NOTE: The flashback continues in this chapter.

-----

Lauren Jauregui's Point Of View

*Flashback On*

My head seemed to seethe with everything that happened during the last few hours. How did everything get out of control like that? I was lost, without knowing what to do, even when my obligations were clear. Camila was a criminal, and I was a police officer, this could never work.

"Dammit!" I exclaimed angrily, punching the steering wheel of my car.

The images of that video repeated constantly, emphasizing in my head an excuse to justify the Latina's improper acts. Nothing, unfortunately, nothing justified doing justice with her own hands, not to the police. The big problem was that my heart didn't seem to understand that, because it tried at all costs to make my head accept that I could forgive her. I couldn't. Camila had lied, not only to Christopher during their long marriage, but to everyone around her, including me, the person she said she was in love with.

"Why do you have to be like this?" I wondered out loud.

I shook my head as I continued driving down the streets of New York, on my way home. After the confrontation in the abandoned warehouse, where I could finally discover everything, including the reasons for Camila to exercise such practices, I let her leave. I knew it was wrong, that the brunette could very well gather all the stolen money and disappear in the world in a sudden escape. However, I simply couldn't react in any other way at the sight of her lost gaze after we watched the video in which Christopher Collins murdered Charlie Cooper. Despite her strong and imposing air, characteristic of her unique personality, I could notice the lack of sparkle in her brown eyes, now so dull. It was clear the way how that brutally affected her. Camila, at one point in her life, was broken, and now she was thirsty for revenge.

"I shouldn't have let you go! What did you do, Lauren?!" I said to myself, in an internal conflict between right and wrong.

What if she had the guts to kill Collins? What if she really ran away? I would have ruined everything for being weak enough, for not handing Camila's head on a silver platter over to the police. Until when could I leave my feelings aside to fulfill my duty as a cop?

I huffed in frustration, and stepped on the accelerator. I needed some time for myself, a time away from all that. I couldn't simply act on impulse, I needed to think and analyze everything that any decision of mine could entail. Dawn seemed more cold than normal, the traffic was weak, there were only a few cars driving down the deserted avenues. It wouldn't be long until morning; and when everyone was active, I wanted to be far away from here. As soon as I got home, I took care of packing a small suitcase, being careful not to wake up Veronica. I had decided that I needed to get away, even if only for a couple of days. I could give an excuse at work, like a last minute trip to complement my investigation, which was now complete. But my real destination was in Miami, in my family's new house. They could bring me calmness.

[...]

Wrong, they couldn't. Not when my head was full of thoughts that involved Camila Collins. She was more than anyone could bear. She infiltrated my head, and remained there for an indefinite time.

"I'm so happy you're here, sweetie." Mike said as he lightly stroked my arm.

"Me too, dad. I missed you."

"I missed you too." He said as he hugged me sideways. "Why didn't you tell us you were coming? I'd have picked you up at the airport."

"Oh, I wanted to surprise you. And I think I succeeded."

"A wonderful surprise!"

I smiled at the man who seemed so excited to see me. Even with such mess in my life, it was nice to be in the presence of my father, or rather, in the presence of my family.

"Oh my God! Lauren!" I heard Taylor's voice echo through the house.

The girl flashed a broad smile and ran to me, wrapping me in a tight embrace, filled with longing. It was good to see them again, I needed that. I closed my eyes, and hugged her in the same way, reciprocating all the affection that the younger one felt for me.

"I can't believe that you finally came to visit us. I thought you had forgotten about us."

"Don't exaggerate, Tay. I'd never forget my family."

"I know." She smiled at me.

We stayed there for a few hours, talking about everything that was going on in our lives. I mean, almost everything. I couldn't mention to my family that I was in love with a criminal, but I had told them that I was in charge of an important case, which could be paramount for my police career. And they told me everything that has happened since they moved. After they left Mount Vernon, my father managed to open a business in Miami, more specifically an auto repair shop, and apparently, it was doing very well. With years of savings, he was able to build his own business, with his own group of employees. Taylor was focused on her studies, just like we had programed for so long. She knew the path she had to follow to have her desired future, and she was treading it.

"You'd better help your sister put her things in the bedroom, she looks tired." My dad said to Taylor.

"There's no need, just tell where the room is, dad."

"C'mon, Laur, I'll help you with your things. Follow me." Taylor said as she grabbed my suitcase.

