Xavier's POV
Officer Hale and I walked down the hallway side by side, passing desks buzzing with activity, ringing phones, officers moving around carrying files like the entire damn city was on fire.
Typical police station energy.
I barely paid attention though, my mind was already on the Lucifer case, the mystery around him and on why the hell this assignment felt heavier than every other one I had taken before.
Hale finally stopped in front of a glass office near the end of the hallway and pushed the door open.
"Well, Detective," he said with a small smile, "this is your office. I hope everything is to your liking?"
I stepped inside slowly, eyes scanning the place automatically.
The first thing I noticed was that it was very spacious. Which is perfect because I hated cramped workspaces.
The furniture looked expensive enough, modern black desk, comfortable leather chairs, wall-mounted TV, small fridge tucked beneath a cabinet, document storage in the corner.
Perfect... it's clean, organized and professional. It's not bad at all, maybe even better than I expected but then my eyes landed on the walls.
Glass... two fucking walls were completely see-through.
Anyone walking past could look directly inside my office whenever they wanted and I immediately hated it... I valued privacy a lot and this right here, didn't feel private.
It felt like working inside a damn aquarium.
Still… The space itself was solid.
"Yeah," I said with a nod. "It's cool. Thanks, Officer."
Hale smiled slightly. "You can call me Sylvester."
I nodded. "Thanks, Sylvester."
"You are welcome," he replied. "I will let you settle in. If you need anything, just let me know."
"Will do."
And with that, he stepped out, closing the door behind him.
The second I was alone? I walked straight to the blinds and pulled every single one down.
Blocking out the curious eyes outside instantly... The office dimmed slightly and I finally breathed easier.
"Much better," I muttered.
Now this felt right.
I walked back toward the desk and dropped my bag down carelessly before unpacking a few things.
Some files from Chicago, laptop, personal notes and even some case reports I didn't trust leaving in the hotel room I lodged at last night when I arrived... Which reminds me, I need to find somewhere to stay, lodging in an hotel won't work.
I arranged everything neatly out of habit before finally sitting down in the chair and leaning back slowly.
Then silence hit again... Annoying silence that gave too much room to think and right now?
Thinking wasn't helping because despite my reputation, despite all the praise and headlines and bullshit... I had no fucking clue where to start with Lucifer.
No face, no confirmed identity and I doubt they had any evidence or leads to follow... Just whispers and bodies.
I rubbed my jaw slowly.
"This is going to be difficult," I muttered.
Which honestly only made me more interested because I loved difficult, I loved impossible task and I definitely loved proving people wrong.
Still… The quiet in the office was pissing me off.
So I grabbed the remote and turned on the TV mounted on the wall and instant noise filled the room.
"Better."
I switched to an entertainment news channel while sorting through some Chicago paperwork and soon, the music, celebrity scandals and movie gossip, all became background noise.
"What do we have here?" I murmured as I pulled out one if the drawer by the desk.
The anchorwoman voice pulled me out of my search as she appeared on screen looking way too excited for morning television.
"BREAKING ENTERTAINMENT DRAMA THIS MORNING!" she announced dramatically. "AWARD-WINNING RAPPER TITAN BLAZE IS OFFICIALLY BEING DRAGGED TO COURT BY HIS EX-GIRLFRIEND AND BABY MAMA, SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCER KENDRA LEIGH, AFTER SHE ACCUSED HIM OF SECRETLY FATHERING A SECOND CHILD WHILE STILL LIVING IN HER MANSION!"
I snorted immediately. "That's ridiculous."
The reporter kept going enthusiastically.
"SOURCES CLAIM KENDRA FOUND OUT AFTER THE ALLEGED SECOND BABY MAMA ACCIDENTALLY POSTED A FAMILY PHOTO FEATURING TITAN BLAZE HOLDING A NEWBORN WITH THE CAPTION... 'DADDY DUTIES.'"
"Damn." Messy as hell.
"AND IF THAT WASN'T ENOUGH," the anchor added, nearly laughing, "TITAN BLAZE REPORTEDLY SHOWED UP TO COURT WEARING A HOODIE THAT LITERALLY READ 'FREE ME.'"
I barked out a laugh.
"Damn," I muttered. "That's messy."
The story faded into another entertainment segment while I returned my attention to the documents spread across my desk.
Then... The next headline appeared and my entire world stopped.
"BILLIONAIRE SEBASTIAN MONTGOMERY, CEO OF MONTGOMERY INDUSTRIES, IS REPORTEDLY ENGAGED!"
My head snapped toward the TV so fast my neck nearly cracked.
"What?" My eyes widened. "Did she just say Sebastian Montgomery?"
The female reporter smiled brightly on screen.
