Chaos and shock swept through social media and the press after the murder of a prominent figure was reported. At the crime scene, cameras flashed endlessly while reporters shouted over each other, desperate to capture a word, a shot—anything that could give them the scoop.
---
Police Department
Inside the bullpen, the atmosphere was completely different. Some officers worked on reports, others handled their cases, while Sam, Luca, and Michael sat laughing as if they were on a picnic, not in a police station. Nearby, Natalie sat in frustration, exhaling sharply every now and then at their noise.
Suddenly, the office door opened. Frank stepped out, Nicholas just behind him. Silence fell immediately as everyone rose to attention, waiting.
Frank's voice was curt and sharp:
"We have a new case… and this one isn't like the others. The media is screaming about it already."
He paused, then continued:
"Daniel Carter, the famous swimmer, age 34, was found murdered in a training center—two days before his competition."
His eyes landed on Natalie and Nicholas.
"You two will handle this case. I expect focus on the job… not childish fights."
a wave of shock rippled through them both. They had heard Frank's decree, that working together would be their punishment—but neither truly believed he would go through with it. And yet, here they were, sentenced to the cruelest fate imaginable: each other.
Nicholas's cold eyes met Natalie's fiery glare, an unspoken challenge sparking in the narrow space between them. The air seemed to crackle, heavy with silent threats and promises neither dared to voice.
beside them, Michael, Luca, and Sam struggled to stifle their laughter. It was obvious to everyone in the bullpen that this assignment would be more than just a case—it would be a battlefield.
"I give it three days before one of them kills the other," Luca whispered under his breath, smirking.
"Three days? You're too generous. I say two," Sam chuckled, elbowing him.
Natalie's jaw tightened at the sound, and Nicholas caught her reaction, his lips twitching into a half-smile. Their colleagues weren't wrong—
Working side by side wasn't just a punishment—it was a ticking time bomb.
Frank's tone sharpened as he gave his final order.
"I want your full commitment to this case. Treat it with the seriousness it deserves."
With that, he turned on his heel and walked back toward his office.
---
Elsewhere, in front of one of the city's most famous swimming centers—a place that had once hosted countless competitions—chaos reigned. People rushed in every direction, cameras flashing, reporters shouting, and others trying to push their way inside.
Police officers stood firm at the entrance, struggling to hold back the crowd as they stretched the familiar yellow tape across the scene, sealing off the crime area.
The police car pulled up, followed closely by two others. Stepping out were Nicholas, Natalie, Sam, and Luca—the team assigned to a case that had, overnight, become a matter of public outrage.
They moved forward in a straight line, Natalie at the center, all heading toward the entrance of the swimming center. Their presence alone was enough to send a chill down anyone's spine. The expressions on their faces were unreadable—cold, harsh, or simply disciplined—but together, they carried an intimidating aura.
For a brief moment, the chaotic press fell silent. Reporters who had been shouting questions and cameramen who had been rushing for angles froze in place, watching them. But the silence lasted less than two minutes before the frenzy erupted again, the journalists hurling questions like bullets in every direction.
Reporters swarmed the team the moment they stepped out of the cars. Microphones were shoved forward, cameras flashing nonstop, and voices clashed in a desperate storm of questions:
"Is it true Daniel Carter was murdered?"
"Do you have any suspects yet?"
"Was it personal or professional?"
Natalie lifted her hand, trying to cut through the noise. Her expression was sharp, controlled, though the chaos pressed in from every side.
"No comments for now. We'll release an official statement once the investigation begins."
"Detective! Just one question—was he killed here, in the training center?" another reporter shouted, almost tripping over a colleague to get closer.
Nicholas's lips curled into a half-smile. His voice carried a teasing coldness that somehow silenced part of the crowd.
"You'll know the answers when we do. Until then, I suggest you save your energy."
The tension between his calm arrogance and Natalie's strict professionalism only fueled the frenzy. Questions grew louder, overlapping, until the officers formed a line to push the press back.
