"Name?"
The police officer sitting across from Lunessa asked without looking up, fingers tapping against the keyboard as she filled in the report.
Despite the firm tone, Lunessa just stared blankly at the back of the monitor.
Her hair was a mess. One side of her cheek was visibly swollen, the skin flushed and tender. Faint scratch marks ran along her neck and chin, red against pale skin.
"Miss," the officer said again, louder this time. She knocked on the table sharply. "I asked for your name."
Lunessa blinked.
"Lunessa," she replied hoarsely.
She fumbled for a moment before slowly taking out her identification card and sliding it across the table.
The officer finally looked up.
"Where did you steal the card from?"
Lunessa rolled her eyes upward, then looked straight at the officer. A long, tired breath escaped her.
"I told you," she said flatly. "It's mine. Julian gave it to me."
A loud laugh erupted from behind her, sharp and mocking.
"Did you hear that?" the woman snapped, already rising from her seat, her movement aggressive enough that Lunessa instinctively tensed.
"Miss Maria," another officer said quickly, stepping in and blocking her path. "I'm asking for your full cooperation. This is a police station."
Maria scoffed but allowed herself to be guided back. She dropped onto the sofa, crossing her arms and legs with deliberate ease before leaning back.
"I've already called Mr. Hale Senior," she said coolly, eyes locked on Lunessa. "You'll know your fate soon enough." Her lips curled, "Lying through your teeth like that so easily… How impressive."
Lunessa didn't respond. She just stared at the desk in front of her, jaw tight, fingers slowly curling into her palm.
"Miss Lunessa, you need to call your guardian to come here…" the officer said, still tapping on her keyboard. After a few seconds, her eyes flicked up, looking at Lunessa. "Or you can call Mr. Julian Hale, if what you're saying is true."
The word might not have sounded harmful if Lunessa hadn't seen the officer's expression.
But when their eyes met, she caught the subtle smirk, enough to tell her that the officer didn't trust her words either.
Lunessa lowered her gaze to her sling bag.
Her phone was inside.
So was the card.
The mess that had started all of this.
'Should I really call him?'
Julian Hale.
They barely knew each other. No proper relationship. No clear label. If anything, they were strangers tied together by money, convenience, and a system she never asked for.
'Strangers with benefits', she thought bitterly. "Tskk, where is the benefit…" she muttered under her breath.
Her fingers brushed against the phone through the fabric of the bag.
Calling him meant dragging him into this. Not calling him meant sitting here and letting everyone decide she was a liar.
The officer waited, clearly in no rush.
Lunessa slowly pulled out her phone. Suddenly thinking of something.
"Officer, can I call my guardian and talk over there?" She stood up.
The officer nodded lightly, "Sure, as long as you are still inside."
Lunessa pressed her lips and nodded, "Okay, I will call my guardian then."
She walked to the end of the corner and held to her ear, eyes lowered, as if gathering courage.
"Hello," she said softly.
Her lips barely moved as she continued, voice low enough to sound like a private call.
"GD," she murmured. "Do you have any way to get me out of this mess?"
The hologram didn't appear.
Instead, text scrolled silently across her vision.
[YES]
[SYSTEM UPDATE: NEW FEATURE UNLOCKED.]
Her breath caught.
She kept the phone pressed to her ear, nodding faintly as if listening.
"What kind of feature?" she whispered.
The text refreshed.
[BUT YOU CANNOT USE IT YET.]
[AFFECTION LEVEL HAS NOT REACHED 10%.]
Her brows furrowed in immediate dissatisfaction.
"What do you mean by affection level?" she whispered sharply. "I've never heard of that before. You never told me."
The reply came without hesitation.
[CURRENT TARGET'S AFFECTION LEVEL TOWARD HOST: 5%.]
"Five?!" Her voice rose before she could stop herself.
She quickly lowered it, glancing around, then scoffed in disbelief.
"Seriously?" she muttered. "With that little affection, and he already asked me to sleep with him?"
She rolled her eyes, irritation creeping in.
"I guess that's how men are," she said quietly. "No love needed at all."
For the first time since the system appeared, she felt more insulted than scared.
"Then what do you suggest I do now?" she muttered.
Her gaze dropped to the floor. She nudged the toe of her shoe against the tiles, a small, restless motion that betrayed how cornered she felt.
She was tired.
The text appeared again.
[CALLING THE TARGET WOULD BE THE BEST SOLUTION.]
Her jaw tightened.
"Call him?" she whispered.
She lifted her head slowly, fingers curling around her phone.
'If I call him,' she thought, 'that means I'm asking for help again.' Her grip tightened. 'And help from him means I owe him again.'
The thought sat heavy in her chest.
She hated how clear the trade was. No affection, no concern. Just transactions stacking quietly one after another, waiting to be collected.
Lunessa let out a slow breath and leaned her forehead briefly against the cool wall.
"I really don't have a choice, do I?" she murmured.
The phone felt heavier in her hand than it should have.
"Are you delaying?" Maria's sharp voice cut through the room.
Lunessa straightened slowly.
She lowered the phone from her ear and turned back, her expression blank, exhaustion settling deep into her bones.
"No," she replied quietly. "I'm calling."
Maria let out a cold laugh. "Go ahead. Let's see who you're pretending to call this time."
Lunessa didn't answer.
Her thumb hovered over the screen for a second longer than necessary.
In the end, she pressed his number and waited for the line to connect.
It rang for a few times until his voice could be heard from the other line.
"Hello."
Her breath caught.
"Hello… it's me," she said quickly. "Hmm… Are you free at this—"
"Mr. Hale, did you just arrive?"
The voice cut in sharply, probably from the officer.
Every head turned, including Lunessa's.
Her words died in her throat.
"Mr. Hale?" she whispered.