Page 28 of Shattered

My heart flips in my chest at his words. With teary eyes, I nod at him, my anger giving way to a glimmer of hope. “Please, Officer.Don’t let this slip away again. My parents, my sister… they deserve justice, and so do I.”

He nods. “I won’t rest until I bring those responsible to justice, Kavya. I owe it to you and your family. But before I go, can you tell me if there’sanyone that you suspect? Anyone at all?”

I shake my head and take a moment to think. “No one. I still don’t believe why anyone would want to harm my family.”

“I am not sure either, but as I told you, I am here to help you find answers. I promise I will get to the bottom of this,” he reassures me.

I nod at him, but my mind is still struggling to wrap my head around it all. “Thanks, Officer. But I do have one question.”

“Go ahead.”

“If the truck driver confessed that he was paid to cause the accident, why not just ask him directly who hired him?” I question.

“The truck driver said he didn’t know the guy’s name. He just got a call from an unknown number andwas told to do the job. The cash was dropped at his house with no trace of the person behind it.”

“Could the culprit be someone wealthy… some powerful?” I ask, feeling a sudden tightness in my chest, making it hard for me to breathe.

He runs a hand over his tired face. “I wish I could give you a clear answer, Kavya. All I can say is I am determined to make things right, andI’ll do everything in my power to bring you the closure you deserve.”

“Thank you so much.It means the world to me, and I promise I’ll help in any way I can.”

“I sure can use your help,” he says, sliding the file across the table toward me. “Inside,I’ve compiled everything I’ve found so far, including call records from your parents and your sister. Take a look and let me know if anything stands out.”

I stare at the file, then back at him. “Absolutely. I’ll give it my full attention and let you know if I find anything relevant.”

He reaches into his pant pocket, retrieves his wallet and extracts a card, laying it atop the file. “Here’s my number. Call me if anything comes up. And let’s keep this between us for now. We can’t risk tipping off the culprit,” he adds, and I nod in agreement. “I’ll take your leave, but I’ll stay in touch,” he says as he rises from his seat.I follow suit, my mind still racing.

“Thanks again, Officer, for your support.”

“You don’t have to keep thanking me. I am just doing what I should’ve done earlier,” he says with a gentle smile. I nod silently as I watch him walk out of my office.

As soon as the door clicks shut, I collapse back into my chair, unable to function from shock, as I stare at the file.Someone tried to kill my parents?Fear grips my heart, and confusion clouds my thoughts. Why? Why would anyone want to harm them? My mind races with questions, but I can’t find any answers.

I am lost in the turmoil of my thoughts when my phone rings on the desk. Looking down, I see Reyansh’s name flashing on the screen, but I can’t bring myself to answer it, so I let it go unanswered. I am just not in the right frame of mind to talk to anyone right now. All I can focus on is the overwhelming need to make sense of this nightmare.

Lost in my thoughts, I suddenly jolt, my hand flying to my chest, when the door to my office swings open, startling me.

“What’s wrong?” Reyansh’s voice cuts through the silence as he strides into the office,his expression a mix of concern and frustration. It’s only then I realisehow long I’ve been sitting here, lost in my own world, unaware of time slipping away.

“You scared me,” Imumble, hoping to keep the tremor out of my voice, unwilling to let him see the fear that grips me.

“I’ve been calling you for over an hour. You didn’t answer. I was worried,” Reyansh says as he stands in front of my desk, leaning toward me with his hands firmly on the desk, his eyes searching mine.

“It must have been on silent.I got so caught up with workthat I didn’t check my phone,” I lie, hiding my nervousness.My pulse quickens when his gaze drifts to the file and the card on my desk. Panicking, I grab the file with trembling hands and shove it into my bag before he can ask anything more.

Reyansh raises his eyebrows. “What’s in that file?”

“Nothing,” I respond quickly, but his sceptical expression says it all. He doesn’t believe me. Sensing the need for a quick escape, I force a smile andquickly change the topic. “How about we go for a coffee?I could use a break.”

He stares at me for a couple of seconds, clearly unconvinced,but to my surprise,he doesn’t call off my bluff. Instead, he simply says, “Alright,let’s go.”

I let out a silent breath of relief as I grab my purse and rise to my feet, all the while making an effort to keep myself calm. With his hand gently resting on my back, we walk out of the office together.

Guilt gnaws at me for hiding the truth from him, but I know I have to—for now.

Chapter 14

Reyansh

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