"THE ELUSIVE BILLIONAIRE PROPOSED LAST NIGHT DURING A ROMANTIC ROOFTOP DINNER IN MANHATTAN TO HIS LONGTIME HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEART, SABRINA RODRIGUEZ."
"Oh hell no."
The screen shifted and there they were... Sebastián and Sabrina.
My brother was down on one knee and Sabrina standing in front of him in a black dress that hugged her body like sin itself.
Beautiful, fucking beautiful... Just like I remembered.
The footage kept rolling and I watched her saying yes, them hugging, kissing, smiling and fucking happy without me.
My stomach twisted violently.
"What the fuck?" I whispered.
I stood up slowly and walked toward the TV like getting closer would somehow change what I was seeing but it didn't.
It only made it worse because it was really them... Sebastián, my twin brother and Sabrina.
Jesus Christ.
I dragged a hand over my face slowly. "I can't believe this…"
My office suddenly felt too hot, too small and way too loud.
Seeing Sebastián again after four years should've been the shocking part but it wasn't, not even close.
The real shock? Was Sabrina, my childhood crush.
The girl Sebastián and I nearly destroyed each other over... She was the reason we stopped speaking in the first place.
The girl I never fully got over no matter how many women came after her and all this time? All these fucking years?
I was led to believe that neither of us had her. I thought we both lost but apparently not.
Apparently my dear brother had been living happily ever after while I walked around believing we both buried the past.
"Wow." I laughed bitterly under my breath. "I have been a fool."
A whole me, the almighty detective Xavier Montgomery has been nothing but a complete fucking idiot.
"So stupid…"
I stared at the screen again, jaw tight as I replayed the engagement video I had just watched in my head all over again.
Sebastián kneeling with Sabrina smiling softly at him, her touching his face and their stupid, lame ass kiss.
"Fuck."
My blood boiled so fast it scared even me because suddenly? None of this felt accidental.
I felt played, humiliated, betrayed and outsmarted. For the first time ever, I didn't feel like the smartest guy in the room.
"Fuck," I hissed. "I can't believe I was played."
The anger crawled up my spine slowly, and deadly.
Then I whispered the words before I could stop myself. "You are both going to regret this."
Before I could get over the nonsense I just finished watching, I heard a knock on the door. At first I ignored it as I tried to calm my breathing, then I heard the knock again, urgent this time.
I turned instantly, masking everything on my face before speaking.
"Come in."
The door opened and Sylvester stepped inside holding a file as I made my way back to my chair.
"This is the file on Lucifer," he said.
I took it automatically, then I frowned when I noticed it was just one file.
Really?
I mean, for a criminal supposedly running weapons, drugs, trafficking operations and God knows what else?
I expected mountains of paperwork, not this pathetic shit... I flipped it open briefly and it was thin as fuck, very thin.
"What about the rest of the files?" I asked sharply. "I need everything."
Maybe they decided to hand me what they considered important which was okay for some other detective but for me, I always started from the beginning.
There was no way I was relying on people's information, knowing people missed details when they rushed all the time... And I wouldn't be satisfied unless I verified everything myself.
Sylvester hesitated slightly.
"That's actually everything we have on him."
I stared at him shocked. "That's crazy. How could this be everything?"
"I really don't know, that's just all we have on him." He explained.
But honestly? That doesn't even matter right now, Lucifer wasn't what truly occupied my mind at this point.
Right now all I could think about was Sebastián and Sabrina... Their betrayal, the lies, the secrecy, the engagement and the life they built while I stayed away thinking the war ended years ago.
I closed the file slowly.
"Okay," I said flatly. "You can leave."
Sylvester nodded. "Alright. Let me know if you need anything else."
He turned toward the door.
Then I spoke again. "Hold on."
He turned immediately. "Yeah?"
I leaned back in my chair slowly. "Do you know any private investigators?"
Sylvester blinked once, probably surprised by the question.
"Actually… yeah," he said. "I think there's a retired cop here that turned private investigator."
Perfect.
"Fantastic. Can I get his contact?"
"I don't have it on me right now," he admitted. "But I will ask around and get it for you."
"Alright, do that."
"Sure thing." he said. "I will be right back."
"Thanks."
Then he finally left the office and the second the door closed, I pushed the Lucifer file aside carelessly, completely uninterested right now because honestly? Lucifer could wait a little longer.
What needed my attention was more pressing and more important than finding Lucifer... What really mattered right now was Sebastián and Sabrina.
Finding them, understanding what the hell happened and making them regret thinking they could outsmart me.
Especially her because Sabrina Rodriguez was never supposed to choose Sebastián over me and deep down?
I still couldn't accept that she did.