Ch. 75
"Enough."
Jaxen's voice sliced through the chaos like winter steel. For one suffocating second, everything froze.
The old man's trembling hand faltered. His eyes, once wild and unstable, locked onto Jaxen's cold expression and something in him broke. The knife slipped from his grasp. It clattered loudly against the polished mall floor.
Within seconds, Jaxen's men swarmed in. Two guards immediately forced the old man down to his knees, restraining his arms behind his back with practiced efficiency. Another kicked the knife safely away while others secured the perimeter.
The old man struggled weakly, shouting incoherent things.
But his resistance was useless.
Selene barely processed any of it because Jaxen's arm was still firmly around her waist.
So protective and annoyingly noticeable.
She blinked, finally realizing just how close they were.
"...You."
Her brows furrowed sharply as she shoved his arm off, glaring up at him.
"Why are you acting like some hero all of a sudden?!" she snapped.
Raze blinked, while the security team collectively pretended not to hear.
"You could've gotten hurt! What if you had been hit?!"
For a brief second, Jaxen looked almost amused. Then he smiled. Not his usual playful grin but something softer and more dangerous.
"As long as you're okay." His voice dropped low, calm, and serious.
Selene froze. Her brain short-circuited.
What was she supposed to do with that?!
Should she feel touched?
Annoyed?
Secondhand embarrassment?!
A part of her wanted to appreciate it... but another part of her screams the word "Cringe".
"...You sound ridiculous." Selene stared at him like he had personally offended her peace but a small pink flashed her cheeks.
Jaxen only chuckled. Before she could retort again, Raze abruptly stepped forward, inserting himself between them with visible irritation.
"Are you okay?" he asked, eyes scanning her quickly for injuries. Selene's attention immediately shifted.
"I'm fine," she answered, calmer this time. "Just surprised."
Raze visibly relaxed, though his glare toward Jaxen sharpened.
"Tsk."
Jaxen merely smirked, unbothered. Meanwhile, security had fully restrained the old man. Jaxen's expression shifted instantly back to business.
"Turn him over to my assistant," he ordered coldly. "He'll handle everything."
"Where are they taking him?" Selene frowned.
"Don't worry. We'll surrender him to the police once we're done investigating." Jaxen glanced at her.
"Why investigate him yourselves? Let the police do their job." Selene's brows rose sharply.
"Selene, this mall is under my management. An armed hostage situation happened on my property. We have every right to conduct our own investigation before pressing charges." Jaxen's tone remained calm.
"Why? Are you afraid we'll torture him?"He tilted his head slightly, teasing.
"I never said that!" Selene's eyes widened.
"Why would you even torture a senior citizen?!" She shot back instantly.
Raze snorted, while Jaxen laughed softly.
"I'm joking."
"That wasn't funny." Selene looked offended.
"Noted." But then Jaxen's gaze sharpened. His playful demeanor faded.
"...So? You know him?"
Selene paused for a moment. She sighed softly, then answered honestly.
"Yeah, as I said. I've met him before."
Both boys' expressions changed.
"I know that old man is a patient."
"Which hospital?" Jaxen's eyes narrowed dangerously. Selene hesitated for half a second before answering.
"A nearby private hospital." Her gaze hardened slightly.
"One owned by the Klein family."
The three of them fell silent. Even Jaxen's expression darkened at her words.
Because the Klein family wasn't just wealthy, they were also powerful in politics. Very influential around the globe and notoriously untouchable. Something about this situation had just escalated far beyond a random hostage incident.
But before anyone could say another word—
A commanding voice suddenly echoed across the corridor, sharp enough to cut through the lingering chaos. Everyone turned at once.
A large group of police officers had entered the mall swiftly, their movements fast, organized, and strangely aggressive. Their heavy footsteps struck against the polished floors in unison, creating an unsettling rhythm that immediately shifted the atmosphere.
Selene blinked, her sharp eyes narrowing slightly as she took in the scene.
Something about their arrival felt... off.
Too sudden.
As if they hadn't come solely for the hostage situation.
At first, she assumed they were here for the old man.
Until—
"Miss Selene Valen," one officer said firmly, stepping forward. "You are being summoned for immediate questioning regarding the kidnapping case of Lina Grey."
Silence fell instantly complete, utter, and suffocating. For a brief moment, even the chaotic atmosphere seemed to freeze.
"...What?"
Selene's voice was dangerously quiet, almost too calm, which somehow made it even more unsettling.
Raze immediately stiffened behind her, his usual sarcastic demeanor vanishing as tension visibly settled into his posture.
Beside her, Jaxen's expression turned glacial. The warmth, teasing, and calculated composure disappeared, replaced by something far colder, something sharp enough to make even the officers hesitate if they knew better.
"What nonsense is this?" Jaxen finally said, stepping slightly in front of Selene.
The officer remained professional.
"You are listed as a prime suspect in the disappearance of Miss Lina Grey."
Selene stared at them, genuinely stunned.
Kidnapping? Who?
Lina?
"Lina was kidnapped...?" she whispered.
For the first time, genuine shock cracked through Selene's usually composed expression. She instinctively took a step back, her mind momentarily failing to process the words. Her heart pounded violently in her chest.
No.
No, this couldn't be—
Then that horrifying realization struck her all at once.
My dream...
Her fingers curled slightly at her sides.
Did it really happen? Selene's breath caught.
Lina... really was kidnapped?
The possibility felt so absurd, so terrifying, that for a moment it barely seemed real.
This is ridiculous...
"What the hell—" Raze muttered sharply, his usual playful tone completely gone.
