Sharon woke up, her head pounding like a hammer was taken to it. She groaned and slowly blinked her eyes open, the room blurry at first. Her body felt heavy, the ache in her head making it hard to think. As she shifted under the sheets, something clicked in her mind she was naked.
Panic flooded her as she sat up quickly, noticing a man seated across from her in the chair by the window. He was casually leaning back, flipping through a file, completely at ease.
"AHH!" she screamed, grabbing the sheets and pulling them up to her chest, hiding beneath them. "Who the hell are you?!"
The man didn't even flinch. Instead, he looked up from the file, eyebrows raised in amusement. "Well, good morning to you too, sunshine."
Sharon blinked, trying to piece together her surroundings. Wait...this was her house. She scanned the room quickly, the memories of last night slowly creeping back. The drinking. The breakdown. The bath.
And then...
"Did... did you see me naked?" she asked, her voice shaky but filled with dread.
The man smirked, his grey eyes twinkling with mischief. "Technically, yes. But don't worry, I didn't look too long. I didn't want to make things weird."
Her face turned beet red as she pulled the sheets tighter around herself. "Weird? This is beyond weird! Who the hell are you, and why are you in my apartment?!"
Ignoring her outburst, the man got up and took a step closer, but not too close, keeping his hands in the air to show he meant no harm. "Relax, I'm Kaiden. I saved your life last night. You're welcome, by the way."
Sharon's eyes widened as she started to remember flashes of what had happened — the bathtub, the drowning. She felt her stomach turn with embarrassment and shame, but she wasn't about to let this random guy know that.
Still clutching the sheets, she quickly jumped out of bed, wrapping herself in one like a makeshift toga, and grabbed her gun from the nightstand. She pointed it directly at him. "Saved my life or not, explain why you're here before I shoot."
Kaiden chuckled, shaking his head. "Look, I'm flattered you think I'm bulletproof, but if I were here to hurt you, do you really think I'd be sitting here calmly with a file in my hand?"
She narrowed her eyes but didn't lower the gun. "You have ten seconds."
"Alright, alright." He held his hands up higher, still grinning. "So, you tried to drown yourself in the tub, and I heroically stepped in and pulled you out, naked and all, because I'm a stand-up guy like that. Then I called a doctor because, well, you had a fever, and unconscious women aren't really my thing. He said you'd be fine once the alcohol wore off."
Sharon's grip on the gun loosened slightly as her memory started to fill in the gaps. "I... I was really out of it, wasn't I?"
Kaiden nodded, giving her a more serious look now. "Yeah, you were. I wasn't sure you were going to wake up. And just for the record, you owe me some dry clothes. You were soaked."
She sighed, finally lowering the gun and leaning it against the bed frame. "Okay. So... I guess... thank you." Her voice was softer now, and the embarrassment was clearly eating at her. She couldn't believe what had happened.
He nodded, smiling again. "You're welcome, though you should probably stop trying to drown yourself. Doesn't really suit you."
Sharon shot him a glare, but she couldn't help the slight twitch of a smile on her lips. "Yeah, well, I'll try not to make a habit of it."
They sat in an awkward silence for a moment before Kaiden leaned back in the chair, crossing his arms. "Now that you're calm, I guess I should introduce myself properly. Kaiden Blackwood. I'm with the FBI, and I'll be the one investigating you."
Her eyes widened. "Investigating... me?"
He nodded. "Yep. That whole courtroom disaster? My boss wasn't exactly thrilled about it. And now, everyone thinks you're in bed with Mikhail Moretti, which, by the way, doesn't look great for you."
Sharon groaned, burying her face in her hands for a moment before looking back up at him. "So, you saved my life just so you could investigate me?"
"Well," he said, smirking again, "not just for that reason. You're also kind of a handful, and I wanted to make sure you didn't get into more trouble before I started asking questions."
She shot him a sharp look, but something in his tone made her realize he wasn't just mocking her. He genuinely seemed concerned. Still, the fact that he was here to investigate her was not helping her already fragile mental state.
"Great," she muttered, "just what I need — an FBI babysitter."
Kaiden chuckled. "Hey, I'm more of a cool, older brother type than a babysitter. Plus, it's my job to make sure this whole thing doesn't spiral out of control. So, let's work together, yeah?"
Sharon sighed, rubbing her temples. "Fine. But first... let me get some damn clothes on."
"Take your time. I'll be here," he replied, leaning back in the chair with a grin, clearly enjoying her flustered state.
She changed into a fresh set of clothes, a simple white blouse tucked into dark jeans, with her favorite leather jersey thrown over her shoulders. She sat back down on the couch, still feeling the weight of the previous night's events. Part of her wanted to offer Kaiden something to drink, but she figured it would only make him more comfortable, and that was the last thing she needed.
