Lani limped toward her apartment, exhaustion weighing her down as she typed in her passcode.
Her head throbbed, and her nerves were still raw from the chaos of the day.
Just as she was about to step inside, her neighbor, Miss Clinton, stepped out of her apartment with that ever-present, sweet smile.
"Hello, Lani, what happened?" Miss Clinton asked, her eyes filled with genuine concern.
Lani, already at the end of her rope, snapped, "Look, Ms. Clinton, why don't you mind your business?"
The sharpness in her voice startled the older woman.
Miss Clinton's hand clutched her chest, but her calm demeanor remained. "Hey, no need to yell," she said gently.
Lani's frustration boiled over. "Jeez, you old bitch, will you just shut up!" she barked, kicking her door in frustration.
Today was spiraling into a disaster.
Miss Clinton blinked, taking a step back, but her eyes hardened as she spoke again, "Look, I just wanted to tell you that you're on the news. They say you robbed a bank."
"What?!" Lani froze, her heart skipping a beat.
Before she could process the information, the elevator at the end of the hall dinged, and Maverick, her boyfriend and partner in crime, burst out carrying bags in both hands.
"Baby, baby, my love, we need to leave now! The police are on their way!" he said, his voice low but urgent.
Lani's head whipped toward him. "What?"
"Oh yes, I called them," Miss Clinton chimed in, her voice dripping with satisfaction, a mischievous grin spread across her face.
"You bitch!" Lani roared, lunging toward her neighbor with murder in her eyes, but Maverick was quicker.
He grabbed her around the waist before she could reach the old woman.
"Baby, baby, we don't have time for this! We need to leave!" Maverick pulled her back, holding her tight.
Lani's breathing was ragged, her fury barely contained.
She struggled for a moment, but Maverick's calming presence grounded her.
He kissed her deeply, trying to soothe the storm within her.
Then, without another word, he grabbed her hand, pulling her into the elevator.
Inside, as the doors closed, Maverick began helping Lani with her disguise, pulling out a wig and sunglasses from his bag.
But his mind was racing. He looked at her suspiciously. "Baby, where's the money?"
Lani's stomach dropped. "What mo—" Her words trailed off as realization hit her like a truck.
"Shit!" Her hands flew to her head, panic setting in. "Shit, shit, shit!" She kicked the side of the elevator, her frustration boiling over.
"What, baby?" Maverick pressed, his brow furrowing.
Lani stood silent for a moment, her mind spinning back to the car—the prince's car.
"It's gone," she whispered, her voice hollow.
Maverick's eyes widened. "Gone? What do you mean, gone?"
"The money… I left it… in the prince's car," Lani admitted, her voice shaking as tears welled up in her eyes.
Her chest tightened with the weight of the loss, but before she could fully break down, Maverick wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close.
"It's okay, baby," he murmured, his voice soft and reassuring. "We still have a lot. I love you."
Lani buried her face in his chest, grateful for his support.
For five years, Maverick had been her rock, and now, even in this mess, he was still by her side.
The elevator dinged again as they reached the apartment lobby.
But as the doors slid open, they were met with a horrifying sight—a lobby full of police officers.
Lani froze. "Maverick..." she whispered, her heart hammering in her chest.
Maverick, always cool under pressure, grabbed her arm and whispered, "Just walk. Keep your head down. We've got this."
With Maverick leading the way, they stepped out of the elevator.
Lani's pulse raced, but she forced herself to move, putting one foot in front of the other as they walked past the officers.
It felt like every eye in the room was on them, but somehow, they managed to make it to the exit.
Just as they stepped outside and made it to Maverick's car, a familiar voice called out from behind them.
"There, there they are!" Miss Clinton screamed, running out of the building with a dozen officers in tow, pointing directly at them.
Lani whipped around, her fists clenched. "That bitch! I told you we should've dealt with her!"
But there was no time for anger.
Maverick jumped into the driver's seat, slammed the car into gear, and peeled out of the parking lot.
Sirens blared behind them as police cars gave chase, their lights flashing and sirens screaming through the busy city streets.
"Baby, they're catching up!" Lani yelled, glancing nervously in the rearview mirror.
Maverick didn't flinch.
He pushed the pedal to the floor, weaving expertly through the traffic, showing off his skills behind the wheel.
For hours, they raced through the city, narrowly avoiding capture at every turn.
But eventually, the police cornered them at the city's edge.
The car skidded to a stop as officers surrounded them, guns drawn.
"Don't touch her!" Maverick shouted as an officer yanked Lani roughly out of the car. "Hey! Get your hands off my girl!"
"Stop! You're hurting me!" Lani winced, kicking the officer in the groin with her sharp heels.
The man crumpled to the ground, groaning in pain.
Lani tried to run, but another officer grabbed her, slamming her against the car and slapping handcuffs onto her wrists.
In his penthouse, high above the city, Prince Arthur sat comfortably, watching the news on his large-screen television.
His eyes narrowed as a familiar face flashed on the screen—the woman from earlier, the thief who had dived into his car.
Beside him sat the bag of stolen money, untouched since Lani had left it behind.
Arthur's lips curled into a thoughtful smirk.
"Gregor," Arthur called to his ever-loyal bodyguard, who stood silently by the window.
"Yes, Your Highness?"
"Get me the chief of police."