Without another word, the team advanced. Side by side, their synchronized steps, stern faces, and the sheer weight of their presence cut through the chaos like a blade. For a brief moment, the crowd fell into silence, watching them stride toward the swimming center doors like soldiers walking onto a battlefield.
Then the shouting resumed, louder than before. But by then, Nicholas, Natalie, Luca, and Sam had already disappeared inside.
__________
Inside the swimming center, chaos reigned in a different way. The bright lights from the press outside didn't reach here—only the flickering flashes of police cameras documenting the scene. Yellow tape stretched across the entrance, officers standing guard to block anyone from sneaking in.
The air was heavy, thick with chlorine and dread. Whispers of disbelief carried among the staff who had been evacuated, some still in their uniforms, pale and shaken.
Nicholas and Natalie exchanged a brief glance before stepping under the tape. Luca and Sam followed, their footsteps echoing in the tense silence.
The body of Daniel Carter, the champion swimmer, lay near the pool, covered with a white sheet. Even though his face was hidden, the gravity of his loss hung in the air. Around him, evidence markers dotted the tiled floor like scattered fragments of a puzzle waiting to be solved.
"Welcome to the spotlight," Nicholas muttered under his breath, his voice low, but Natalie caught it. She shot him a sharp look, her jaw tight.
This wasn't just another murder. This was the kind of case that could define their careers—or destroy them.
The officers approached the body, with Nicholas, Natalie, Sam, and Luca at the center of the investigation while other policemen spread across the swimming hall, searching every corner.
Nicholas was the first to step closer. He pulled back the sheet covering Daniel Carter's body, and the sight made them all recoil. Deep stab wounds scarred his flesh—one large gash at the back of his neck, and countless others scattered across his torso. It was grotesque, unbearable to look at. Luca quickly moved forward and covered him again, his face pale. Even the memory of the sight made his skin crawl.
Luca leaned toward Nicholas, who still stared intently at the corpse, his eyes sharp, his mind racing.
"God… that's a horrible way to die. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy," Luca muttered, his voice trembling.
"Then clearly, someone hates him more than you've ever hated anyone," Nicholas replied dryly, almost mocking, before crouching again to study the body more closely.
Natalie soon joined him, her gaze locked on the corpse as Sam and Luca spread out with the other officers to continue searching the center.
Nicholas glanced sideways at her, intrigued by her focus.
"Something on your mind?" he asked, his tone low but curious.
"I don't know," Natalie admitted softly, her calmness tinged with unease. "But something about this feels… off."
Nicholas nodded slightly. "I feel it too. These wounds—there are too many. It's impossible this is just a simple murder." He pulled the sheet back again, examining the body more carefully.
"Of course the body will go to the coroner," Natalie replied, shifting the sheet further to reveal more injuries. "They'll confirm the number of wounds and give us a full report."
Nicholas smirked. "Brilliant observation, Sherlock. I completely missed that," he teased, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He was about to add another jab when Natalie froze—her eyes fixed on something near the victim's foot.
There, lying beside the body, was a single black rose.
"What the hell is that?" Sam's voice rang out as he and Luca returned after confirming the rest of the center was empty—and that the murder had taken place far away from any surveillance cameras.
"It's a flower, genius," Luca shot back, smacking Sam's shoulder with a smirk.
"Really? Surrounded by detectives, and I get stuck with the comedians," Nicholas muttered, already reaching for the rose with his gloved hand. But as he picked it up, a sharp thorn pierced through the fabric, cutting his finger. He hissed in pain, dropping the rose back onto the tiles.
Natalie bent down swiftly, lifting it herself with more caution. Her eyes narrowed as she studied it closely.
"It's a black rose. Rare. Full of thorns. The variety is called Halfeti ."
But before she could say more, both she and Nicholas noticed something else—words scrawled faintly on a card tucked beneath the stem.
The message read:
"This is only the beginning of my revenge."
A chill ran through them both. The case had just turned into something far darker than they'd imagined.