Ch. 77
The room remained silent.
Kiana didn't immediately challenge her statement. Instead, she simply watched Selene for several seconds, studying every subtle shift in her expression before leaning back slightly in her chair.
"Miss Valen, my instincts tell me you're innocent."
Selene blinked. A faint sigh escaped her lips. That wasn't what she expected to hear from a detective.
"But unfortunately," Kiana continued calmly, "instincts aren't evidence."
There it was. The part she couldn't argue with.
"Until we verify everything, you're still considered a person of interest in this case."
"Fair enough," Selene replied simply.
"Then let's start with your whereabouts. Where were you during the estimated time of Lina Grey's disappearance?" Kiana asked, opening another file.
"At the university. Well... unconscious, actually." Selene clasped her hands together and leaned slightly on the table.
"...Excuse me?" Kiana's pen stopped.
"I said I was at the university. I got rushed to the clinic because I passed out after getting hit by a soccer ball. Why? First time hearing something like that?" Selene raised an eyebrow.
"A soccer ball?"
"Yesss?"
"A soccer ball knocked you unconscious?" Kiana almost laughed, but managed to suppress it.
"Unfortunately," Selene muttered, rolling her eyes.
For the first time since the interrogation began, Kiana looked genuinely speechless. She coughed lightly and straightened her posture.
Who knew this little heiress was so fragile? She thought.
"Oh. Ahem... continue."
"After that, I stayed in the school clinic. The records will show it, and Adrian can confirm where I was," Selene said confidently.
"Oh! The Student Council President?" Kiana's pen paused above the paper.
"You know him already?"
A faint smile appeared on Kiana's lips as she resumed writing.
"He's part of the investigation too."
"That made sense. With Adrian's status and his connection to Lina, it was only natural that he'd be questioned," Selene pondered.
"So he can verify your statement?"
"Yes, because he carried me there himself."
"Carried?" Kiana's eyebrows rose slightly.
"I was unconscious, kay. And why are you so interested in me being carried by Adrian?" Selene narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "You're teasing me, aren't you?"
"I'm not!" Kiana answered innocently.
"Questioning you is part of my job. If you're bothered by that, people might think you're lying."
Selene paused. Only then did she realize she was getting worked up, thinking the detective was teasing her. She quickly tried to compose herself, letting out a quiet sigh of relief.
Am I being so childish right now? Is this because I'm stressed? Selene thought frantically.
This was exactly why she hated police investigations, even from her past life
"Oh, before I forgot," Selene added. "You can question Raze too."
As soon as she said it, she unconsciously touched her chest.
What is happening to me? Selene thought, her hand still pressed lightly against her chest.
Why does it feel... like something's tightening inside?
Her breathing turned shallow.
My chest hurts... no, it's not really pain. It's more like... pressure. Like something bad is about to happen.
She glanced around the room, suddenly aware of how close the walls felt.
This doesn't make sense. I'm not even afraid of small spaces... so why do I feel trapped right now?
A quiet unease crept in, crawling under her skin.
Something's wrong.
Really wrong.
"Okay, and who exactly is this Raze?" Kiana asked.
Why is time moving so slowly?
Why is she asking so many questions?!
Selene unconsciously scratched her arm. A chill ran down her spine, but at the same time, sweat had already gathered at the back of her neck. She took a slow breath, forcing herself to stay calm.
"He studies at the same university. He's outside right now, you can question him too if you want to speed up your investigation. Because, I don't intend to sit here while time drags on and I'm apparently your number one suspect." She exhaled sharply.
"I know Lina and I weren't close. We barely talked. Honestly, I was avoiding her because I didn't want to get involved in her life. And now this? Me being the prime suspect in her kidnapping case?" Selene let out a short, bitter laugh.
"You know what? I already have enough things to worry about and now this gets added too. Damn... is this room even air-conditioned? Why is it so hot?"
For some reason, Kiana looked even more puzzled. Then her expression shifted.
Sweat.
There was sweat forming on Selene's forehead. Her breathing had turned uneven.
Before Kiana could respond— Click.
The lights went out. Not just in the interrogation room but the entire building plunged into darkness.
People outside immediately erupted into panic.
Shouts echoed down the hallway so sharp, overlapping voices bouncing off the walls.
Chairs scraped violently against the floor.
An officer cursed under his breath, followed by the heavy thud of something metallic hitting the ground.
A stack of folders had been knocked over in the confusion, papers scattering like fallen leaves.
Inside the interrogation room, Kiana stood up at once.
"Miss Selene?"
Darkness swallowed everything whole. No outlines. No silhouettes. Just absolute black and her detective instincts kicked in instantly. She reached into her pocket, fingers moving fast, searching for her phone by memory alone.
"Miss Selene, stay calm. Stay where you are. It looks like just a power issue." Her hand finally closed around her phone.
"Miss Selene?" she called again, this time firmer.
But there's no response from Selene. That was when something subtle but also unsettling began to settle in her chest. Kiana clicked her tongue softly, thumb hovering over the flashlight button.
Then the light returned.
The fluorescent bulbs flickered violently overhead before stabilizing, casting the room in a harsh white glow. Kiana froze, her breath caught the sight of the chair across from her and it was empty.
Selene should be there, sitting and looking at her but it was now vacant.
"...What the.." Kiana murmured under her breath.
Her eyes scanned the room from under the table to its corners. The blind spots.
But nothing.
No open door.
No broken window.
No sign of struggle.
Just emptiness where Selene should have been sitting, looking right back at her. Now, Detective Kiana Laurent felt genuine alarm. Not because a suspect had disappeared but because she couldn't explain how. Her eyes narrowed.
"Think Kiana!" She whispered.
The room wasn't large. There were no hidden exits. No ventilation shaft large enough for a person. No blind spot that could conceal an entire human being.
Then where the fuck is she?
A sharp knock interrupted her thoughts. The door suddenly opened.
"Detective!"
One of the officers rushed inside.
"The backup generators are online now. We think somebody overloaded the main power system—" He stopped mid-sentence. His eyes landed on the empty chair.
"...Eh? Where's the suspect?"
Kiana didn't answer immediately, because she was asking herself the same question.
Outside the room, the bureau was still recovering from the brief blackout. Officers moved through the hallways and witnesses were being escorted back to waiting areas. Phones were ringing nonstop.
Everything looked normal.
And yet—
Something felt wrong.
Kiana strode out of the room.
"Lock down the entire floor!"
"What?" The officer blinked.
"You heard me." her voice turned sharp.
"Nobody leaves this building until I find Selene Valen."
The seriousness in her tone made several nearby officers immediately straighten.
"Yes, ma'am."
Kiana walked down the corridor quickly. Her mind raced. Selene didn't strike her as someone who would run. Especially not when she had voluntarily answered every question.
If anything, the girl seemed annoyed by the investigation, not afraid of it.