The moment one of the officers stepped forward, seemingly ready to place a hand on Selene, Raze moved instantly. Without hesitation, he stepped in front of her, his body positioning itself protectively between Selene and the approaching officer.
"Don't touch her," he said coldly, his voice carrying a warning edge that was impossible to ignore.
For someone often seen as rebellious and unserious, the sudden hostility radiating from him was enough to make even the officer pause.
Selene blinked slightly behind him, momentarily caught off guard by the instinctive protectiveness.
Raze didn't look back.
His shoulders were tense, jaw tight, as if daring anyone to make the wrong move.
"Do you have any idea who you're accusing?" Jaxen's voice dropped several degrees colder, each word precise and laced with dangerous authority.
He stepped forward with calm control, placing also himself firmly near Selene, his presence alone enough to shift the atmosphere.
Unlike Raze's openly aggressive protectiveness, Jaxen's was quieter far more controlled, and somehow more terrifying.
His sharp gaze locked onto the officers, not with panic or anger, but with the kind of cold power that came from someone fully aware of his influence.
The corridor seemed to grow heavier under his stare. Even the lead officer visibly hesitated.
"What should I do? One of the Montclair heir is here?" the officer thought, panic flickering behind his professional composure for a split second.
He quickly corrected his expression, straightening his posture as if nothing had happened, but his eyes betrayed the urgency.
The Montclair name alone was already enough to make situations like this escalate beyond protocol especially with Jaxen standing right there, calm but unmistakably dangerous in authority.
The officer cleared his throat, adjusting his posture as he regained his professional tone.
"Miss Valen," he said carefully, "this is only standard procedure. You are simply required to undergo questioning at the station regarding the case." He raised both hands slightly, as if to calm the rising tension.
"If you are proven not guilty, you will be released immediately. There will be no unnecessary detention."
The words were meant to sound reassuring. But to Selene, they felt like shackles dressed in politeness. Her breath hitched. For a moment, she genuinely wanted to scream.
Not out of fear but out of frustration.
And disbelief.
Why me? Her fingers curled tightly at her sides.
Why the hell am I the prime suspect? Her thoughts spiraled, sharp and uncontrollable.
Is it because I'm the villainess of this goddamn novel? Is that it?
Her jaw tightened. A bitter laugh almost escaped her throat.
This feels like discrimination.
Selene's eyes darkened slightly as she stood there, caught between anger and confusion. After a tense pause, she finally exhaled slowly and made her decision.
"...Fine. I'll go."
The words came out calm, but the meaning behind them was heavy.
The officers visibly relaxed, as if they had just avoided a far more complicated situation. One of them immediately signaled the others, trying to restore order.
"Thank you for your cooperation, Miss Valen. This will be a standard investigation only."
But it didn't feel standard. Not with the way people were staring. Not with the way phones were subtly raised. Whispers spread quickly through the mall like wildfire.
"It's Selene Valen?"
"Wait, she's being taken in?"
"No way, she's a suspect?"
Selene stepped forward, expression unreadable, while the officers guided her toward the exit. That was when she noticed Raze is walking beside her.
Selene glanced at him sideways.
"...Why are you coming?" she asked flatly.
Raze adjusted the shopping bags in his hands like nothing unusual was happening.
"Because someone has to carry your things," he said casually, then added with a light chuckle, "and apparently it's also my turn to be your witness at the police station."
Selene let out a small, sarcastic breath.
"Yeah, right. At this point, the police station feels more like my second home."
Her tone was dry, but there was a faint edge of disbelief underneath it. Then she turned her head slightly to the other side.
Jaxen was walking there. Perfectly composed with its hands in his pocket. Eyes fixed on his phone as if the entire situation was just another business notification.
Still, she asked anyway.
"...How about you? Why are you coming with us?"
Without even looking up, Jaxen replied calmly.
"Just like before. I'm here to help... even if you don't think you need it." he calmly answered.
Selene clicked her tongue softly but didn't respond further. They reached the police vehicle. Two officers immediately stepped forward as Selene was about to enter. One of them instinctively reached for handcuffs.
"Miss Valen, just a precaution—"
"Why are you cuffing her?" Jaxen's sharp voice cut in instantly.
The officer froze mid-motion.
Jaxen finally lifted his eyes, expression unreadable but pressure-heavy.
"She hasn't been proven guilty," he said evenly. "Are you treating every suspect like a convicted criminal now?"
Silence.
The officer swallowed hard.
"I— sir, protocol—"
"Then follow proper protocol," Jaxen interrupted flatly.
The tension spiked instantly.
Even the air felt heavier.
After a moment of hesitation, the officer slowly withdrew the cuffs.
"...Understood."
No one argued further.
Selene watched the exchange quietly, slightly stunned but not surprised. At this point, nothing about Jaxen's influence surprised her anymore. She continue to stepped toward the police car again, only to find the officers hesitating to let them in together. That was when Raze sighed loudly.
"Tch. Seriously?" He stepped forward, eyes narrowing.
"If you don't let us in properly, I swear I'll deflate all your tires. Let's see how your 'procedure' works then."
"Raze," Selene warned flatly.
"What?" he shrugged. "I'm being cooperative."
The officer immediately panicked.
"E-everyone please, just get in the vehicle!"
Selene sighed under her breath and finally entered the car. Raze followed right after. Jaxen came last, still calm, still composed, but now sitting beside Selene.
The door closed and the car started moving. And as the city lights blurred outside the window, Selene leaned back slightly, her eyes distant.
Who the heck kidnapped Lina?