Almost as if he could read her mind, Kaiden raised an eyebrow and asked, "You're not going to offer me anything to drink? Water? Coffee?"
Sharon shot him a look, folding her arms. "Are you here for a tea party or an investigation?"
Kaiden blinked, taken aback by her sharp response, but quickly regained his composure. "Alright then, straight to business."
He flipped open a small notebook, pen in hand. "Let's start with the basics. What exactly happened in that courtroom yesterday?"
Sharon sighed deeply, her gaze dropping to the floor as she replayed the events in her head. "I was supposed to hand over the evidence files to the senior attorney. But... someone stopped me in the hallway. He was dressed like an attorney, and he handed me an envelope. Said the senior requested the files."
Kaiden nodded, scribbling something down. "Did you know the man?"
"No, I've never seen him before," Sharon answered honestly. "But he looked the part. I didn't think to question him... I just I thought I was doing what was asked of me."
"Did you look inside the envelope?"
"I did . There was a letter inside that requested I submit the file. When I was in the court room and tried to show the judge, it was gone."
Kaiden paused, staring at her for a moment. "Gone? Just like that?"
Sharon nodded, biting her lower lip. "I swear I had it. I checked my suitcase, and it wasn't there. I don't know what happened."
He frowned, tapping his pen against the notebook. "So you're saying you think someone took it from you? Stole it?"
"I... I don't know. I don't have any other explanation. One minute it was there, and the next it was gone."
Kaiden leaned forward, eyes sharp. "Do you remember anything else about the man? Any details at all? His face, his voice, something?"
Sharon closed her eyes, trying to recall. "He had dark hair... short. And he was wearing glasses, I think. But it all happened so fast. I didn't pay close enough attention. I was nervous, distracted."
He sighed, jotting down more notes. "Alright, we'll look into it. But I have to tell you something, Sharon, and it's not good news."
She looked up, her heart sinking as she braced herself. "What now?"
Kaiden closed the notebook and set it aside, his expression softening. "You're not going to be able to work on any more cases or even stand as an attorney or detective... not until Mikhail Moretti is caught."
Her face fell, and the words hit her like a punch to the gut. "What? No... No, you can't do this to me. I've worked my entire life for this. You don't understand."
"It's not my call. It's the firm's decision, and it's for your own safety too. Mikhail is dangerous, and right now, it looks like you're involved whether you are or not."
Sharon felt the world closing in on her. Her chest tightened, and tears welled up in her eyes. She had worked so hard, dreamed of carrying on her father's legacy, and now, all of it was slipping through her fingers. "I've disappointed him," she whispered, the tears falling faster. "I... I disappointed him. I can't live up to his name."
"Sharon..." Kaiden started, but she wasn't listening.
"Why didn't you just let me drown?" she cried, her voice breaking as her emotions spiraled out of control. "Why... Why didn't you let me go? I don't want to be here anymore... I can't handle this. I can't."
Kaiden's eyes widened in alarm as he quickly got up, dropping his notebook on the floor. He rushed to her side, kneeling next to the couch. "Hey, hey, stop that. Don't say that." He placed his hands gently on her shoulders, trying to calm her down. "Sharon, listen to me. You're stronger than this. Don't let Mikhail win by breaking you."
She sobbed into her hands, shaking her head. "I've lost everything... I'm a failure. I couldn't even do the one thing I was good at."
Kaiden's heart softened as he watched her fall apart. This wasn't part of the job, comforting people, but he couldn't just leave her like that. He pulled her into a hug, holding her tightly as she cried. "You're not a failure, Sharon. You're just going through a rough patch. It's not over yet, okay? You can still fix this."
His words seemed to have a slight effect, as her sobs quieted down, and she leaned into him for comfort. He wiped away the tears from her cheeks, his hand lingering for a moment longer than it should have. "Come on, you've had a rough day. How about we get out of here, grab a drink or something? It'll help clear your head."
Sharon sniffled, looking up at him with suspicion. "Is this one of your FBI tricks? Trying to get me drunk so I'll confess something?"
Kaiden chuckled, shaking his head. "No tricks, I promise. You've been through hell, and you need a break. Besides, you owe me a drink for saving your life."
She hesitated, but then shrugged. "Fine. I'm not doing anything else with my life right now anyway."
Sharon stood up and walked over to her closet. She pulled out a casual outfit, black skinny jeans and a simple grey sweater with ankle boots. She tied her blonde hair back into a loose ponytail, her eyes still red from crying, but she felt a little more like herself.
Kaiden smiled as he watched her. "You clean up well."
She rolled her eyes. "Let's just get this over with."