The house my father had chosen was very tasteful, big, with large, neat rooms. Much better than our old house in Mount Vernon. I followed Taylor down the hall as we silently walked to the bedroom. She seemed tranquil, the silence was never a bother between us, but this time there was a cloud of curiosity in the air. I felt that my sister wanted to ask something.

"How are things in New York?"

"Good." I murmured as I entered the guest room, while my sister placed the suitcase on the bed.

"Really?"

"Yes, why?" I asked with one of my eyebrows arched.

Taylor sat on the bed as she conveyed a false tranquility. She knew me, and knew that there was something wrong.

"You're acting strange. You seem somewhat lost, or stressed. Is there something going on?"

I set my lips in a straight line, and shrugged before walking towards the bed, where I sat down beside her. I received her comforting gaze, as if she was telling me that I could trust her. But knowing what it was about, it wasn't a good idea to involve my family. The less they knew, the better it would be. My relationship with Camila was much more complicated than imagined, it wasn't just about the resolution of a multi-million-dollar case, but about a matter of professional ethics, which I was lacking.

"Just a few problems with the case I'm investigating, nothing much."

"You sure? You look down."

"Yes, the first case always gives me a headache."

"Alright, I just want you to know that you can tell me anything."

"I know I can, Tay. Thank you for that." I held her hand, stroking it subtly.

"Well, I'll let you rest now. I think you need it, the dark circles under your eyes look like the ones of a panda." She said, making me laugh. "I'm going to prepare something you like for dinner, you're gonna love it."

"I'm sure I will."

"Alright, I'm going now. There are blankets and towels in the closet. If you need anything just call me."

I nodded, and flashed her a smile before she left, leaving me alone in that room. Silence, it was all that was around me, unlike the inside of my head, where the noise was still infernal. After a few good minutes in the shower, I opted for light clothes, and for the comfort of that bed. I needed a few hours of sleep to keep me on my toes, if I could sleep that is, which didn't happen. I was stuck for hours in front of that damn laptop, looking for files or evidence that involved the Collins/Cooper case. After such discovery, I was obsessed with any and all information related to it. That was consuming my energies to the last fluids.

"Shit..." I whispered when I noticed that it was empty.

Right before getting up to get more coffee, I heard some light knocks on the door. Then, Taylor entered the bedroom with a not very good expression.

"Are you going to leave this bedroom at some point?" She grumbled.

"Taylor, please."

"No, Lauren! I'm the one saying please, you came here to see us, right? To forget for a while all the madness of your work."

"I have a lot of things to do. I just need a quiet place."

"I'll leave you alone then, but please come have dinner with us first. Dad misses you."

I stared into her eyes, which stared at me almost in a silent request. I let a strong breath of air escape my lips, and nodded.

"I'll be right down."

A broad smile was born on her lips, followed by a little shriek in celebration.

"I'm going back downstairs to finish our dinner. I'll wait for you there."

I nodded again, and my younger sister headed towards the door. As soon as the door closed, I took care of turning off my laptop to then organize all the paperwork on the desk. And that was when I felt my phone vibrate on the nightstand. I walked over to it and grabbed it, seeing Veronica's name on the screen.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Lauren..."

"Did something happen?"

Vero seemed to breathe slowly on the other side of the line, which made me somewhat worried.

"You better come back to New York."

"What happened?"

"I'd rather talk in person."

"Veronica, just tell me!"

"Collins Enterprise... This time they didn't come to play, Lauren. Half of Collins' capital was taken."

"No..." I whispered.

"It's chaos here, catch the next flight."

"I'll be there as soon as I can." I said before hanging up the phone.

"It's time to put an end to this case once and for all!"

Camila was playing with fire. Even after everything, she still had the audacity to carry on with her plan? Damn her! Wasn't she afraid of the danger? Wasn't she afraid of being arrested and spend the rest of her life behind bars?

"Son of a bitch!" I exclaimed nervously as I organized the rest of the papers on the desk.

This would not end here, this time she had crossed all the lines. And that would have serious consequences, very serious ones.

I spent the rest of the evening with my family, even when my head was in New York. They noticed my lack of attention, but they understood after I told them about what had happened. My father, as usual, asked me to be careful; and Taylor begged me for news. I said goodbye to both of them and then went back to the airport. I'd arrive in New York in the morning, and I would confront that huge problem right away.

[...]

The atmosphere in the precinct was pure chaos. The theft had been the biggest so far, one-third of Collins Industries had been taken mercilessly. The worst of all was that I knew who the mastermind of the crime was, but I couldn't react to that. My feelings for Camila were inhibiting me from making any decision that could harm her, but I couldn't go on like this. I'd have to stop her.

