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Chapter 6 Injured by a Kitchen Knife

Henry slammed the phone down and bolted out the door, driving like a madman for forty-five minutes to Whispering Pines Village. By the time he got there, the standoff was over, and Wren was a mess, bawling her eyes out in the village office.

"Ms. Smith, I'm so sorry! I've lost it. I just can't deal. Terry might be wrong, but he's still his brother!" Wren sobbed.

Olivia gave Wren a comforting pat on the back. "The law will deal with him, Wren. You still have your own life to live, and you have kids."

Wren's sobs only got louder. William stayed in the car, too freaked out to come out. When he saw Henry, it was like a lifeline.

"Mr. Phillips, thank God you're here!" William blurted out.

Henry glanced at Nash in the back seat and gave William a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Stay put and don't come out!"

William felt a bit miffed. Why couldn't he get out of the car?

Outside the office, a crowd had gathered. Seeing Henry in his police uniform made the villagers a bit uneasy.

It wasn't their fault; Henry was tall and imposing, with a stern face that could make anyone nervous without saying a word.

Olivia had managed to calm Wren down and turned to the mayor of the village. "Please take care of Wren and her family. We won't press charges for today's incident," she said.

Henry pushed the curtain aside and walked in. The sight that greeted him made his blood boil.

Olivia's hair was a mess, her police uniform draped over her shoulders. Her face was scratched and bloody, and her white sweater underneath was stained with blood. One of her arms was in a sling.

Henry rushed over and took off her uniform jacket. Seeing her arm still bleeding, he felt like he was going to lose it.

"Not press charges? This is assault!" Henry suddenly shouted, making Olivia jump.

Seeing Henry's furious expression, Olivia bit her lip. Henry was scary when he was mad!

"Mr. Phillips, Wren just acted out of shock. I can choose not to press charges," Olivia said.

"Do you have to be dead before you press charges, Olivia? What are you thinking?" Henry shot back.

Olivia felt helpless; Henry was being unreasonable.

"Mr. Phillips, I'm the victim here. As long as I don't press charges against Wren, this can be mediated. The mayor of the village have agreed to keep an eye on Wren. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone, the monitoring period can be lifted in half a month. I'm following the rules and not showing favoritism!" Olivia explained.

Henry was fuming. He really wanted to give Olivia a piece of his mind, but seeing her still-bleeding arm, he took off his coat and wrapped it around her.

"Wren, Terry is dead, but that doesn't mean you can use it as an excuse to lash out at others. I'll have someone take your statement this afternoon, and then decide whether to put this on your record. You should know that a blemish on your record will affect your kids!" Henry said sternly.

Wren nodded, kneeling and repeatedly apologizing, "I'm sorry. I won't do it again, I swear!"

Henry ignored Wren's apologies, scooped Olivia up, and headed outside. Olivia was momentarily stunned, and it wasn't until they were outside that she began to resist.

"I can walk on my own," Olivia protested.

Henry shot her a cold look, and Olivia immediately clammed up. Seeing her pale face, Henry felt even worse.

As they left the village office, cops from the nearby town's station showed up. Henry told them to educate Wren and find someone to help William take Nash back to the Emerald City Police Department's Detective Units. Then he drove Olivia straight to the hospital.

Olivia's injuries were bad. The knife wound was deep, needing eighteen stitches. She was also shaken, realizing she could have easily died.

Thinking about Henry's anger, Olivia got why he was so mad.

Lying in the hospital bed after getting bandaged up, Olivia hesitated for a long time before apologizing to Henry. "I'm sorry, Mr. Phillips. I know I messed up. I shouldn't have let my emotions cloud my judgment. It's all my fault!"

Olivia was still in her hospital gown, her long hair down. She was already thin, and the gown looked huge on her. Henry studied her for a moment, then looked at the scratches on her face, his eyes darkening.

"I'm glad you realize your mistake, Olivia. Remember, you're a cop first and a woman second. There are no gender distinctions in the role of a detective, which makes it tougher for women. That's one of the reasons I don't accept you. Once you're healed, I'll talk to Mr. White about transferring you to another department. The Detective Unit isn't the right fit for you," Henry declared.

With that, he turned and left. His broad frame and buzz cut made him look even more rigid. Olivia, sitting on the bed, watched him with a complicated expression.

He wasn't entirely unfeeling; he was just not good with words. He was right; being a detective was dangerous for a woman. However, it was Olivia's lifelong dream.

Nash was taken to the interrogation room and quickly spilled everything.

"Terry and Nash were working with a guy from Harmony City named Russell. Five months ago, Russell asked them to kill someone for $100,000. They tried twice but failed," William concluded.

"Who was the target?" Henry asked William.

"A man named Wesley Jones. They tried to stage a car accident twice but failed both times. Nash also confessed that the body found in the repair shop well was his brother, Terry," William reported.

"Why did Nash kill Terry?" The officers present were puzzled. They were hired to kill someone, but why did Nash end up killing Terry?

"Because they couldn't kill Wesley, Russell said if they wanted the $100,000, they either had to kill Wesley or one of them had to die!" William explained.

So, for the money, Nash ended up killing Terry. It was a frustrating outcome.

Henry told William to contact Wesley, while he bought food and went to the hospital.

When Henry walked in, Olivia was surprised. "Mr. Phillips, what are you doing here?"

"Don't you want me here?" Henry snorted.

Olivia quickly shook her head, and Henry's expression softened a bit.

"Mr. White asked me to take care of you. Your injury is partly my responsibility. I didn't anticipate the danger of this mission, so it's only right for me to look after you. You don't need to feel pressured!" Henry said.

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