Jam's POV
I collapsed onto the concrete, sweat dripping down my face as exhaustion finally caught up with me. There was a cut on my arm from a knife graze, but I barely felt it anymore. This… this was easily the most brutal fight I'd ever gone through as a cop.
Luis walked over and dropped down beside me after talking to the chief.
"Santiago and Leo have already been taken to the hospital," he said. "Eron… didn't make it."
He pulled out a pack of cigarettes and offered me one, but I shook my head. He lit one for himself instead and exhaled slowly, the smoke disappearing into the air.
"What about Dr. Smith?" I asked after a moment.
He glanced at me. Now I knew the truth—the mayor I used to trust had been secretly watching over us this whole time. Trust really is a complicated thing. I lowered my gaze as Jenna crossed my mind.
"He's been arrested. With the evidence we have, he won't be seeing freedom ever again."
I stared blankly ahead.
"And… Jenna?" I asked quietly. "Where is she?"
Luis smirked slightly and nodded toward the left.
I followed his gaze—and there she was, talking to the chief. I stood up without thinking. She noticed us, excused herself, and started walking over.
"Still mad at her?" Luis murmured.
I didn't answer. I just watched her.
When she stopped in front of me, we locked eyes. She took a deep breath, one hand tucked in her pocket.
"Vergo," she greeted.
I said nothing.
"Alright… I'll leave you two," Luis said casually before standing up and walking away.
Silence settled between us.
After a few seconds, she let out a quiet sigh.
"I'm sorry…"
I looked at her.
"I should've told you and Santiago about the mission," she continued.
"Mission?" I repeated.
She moved closer and sat beside me.
"I really am a Madrigal, Jam. But I ran away back in high school. I couldn't accept what my family was doing… so I left."
"So Elena and Eron are your siblings?" I asked.
She shook her head.
"No. I was one of the kids they took from an orphanage. Madam Felin liked me, so they adopted me into the family."
I frowned. "Then what mission are you talking about?"
She inhaled deeply.
"When we got assigned to the Madrigal case, the Chief already knew my background. He offered me a deal—to go back and act as a spy. At first, my 'brother' didn't trust me, so I handed over all the information we had… and destroyed it in front of him. That's how I earned his trust."
I blinked. "But—"
"Luis had copies of everything," she added.
"Luis knew?!" I said in disbelief.
She nodded.
I let out a breath. "So it was just me and Santiago left in the dark…"
"I'm sorry," she said softly. "Only Luis and the Chief knew. We had to make it believable—that I really betrayed you. But after what happened to Santiago… I can't help but feel guilty."
I reached for her hand.
"You did what you had to do," I said. "You risked everything—even your past—for this case. Santiago will understand."
She gave a small laugh.
"That explains why Luis didn't look surprised when he saw you," I added. "You two really played me."
She laughed again, this time a little more freely.
Then my eyes shifted to the road. The police were escorting a woman—Angel.
"Who's that?" I asked.
"Angel. One of my brother's most trusted people," Jenna replied.
I nodded.
"I'll take it from here," I said.
I walked over and signaled to the officers. "I've got her."
I grabbed Angel by the arm and led her to my car.
"Get in."
She raised an eyebrow at me.
"I said, get in."
"Where are you taking me? If you try anything—"
"Relax. Headquarters," I said with a grin.
"Seatbelt."
"I'm handcuffed!"
"Tsk. Move."
As I leaned over to fasten it for her, I suddenly realized how close we were.
Too close.
My heart skipped.
"What are you staring at?" she snapped.
"Nothing!"
"Do you want to grab something to eat first?" I asked.
She rolled her eyes. "Do you like me or something?"
"What if I do?" I smirked.
She looked away—and somehow, that made me smile even more.
---
Luis' POV
The moment I saw Jenna, I walked straight to her.
"Where's Jam?" I asked.
"He left ahead," she said.
I nodded.
"Congratulations… mission accomplished."
She nodded back.
"Let's eat," she said.
"You're hungry?"
She nodded. "I'll just inform the Chief—"
"No need."
She grabbed my hand and started pulling me along.
"Let's go."
I froze for a second.
"What?" she asked.
"You're really doing this?" I said.
She smirked. "Isn't this what couples do?"
Then she looked at me.
"Did you forget? I told you I'd say yes after the mission. It's over now… so yeah."
A smile slowly spread across my face.
I tightened my hold on her hand, stepped closer, and playfully messed up her hair—
—and together, we walked away.