"Lauren, you should have done something!" Brandon exclaimed angrily. "What are we going to say to Christopher?"

I remained silent. Looking at Brandon James now caused me revulsion. The images of the Commissioner in the abandoned warehouse on the night of Charlie Cooper's death repeated constantly in my head, reminding me all the time how corrupt he could be. He was marked by Collins, and there was nothing he could do to get out of that vicious cycle of crimes.

"The truth."

"The truth? Do you really think he will settle for the truth?"

"It's what we have for him at the moment, Commissioner." I replied seriously.

Before the man could answer, we heard a few knocks on the door. It was Normani. I felt her gaze freeze on me, and I could have sworn that she swallowed hard.

"Excuse me, Mr. Collins has just arrived."

"I'm on my way." Brandon raged, irritated, as he walked out the room.

"You still have the audacity to show up here?" I whispered as I approached the woman.

"Lauren, please, try to understand the situation."

I stared at her, feeling my blood boil wholly in my veins. Camila was so astute, to the point of infiltrating one of her people on my team, so she could always be one step ahead of us. Normani was one of the best agents in that department, and to report her, would mean throwing her entire police career in the trash.

"Understand that you're a criminal along with that bitch?! You do realize that all this is your fault, right? I told all of you to stop everything, but you did worse."

"There's a reason behind this, you know that." She said as she looked around, making sure that no one was listening in on us.

"You're a police officer, Normani. You know that justice shouldn't be done with one's own hands!" I shouted, glaring at her.

The woman took a step forward, looking at me with a serious and firm countenance. "You're a police officer, Lauren. You know how justice can fail when left to the hands of others. You know what it's like to lose someone, and you know what it's like to allow yourself to do something illicit for love. I did it, and you're doing it now."

Normani sighed as I remained in full silence after her words. We stared at each other for a few instants, where words got lost, I had nothing to say, because deep down I knew she was right, but I wouldn't throw in the towel to admit it.

"You'd better go to the Commissioner's office. Collins is there." Those were her words before she left the room.

I was inside the Commissioner's office, only waiting for the presence of the oil tycoon. And as expected, Collins snapped. Camila, in turn, was at his side, in a perfect theater role, where she played the surprised and worried wife. Cynical. She pretended so well, that even though I knew the whole truth, I still felt tempted to believe it.

"I want you to fucking do something to get this money back!" He exclaimed loudly. "You know very well that it wasn't me who took this absurd amount. I've been home all night sleeping with my wife!"

A sarcastic smile was born on my lips out of pure instinct. The same way Camila used tranquilizers to drug him so she could spend the night with me, she used them to steal all his money. She thought about everything, all the way to the smallest details in such a precise way that absolutely nothing could go wrong.

"Are you sure about that, Mr. Collins?" My voice tone came out charged with accusation, but not towards him, Camila knew it was towards her.

"Are you insinuating something?" He seethed as he stood in front of me.

As I stared into his pair of light eyes, I felt my stomach turn in pure disgust. I was in a room where everyone, absolutely everyone, had done something big to be arrested. It would be a triumphant victory over a group of criminals, right? But there was Camila, and there were my feelings. Damn feelings.

"No, I'm just trying to gather accurate information."

"You can interrogate all my employees. I've been at my house all night. You all know that I wouldn't do this!" He shouted.

No, he wouldn't. But only because he wasn't that smart.

"Honey, calm down..." Camila's voice sounded sweet, worried.

I paced back and forth, exchanging time or another a few glances with the woman on the other side of the office. I felt the tension that had settled between us. Camila knew that she was walking on eggshells, and that at any moment she could be exposed.

"It's all your fault... You're to blame!" The businessman exclaimed nervously.

"What?!" I exclaimed in surprise.

"You!" He shouted right in front of my face.

I took a deep breath, trying to inhale as much air as possible to calm down my nerves, which at any instant would short-circuit. I was under a fucked-up pressure, and putting up with Collins accusations wasn't in my plans.

"You were useless! An incompetent! You didn't do absolutely anything! You let me get massacred! Fucking amateur!"

He spat out the words with derision as he kept his gaze fixed on me. I knew that Collins hated me, knew he had never liked me from the beginning. Not that it mattered, I didn't like him either. Collins was a thorn in my side, a stone in my shoe. And getting rid of him at the end of all this would be the perfect solution to my problems.

