Part 2Badge Unsealed

Seven years, and he looked almost the same.

A strong, righteous jawline; a lean, powerful frame.

He just spoke less now, burying his emotions deeper.

The silent red and blue lights flashed across the mountain road before the car stopped in a desolate field of withered grass.

It was the dead of winter, the ground frozen solid.

The first shovel strike just left a white scratch on the hard earth.

He took command of the scene.

"Use torches to soften the ground. The wind's strong, so widen the downwind perimeter by another twenty feet."

Rose emerged from a group of volunteers, unscrewing a thermos.

"Drink some hot water. Your voice is getting hoarse from all the shouting."

Sam took a sip, his voice softening. "What are you doing here?"

"It's crowded and chaotic. You should head home."

Rose rested her head against his shoulder, her voice filled with worry.

"I saw the trial."

"Do you think… it could be real?"

Sam let out a contemptuous snort but didn't answer. He just stroked her long hair, his fingers gliding from the crown of her head to the very tips, curling a strand around his finger.

Just like he used to do to soothe me.

Back then, both our fathers were detectives.

They worked together, went on missions together, and in the end, died in the line of duty together.

At the wake, I curled up in his arms, clinging to him as my only anchor. He held me tight, his hand stroking my hair, over and over, from root to tip, curling a strand around his finger.

We were inseparable after that.

We went to the police academy together, inheriting our fathers' badge numbers.

We weren't just partners with a shared purpose; we were lovers, fused together.

Before our wedding, my mom had said with tears in her eyes, "You rascal, you've stolen my daughter."

Sam wrapped his arms around me possessively.

"Not at all. You've just gained a son."

"Don't you worry, ma'am. I swear I'll never let Skye suffer a single day of hardship."

And he kept his promise.

When I wanted to dig into a cold case, he'd stay up for nights on end organizing files for me.

When I faced a gunman on a call, he threw himself in front of me without a second thought.

I couldn't handle spicy food, so this man who loved heat never touched a single chili pepper for years after we were married.

We thought nothing in the world was stronger than the bond between partners and lovers.

Who could have known?

Our relationship would be torn apart by a prostitute we rescued from a drug den.

I studied Rose's enchanting face.

It was hard to believe that in just a few years, she had transformed from a girl covered in the grime of the streets into this alluring, sophisticated woman.

I guess a woman’s tears are the ultimate weakness of a man with a steel heart.

After we rescued Rose, she started calling Sam in the middle of the night.

Crying about how she couldn't find a decent job, how everyone judged her for her past as an addict and a sex worker.

Sam’s heart melted in her tears.

Pity and sympathy bloomed in him like weeds in spring, impossible to control.

He brought her into our home, giving her his entire paycheck under the guise of a "cleaning fee."

I was left to cover all our household expenses, and money became incredibly tight.

I tried to fire her several times, but he always insisted.

"Skye, Rose is fragile. She's been through hell. We have to help her."

But over Sam's shoulder, I could see her eyes, fixed on me, gleaming with defiance.

I lost it. I grabbed her by the hair and dragged her out the door.

She clutched her scalp, her tear-filled eyes speaking volumes without a word.

And Sam—the man who had sworn to protect me with his life, my lover, my partner—raised his hand to me without hesitation.

The slap sent me reeling to the floor.

He cradled Rose's face, his thumb gently wiping away the tears at the corner of her eyes.

"Don't cry. I told you, no one will ever hurt you again."

Then he looked down at me, his voice cold.

"When are you going to get rid of that temper?"

"Rose is a victim, too. Does this behavior honor the badge you wear?"

But in this twisted triangle of betrayal, wasn't it the two of them who were tormenting me?

A thousand words caught in my throat.

In the end, I just silently packed my bags and moved into the precinct dorms.

Aside from work, we never spoke another word.

I knew, deep down, that nothing physical had ever happened between him and Rose.

I just couldn't stand it.

He was giving the tenderness that was once mine to another woman, while I was left to pay the bills.

We were at a stalemate for a long time.

Every day I would think, Maybe I'll make up with him tomorrow.

But the next day, the words would die on my lips, choked by the bitterness of it all.

Unfortunately, tragedy arrived faster than tomorrow.

I never got the chance to see him come back to me.

Instead, I made a shocking discovery.

Rose had a hidden connection to the very crime syndicate we’d been investigating for years.