SHE

CHAPTER 3

Tyler Madison's apartment was in a high-end part of town, but its opulence did little to disguise the air of disarray. The door was slightly ajar when Olivia and Ethan arrived, a sign that something was amiss. They exchanged a glance and drew their weapons, cautiously entering the apartment.

Inside, the place was ransacked. Papers and electronics were strewn across the floor, and the faint smell of burnt plastic lingered in the air.

"Tyler!" Olivia called out, her voice echoing through the silent rooms. There was no response.

"Check the rooms," Ethan whispered, motioning towards the hallway.

They moved in tandem, systematically clearing each room. In the last room, they found Tyler, unconscious but breathing, slumped against a desk. Olivia quickly checked his pulse.

"He's alive," she said, relief in her voice. "Call for an ambulance."

Ethan nodded and stepped into the hallway to make the call. Olivia looked around the room, noticing a laptop with a cracked screen and a set of documents hastily stuffed into a drawer. She pulled them out, her eyes widening as she scanned the contents.

Ethan returned just as Olivia finished. "Ambulance is on its way. What did you find?"

"These documents," Olivia said, handing them to him. "They detail a series of transactions and emails that link Charles Madison to a larger criminal organization. Tyler must have found out and was trying to piece everything together."

Ethan's face darkened as he read through the papers. "This explains why Charles was so paranoid. He wasn't just a victim of corporate rivalry—he was a whistleblower."

The ambulance arrived, and paramedics tended to Tyler. As they wheeled him out, Tyler stirred, opening his eyes briefly.

"Detectives," he mumbled, his voice weak. "I was getting too close...they came for me..."

"Who, Tyler?" Olivia asked urgently. "Who did this to you?"

Tyler struggled to focus. "The...organization...Angela...she's involved..."

With that, he slipped back into unconsciousness, leaving Olivia and Ethan with more questions than answers.

Back at the precinct, they compiled everything they had learned. Angela Reed wasn't just a business rival; she was connected to a larger criminal network that Charles had discovered and threatened to expose.

"We need to bring Angela

in for questioning," Ethan said, his jaw set. "If she's involved, she might know who else is part of this organization and who actually killed Charles."

They drove back to Angela Reed's office, determination fueling their steps. When they arrived, they found Angela sitting calmly at her desk, as if expecting them.

"Detectives, what a surprise," she said, her voice dripping with false sweetness.

"Ms. Reed, we need you to come with us for further questioning," Olivia said, her tone firm.

Angela's eyes narrowed. "On what grounds?"

"We have evidence linking you to a criminal organization that Charles Madison was investigating," Ethan replied. "Tyler Madison confirmed your involvement before he was attacked."

For a moment, anger flashed across Angela's face, but she quickly masked it with a smirk. "Alright, I'll cooperate. But you're making a mistake."

Back at the precinct, Angela maintained her composed facade during the interrogation. However, as Olivia and Ethan pressed her with the evidence they had collected, cracks began to show.

"You think you know everything," Angela sneered, finally losing her cool. "But you have no idea how deep this goes. Charles was a fool. He thought he could take us down alone. Now look where he is."

"Who else is involved, Angela?" Olivia demanded. "Who's running this operation?"

Angela leaned back, her eyes gleaming with a dangerous light. "You won't get anything out of me. But if you keep digging, you'll find out soon enough. Just be careful, Detectives. You don't want to end up like Charles."

With Angela in custody, Olivia and Ethan returned to their office, the weight of her words lingering in the air.

"We need to protect Tyler," Olivia said. "He's still in danger, and he might have more information that can help us."

Ethan nodded. "Agreed. And we need to go through those documents thoroughly. There must be more clues about the organization's hierarchy and their operations."

As they pored over the files late into the night, the connection between their work and their personal feelings became more evident. The gravity of the case brought them closer, their trust and reliance on each other deepening.

"I can't believe how far this goes," Ethan said, breaking the silence. "Charles was brave to try and expose this, but he needed help."

"Now it's up to us," Olivia replied, her resolve steely. "We'll finish what he started."

Their investigation led them to a series of shell companies and offshore accounts, meticulously piecing together the web of deceit. They discovered that Angela was just a small part of a much larger network, with ties to various illicit activities across the city.

One evening, as they were about to call it a night, Olivia's phone rang. It was the hospital.

"Detective Bennett? Tyler Madison has regained consciousness and is asking for you and Detective Carter."

They rushed to the hospital, where Tyler, still weak but alert, was waiting for them.

"Detectives," he said, his voice raspy but determined. "I remember more. Angela isn't the mastermind. There's someone else—someone powerful. They call him 'The Architect.'"

"Who is The Architect, Tyler?" Ethan asked urgently.

"I don't know his real identity," Tyler admitted. "But I know where you can find more information. Charles kept a secret journal in a safe at his house. It has everything he uncovered."

With this new lead, Olivia and Ethan knew they were close to the truth. They thanked Tyler and promised to keep him safe, then headed to Charles Madison's house.

In the quiet, darkened home, they found the safe hidden behind a bookshelf. Using the combination Tyler had given them, they opened it and retrieved the journal.

As they flipped through its pages, the full scope of the conspiracy came into view. Names, dates, transactions—Charles had documented it all. And there, at the heart of it, was a name: William Harper, a powerful businessman with a clean public image but a dark secret life as The Architect.

"We've got him," Olivia said, a fierce light in her eyes. "This ends now."

With the evidence in hand, they prepared to take down William Harper and dismantle the criminal organization. As they stood together, ready to face whatever came next, Olivia felt a sense of certainty.

"Ethan," she said softly, "whatever happens, I'm glad we're in this together."

He smiled, squeezing her hand. "Always, Liv. Always."