"You'd better shut up. I can arrest you for disrespecting an officer!" I exclaimed furiously, feeling my whole body tremble. "And you won't want more items in your criminal record."

"Do you really think I took this money? You dumb idiot!" He charged towards me, but he was stopped by Camila's hands gripping his arm. "Do you really think I would sabotage myself?!"

The Latina's gaze met mine, and in that instant I could see her uncertainty. Camila wasn't as confident and as strong as she portrayed herself to be in that moment, she feared the worst.

"I'll call John to come here. But Commissioner, I want you to file a suit to remove Lauren Jauregui from this case."

The room fell into a deep silence, and my gaze met Christopher's. He lavished a prepotent air that made me feel so much disgust.

"That's already being done."

"What?" I let out, surprised and shocked.

"Christopher..." Camila whispered, shocked.

"You can't do this! You can't!"

Brandon shrugged with an apprehensive countenance. My heart seemed to explode in fast heartbeats as my head tried to process that information. Being removed from a case was like attesting in my police résumé my incompetence in the face of an investigation. It would be like sinking my professional career for the rest of my life.

"Don't do this... Please." Camila's voice now sounded fearful, and worried.

"Are you really going to remove me from this case because he's asking?" I asked almost in desperation. I was humiliating myself in front of a bunch of corrupt people.

"It's not because he's asking, Lauren. The time of the inquiry is ending, and we didn't have any progress. You won't be fired, you'll only be transferred to another department."

"You know how bad this is for an officer's career, Brandon. Please."

"I'm so sorry, Jauregui. You're out of the Collins case."

Those words weighed like a ton on my shoulders. As if all my effort and willpower had evaporated in a matter of seconds. I felt as if the rug was being pulled from under my feet, and I felt that damn sickness fill my stomach. Dammit.

"Fine." That was the only word I could utter.

I stepped away from the Commissioner's desk, and turned my eyes to the man on the other side. His eyes showed the satisfaction of that moment, as if he felt pleasure in bringing me down. Collins used a good tactic to get me out of the way, but I'd show him that I still wasn't completely out of that game.

"Lauren..." Camila whispered.

I looked into the brown eyes of that woman, who was staring at me completely lost. Camila was to blame for that, and she knew it.

"Leave her." Her husband ordered.

"You have not heard the last of this!"

"Are you threatening me, Lauren?" He asked as he took a step forward.

"If you want to take it as a threat..." My voice tone sounded challenging, while my gaze alternated between the husband and the wife.

"Get out of my way!" He seethed.

"Not yet, Collins. Not yet." Those were my words before I left that room.

I left that office totally upset. I felt my whole body vibrate in pure anger. Angry with Camila for having deceived me, and for having crossed all the limits I imposed; Angry with Collins for having removed me from the case, consequently ruining my police career; Angry with Brandon for having allowed that to happen. I was angry at everything, and everyone. In that instant, I could explode and spread around what I knew. However, something inside me begged insistently for me to stay calm. I knew that Camila was responsible for the theft, I knew that Collins had killed Charlie, and that Brandon was his accomplice, but I had no way to prove it, not in the way I needed to finally convict them, since Camila had the video. I needed to stay calm. We were in a game where strategy was the main ally, and it was precisely that strategy that would help me.

"What happened?" Vero asked as she approached me.

I took a deep breath, several times, as I paced back and forth nonstop. My chest rose and fell in a heavy breath, making my nostrils inflate.

"I was removed from the case."

"What? That can't be, Lauren!" The woman said with wide eyes.

"Well, it happened. Collins asked, and Brandon obeyed like a good little dog." I seethed.

"That can't be, you need to appeal. Fight back!" My best friend exclaimed nervously. "Fuck!"

"They ruined my career, Iglesias."

The woman stared at me visibly shaken by the news. I saw her shake her head as she placed one of her hands on her forehead. "You need to do whatever it takes to get that case back, Lauren. Just get some important evidence, and this case will be yours."

"I'll do that, but not now. I just need to get out of here."

"The sooner the better." She touched my shoulders.

"If I do something now, it will be much worse."

She swallowed hard and nodded. "Go home, cool off your head."

[...]

