Raze glanced at her from the corner of his eye.
So, this was why she didn't flinch earlier? Why she handled everything like it was nothing.
She wasn't just confident. She was used to pressure.
The loud mother, now visibly sweating, bowed slightly in embarrassment.
"I— I didn't know who you were, Miss Valen, I—"
Selene tilted her head slightly, her expression polite but cutting.
"Then maybe next time, ma'am, you should think before calling someone a slut in public."
Another gasp filled the room.
Even Jaxen let out a small snort.
"Selene," her father said calmly, though there was the faintest ghost of irritation in his tone.
"That's enough."
"Of course, Father." She gave him a graceful nod. Mr. Valen turned to the officers again.
"I trust this matter is settled?"
"Yes, sir. Mr. Raze acted in self-defense, and Miss Valen is cleared of any involvement. We'll process the paperwork accordingly."
Raze, who had been silent the entire time, looked almost... puzzled.
He'd heard the name before everyone had. But he never thought the quiet, sharp-eyed girl from the University was that Valen. As the chaos died down, Selene stood up. She passed by Raze, giving him a brief glance half annoyed, half grateful.
"Try not to start another fight next time," she muttered. "And don't dragged me in it. I don't enjoy spending my evenings at police stations."
Raze chuckled softly, low and rough.
"Well, my fault."
She shot him a glare but didn't respond.
"Let's go, Selene," her father said, already heading toward the door.
As she followed, she caught Jaxen's smirk from behind her.
"You sure know how to make trouble," he teased quietly.
Selene rolled her eyes.
"And, you sure know how to show up uninvited."
Jaxen chuckled, hands in pockets.