The Prison-Made Queen novel Chapter 601

"So, are you going to tell me what happened today?" Ethan Jenkins asked, his voice cutting through the chill of the evening air. "You look like you're carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders, and it's making me nervous."

Leilani Sloan stared out at the dark, inky surface of the river. She didn't want to admit that her foul mood was entirely Callahan Langley's fault. "You're exaggerating," she deflected, wrapping her arms around herself. "I'm just in a bit of a funk, that's all."

Ethan wasn't buying it. He saw right through her. "Liar," he said bluntly. "You were perfectly fine when you came by the precinct to discuss the case this afternoon. But overnight, it's like all the air has been let out of your tires."

He paused, his expression softening with genuine concern. "Seriously, Leilani... what's going on? Sometimes just saying it out loud makes it easier to deal with."

Leilani fell silent. The rhythmic lapping of the water against the concrete bank filled the quiet between them. Finally, she spoke up. "Ethan, hypothetically... if you found out that someone you completely trusted had been lying to you, what would you do?"

Ethan raised an eyebrow, his detective instincts instantly kicking in. "Who scammed you? Do you know them, or is this some kind of wire fraud?"

Leilani sighed, rubbing her temples. "I said hypothetically."

Ethan studied her face for a long moment. Seeing that she wasn't ready to divulge the details, he decided not to push. Instead, he leaned against the railing and offered his perspective. "As a cop, we live by a specific rule. When we're working a case, we never draw conclusions just because someone 'seems' suspicious. People lie, but the evidence doesn't. If you want the truth, you have to dig for the clues and follow the trail."

Leilani turned to look at him. "And what if the evidence is undeniable?"

Ethan let out a dry, cynical chuckle. "Then what's there to hesitate about? You arrest the bad guy and let the judge throw the book at them."

His tone held the pragmatic, hard-edged realism of a seasoned detective. "Trust is fragile. Once it's shattered, there's no point in lying to yourself."

Still, Ethan's straightforward logic felt like a breath of fresh air, clearing some of the suffocating fog in her head. She turned to him, a faint, genuine smile touching her lips. "Thank you for dragging me out for a ride today, and for the free therapy session."

Ethan laughed, a warm, easy sound. "Don't mention it. Just buy me a burger next time."

He hadn't thought twice about bringing her along; he had originally been the one to invite her out to clear her head. He just hadn't expected his timing to be so impeccable, catching her right in the middle of an emotional spiral. He didn't mind playing the role of a sounding board.

As the night deepened, the temperature dropped sharply. A frigid gust of wind rolled off the water, and Leilani shivered, goosebumps rising on her arms.

Catching the movement, Ethan instinctively reached out and pulled the lapels of her jacket tighter around her. "You're freezing," he noted. "Come on. I'm taking you home."