It was exactly what I tried to do, even though I knew that any attempt would fail, nothing would calm the uprising that had settled inside me. The events seemed to repeat themselves in my head with every sip of ingested alcohol. Images of Camila in Jared Drink's, followed by her seductive gaze in Collins' office, her teasing in the most inappropriate moments, her way of seducing me, our secret encounters, our kisses, touches, and the way we looked at each other. Everything was repeating like in a flashback, showing clearly where I sinned, where I gave myself to evil. I was consumed by the fire of desire that dragged me deep into a mire of lies and rancor. I crossed the path of a woman thirsty for revenge, who used me as she saw fit to build her trap against the man who destroyed a part of her life.

"Damn you! You shouldn't have used me like that." I closed my eyes and tightened my fingers around the glass.

The strong taste of Whiskey spread all over my tongue, going down my throat burning, in an attempt to forget that woman. So many years keeping a tight emotional control, in an attempt to not get involved with any woman, to end up falling in love with the worst of them all. Camila infiltrated the cracks of my weakness, and she built her firm, unbreakable territory.

"You have to do something..." I said to myself as I put the glass on the table in front of me.

I leaned my body forward, resting my head on my arms that were over my knees. I felt full, full of feelings, disappointments, anger and, above all, revolt. Would turning Camila in be the end of everything? It would be like bringing down the pillar that kept the game alive, dragging everyone else along, thus putting an end to her ambitious and corrupt plans. I shook my head as I heard my heart beat frantically in my chest, the sound invaded the air as if it was close to my ears. That was driving me mad.

Turn her in, Lauren.

She loves you.

She's a criminal.

She lost everything.

I sighed heavily, and lifted my body from the couch in a jolt. I grabbed the bottle of Whiskey from the table and took it to the kitchen sink. I leaned against the counter, feeling my head spinning, when I heard the shrill sound of my doorbell. Would it be Camila? Would she have the guts to show up here after everything? I pushed my body forward, and walked in slow steps to the front door. Upon opening it, I came across Keana Issartel's curious eyes.

"I came to check on you." Those were her words.

For a few hours Keana was my company. The woman took care of being extremely considerate and careful towards my deplorable state. I didn't open my mouth to tell what I knew about Camila, much less what I knew about Christopher, I just told her I had been removed from the Collins case at the request of the businessman himself.

"You can reverse this, you can appeal to get the case back. Submit some evidence." She said calmly.

"You know how hard that is. When they remove you, there's really nothing you can do." I said as I lifted my glass to my lips.

"Try, Lauren. You're good at what you do."

Her hand rested on my thigh as her gaze fixed on mine in an intense way. I don't know for how long we stayed like that, but Keana swallowed hard and then wet her lips slowly. I closed my eyes for a few instants, feeling my head spin. Dammit, I had drunk too much. As soon as I opened my eyes again, I faced the face of the woman in front of me. What the hell was going on? I was seeing Camila, I was seeing her brown eyes, and her provocative smile.

No! No, Lauren.

I closed my eyes once again, but she was still there. And in a colossal impulse, I leaned my body towards hers, to take her mouth in a kiss, which was soon enough reciprocated with want. I knew that it wasn't Camila, but still, I felt her there. I was lost in what I could have of that woman, however small, I couldn't contain myself. We kissed with want as we walked clumsily to the bedroom. I laid her body on the bed as I hurriedly took off my clothes, and as I positioned myself on top of the woman's body, I faced Keana's eyes. They looked hungry, flaming, laden with a purely sexual glow. I think I stopped my movements for a few moments due to the reality shock, but I started moving once my brain informed me that Camila deserved that. She deserved to know that she wasn't the only one who had me.

"I missed you so damn much, Lauren." Keana whispered, as I delighted myself with her breasts.

My actions were guided by the arousal and the alcohol that ran through my body, accompanied by my anger, and desire for revenge against the Latina. I would let out everything on Keana's body, all my fury, due to Camila Collins' deceitfulness.

"Fuck... Yeah..." She moaned hoarsely, as I made her body my object of desire.

Sometimes I saw Camila in my arms. I felt her touches, the way she grabbed me, and I heard her hoarse voice between her moans. Hell. I was being betrayed by my subconscious that desired her in every way, without caring about everything else.

I just wanted her.

I needed Camila.

I was hopelessly crazy about her.

I sat up on the bed, bringing the woman to my lap. She was completely naked, her hair was wild, giving her a sensual and attractive air. I closed my eyes once again, and Camila took possession of my mind, taking me off orbit.

"You're mine, Lauren. There's no escape, you're stuck with me." She said before kissing me.

I was hers.

Camila Collins owned me.

