Chapter 3: Painful Truths

On a cold morning, the sky was filled with heavy clouds that seemed to carry all the sorrow in the world. Maya felt that sorrow weighing down her heart as she stood in front of the bathroom mirror in her home, staring at her reflection. Her eyes were tired from lack of sleep, and her thoughts were muddled, caught between her duty as an officer and her responsibility as a daughter.

She hadn't been able to sleep all night, her mind occupied with thoughts of her mother and the recent conversations they had. Her mother's trembling voice still echoed in her mind, that tone full of worry and fear as she begged her to leave the narcotics unit and return to a normal life. But deep down, Maya knew that leaving the unit wasn't an option.

At the same time, Creek was planning his revenge on Maya for what had happened with Alex. He knew that if he exploited her weakness, he might be able to hurt her more deeply than with mere words. In that moment, he decided to take a step that could change everything. Creek quietly slipped into Chief John’s office and took his phone, calling Maya’s mother.

After hours of waiting, Maya returned home to find her phone flooded with missed calls from her mother. She knew something was wrong. When she called her mother back, the response she received was strange, choked, as if the air wasn’t reaching her lungs. “Maya, why didn’t you tell me? Why are you hiding that you’re in the narcotics unit?” The words were heavy and full of reproach.

Maya felt a coldness creeping into her heart. “Mom, I... I’m sorry, I didn’t want you to worry about me.” She tried to explain, but her mother had already hung up, leaving her in a state of panic and anxiety.

She returned to the unit the next day, wearing a face devoid of any expression, but everyone could sense the tension in the air. Everyone knew what had happened, especially after Alex arrived at the office with a set of photos and files he had asked Maya to review. He didn’t know that she would stumble upon her painful past, upon her father’s murder.

Maya entered the records room and began sifting through the old files. She knew that time was passing slowly as she desperately searched for any information linking those people to the crimes committed by her father's gang. But deep within those files, she found one she had been avoiding her whole life—the file that contained everything about the mission in which her father lost his life.

She began to read, and with every word, the weight on her heart grew heavier. The details of the murder, the gang's plans, the betrayal her father had suffered at the hands of one of his teammates. Anger and sorrow rose within her like a volcano on the verge of eruption. She couldn’t hold back the tears any longer, and they burst forth as she lost track of time.

Hours later, Alex came to the records room to find her in that state. He knew exactly what that file meant to her. But he couldn’t help her. He felt helpless, wishing he could do something to ease her pain.

Everyone returned to the office after lunch to find that Maya had also returned. Her face was pale, her eyes red, but she tried to mask her pain behind a facade of coldness. Creek wanted to joke with her about her lost time, but he held back when he saw her harsh expression.

Alex called her into his office and tried to talk to her about the time she had spent away from the office. His tone was stern, but it hid his genuine concern for her. Despite everything, Maya couldn’t stop herself from responding harshly, accusing him of trying to take revenge on her for the coffee incident. She knew her words were unfair, but he was the only one she could unleash her anger on.

After their argument, Maya left the office feeling more distant from everything and everyone around her. Little did she know that the worst was yet to come.