[...]

The cold water ran down my now relaxed body as I tried to shove all those thoughts down the drain along with it. I needed to take action, I needed to show that I was still present in that game as one of the strongest pieces, and so I would. Camila wasn't innocent, but Christopher Collins was even less so. Today I was ahead, I was in charge of the pieces, I was in charge of the future of every one of them.

"I think there's someone ringing the doorbell." I heard Keana's voice sound from somewhere in the apartment.

"Go check who it is, it could be Veronica." I answered loudly so that the woman could hear me.

"Got it!"

I turned off the shower and grabbed the white towel that was hanging on the glass box of the shower. I put on the cottony robe, and used the smaller towel to remove the excess water from my hair as I walked into the bedroom. I looked around, seeing that Keana hadn't yet returned. I frowned, finding her delay strange, and then I walked in lazy steps down the hall to the living room. Upon entering the more open space, I heard a familiar voice flood the room, hitting me hard.

"It can't be..." I whispered before turning towards the door.

My eyes met hers, causing a shiver to go down my spine. Camila Collins was there, standing in the doorway, staring at me with her indecipherable gaze.

*Flashback Off*

"That explains a lot." The investigator said, making a brief pause. "Then you affirm that you have nothing to do with your husband's accusations? That everything he's saying is a lie?"

"Yes, sir. I wouldn't do something like that, nor would I even know how to do such things. Christopher is upset, and as much as I want to help him, I can't take the blame for a crime I didn't commit." She said sadly.

"You're right, Mrs. Collins. But be aware that you need a lawyer. As Christopher's wife, you're going to need one."

"Am I being placed as a suspect?"

"Everyone's a suspect." He said.

I sighed, and received Camila's gaze on me. She remained tranquil, she didn't convey any change in her mood or state. But I knew that she feared, deep down she feared being discovered.

"But don't worry, if you have nothing to do with the case, you'll free yourself of this as soon as possible." The investigator said calmly. "You just have to tell the truth."

"I'm telling the truth, Agent Travis. I'm just afraid Christopher will do something to harm me."

"There are no reasons for that, Mrs. Collins. You're innocent." I said firmly, drawing her gaze again, and the investigator's.

Camila stared at me, and she curved the corner of her lips in an accomplice smile. I couldn't reciprocate, I had the investigator's eyes on me, but she knew I was on her side.

"If she's really innocent of any accusation, there's no reason at all." The man said, turning his eyes back to Camila.

No one was innocent, no one.

*Flashback On*

"Please, don't be angry with me. I couldn't refuse it, it's a huge opportunity. He was looking for someone, and I volunteered myself!"

"You volunteered yourself to take my job? To take my place in that precinct?" I asked furiously, while she looked at me with an apprehensive look.

"You were removed from it, and I knew you couldn't appeal!" Keana exclaimed nervously. "You know how these things are..."

"You didn't even give me time for that, did you?" I almost shouted, but soon composed myself. "Leave me alone."

"Lauren..."

"I just want to be alone." I said seriously, and coldly.

"But..."

I walked quickly towards the door, opening it at once, in a clear order for her to leave.

"I need to be alone. So, please, get out."

She nodded with a sad countenance and walked slowly to me, perhaps waiting for a change of heart that wouldn't come.

"I hope this doesn't come between us."

I just stood firmly by the door as she stepped out the door, and as soon as I saw her completely outside my apartment, I faced her eyes again.

"Can I call you later?" She asked.

"No, I don't want to talk to anyone."

"Laur... Let me stay."

"Goodbye." I said before closing the door, preventing her from saying anything else.

I felt exhausted, in every possible way. It was as if I was swimming against the current in a continuous effort only to drown in the end. In a matter of days, what I thought was perfect, fell apart. I shook my head as I walked towards the kitchen again. I removed my holster, along with my gun and badge, leaving them on the counter, and cleaned all the mess Vero had made before she left; when the doorbell rang again.

"Hell! I told her I didn't want to see anyone!" I exclaimed to myself as I walked towards the door.

I stopped in front of it, and pulled as much air as possible into my lungs, to only then open it. I stared into the brown eyes of the Latina in front of me, and let out all the air in my lungs. I was surprised to see her there.

"God, I said I wanted to be alone."

"I won't leave you alone now." Camila said in a firm voice tone before she invaded my apartment.

*Flashback Off*

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NOTE: The flashback will probably continue in the next chapter. When Evelin updates, I'll translate and post it.