Isaac's mind went completely blank—he couldn't think of any secret to confess.
But his body felt half-dead already. He knew he couldn't take another electric shock. So he decided to take the risk.
"We... we've worked with the gangs before!"
Jayden's eyes widened instantly.
What the hell was this guy doing?
Did he not understand what gangs were capable of? They'd kill your whole family without blinking!
He shouted furiously, "Isaac, you damn—! Some things you take to your grave, you hear me?! Shut the hell up!"
A faint flush of red surfaced on Isaac's dark face, barely noticeable. But he stood his ground.
"Damn it, if we keep our mouths shut, we're going to die here!"
"I've got a wife! She's pregnant with my kid! Do you want her to die too?!"
Isaac's face suddenly paled, as if he was about to say something else—but Cohen interrupted.
"White boy, shut it. It's your turn to talk."
Jayden stopped cursing, his eyes locked on Isaac with burning intensity.
"I told you earlier that you needed fifty grand to get promoted to sergeant. Truth is, it only cost thirty. I pocketed the other twenty."
Isaac's eyes bulged, the whites stark against his dark skin.
"You piece of—! We've been partners for five damn years, and you stole from me?!"
"You racist piece of trash! I knew it! You've always been a two-faced bastard!"
Isaac launched into another angry tirade. It wasn't until he paused to catch his breath that Cohen finally cut in.
"All right, tough guy. Your turn again."
Isaac panted heavily, then spat out the next truth:
"It's not just us—most of the officers in the 21st Precinct have ties to the gangs!"
Jayden threw his head back with a long, despairing sigh.
They were screwed. Completely screwed.
The gangs would never let them live after this—and the cops sure as hell wouldn't either.
Damn it. He never should've partnered with Isaac in the first place. That guy had no sense of self-preservation.
"Interesting," came Cohen's amused voice from the shadows.
"Your turn, white boy."
A surge of anger rose in Jayden's chest—but he wasn't ready to give up. Not yet.
Even if he was done for, he had to protect his family.
They'd confessed to so much already—maybe he could steer the next one in a safer direction. Something dirty, but not dangerous. Something that didn't involve the gangs.
He gave Isaac a sidelong glance, trying to nudge the conversation.
"Our captain from the 18th Precinct—Charlie—once took a bribe to cover up a rape case."
Yeah. That should do it.
Stick to internal police corruption. That way, at least the fallout wouldn't reach their families.
Police institutions were dirty, sure—but they still followed some rules. Some lines they wouldn't cross.
And besides, there was enough filth in the system to keep this game going for a long time.
This time, Cohen didn't even need to say a word.
Isaac jumped right in, following Jayden's lead like he'd been waiting for the chance.
"Yeah, I've heard about that too," he said coldly. "And I heard our captain has a mistress who's the girlfriend of a gang boss. Thanks to his help, that gang rose to power."
Jayden felt something inside him break.
He was done. Finished.
One thought repeated in his mind like a curse: If there's a next life, I'm never sharing a badge with that man again.
The longer he sat there, the angrier he became. If Isaac wanted to open the floodgates, so be it. Jayden would make sure it hit where it hurt.
He leaned forward, voice sharp and cutting:
"Remember when we first partnered up? I bought you a drink and introduced you to someone."
"Well, he wasn't really a friend. Just some guy I met at a bar. A gay guy, actually. You got wasted that night. When you woke up, you were all dry-mouthed and dizzy—"
Isaac froze.
His expression shifted into one of stunned disbelief. Then rage.
"I knew it!" he shouted, struggling violently against his restraints. "You sick bastard—I knew something was off! I'll kill you!"
The two erupted into a shouting match, exchanging insult after insult, the kind that would make a drill sergeant flinch. The air crackled with fury, years of resentment spilling out all at once.
And then—
A calm voice, slow and deliberate, cut through the chaos:
"Five... four... three…"
The countdown sobered them instantly.
Isaac knew what it meant. It was his turn.
And this time, he wasn't just going to confess.
He was going to hit back.
Isaac licked his lips, a cruel smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"Jayden... I—damn it—I slept with your wife."
Silence fell like a thunderclap.
Jayden narrowed his eyes, disbelief written across his face. Then he let out a sharp, humorless laugh.
"Your revenge is too obvious," he scoffed. "Come on, that's pathetic. You better think of something more believable—unless you want us both to get shocked again."
A voice drifted from the darkness—calm, indifferent:
"Your turn, white pig."
Jayden stiffened.
His voice trembled slightly as he tried to laugh it off. "He's lying. You looked into us, didn't you? You checked—he's lying!"
The room fell into a strange, unsettling stillness.
Across from him, Isaac grinned. His teeth gleamed in the low light, sharp against his dark skin. There was cruelty in the smile, and something victorious too.
Then came the voice again, unhurried, unwavering—Cohen:
"I did investigate. Which is why... it's your turn now."
Jayden turned to the shadows, then to Isaac, confusion spreading across his face like a fog. This couldn't be happening.
That's when Isaac leaned in, his voice soft, slow, intimate:
"My dear Jayden… I wasn't lying.
The truth is… it was mutual."
"I know you like her in black lace," Isaac said with venomous glee. "And she—she likes… being on all fours."
"God damn it!"
Jayden lunged at him, snarling, fists swinging wildly.
Isaac only laughed, unbothered, relishing the chaos.
His revenge had reached its peak.
A high-end French restaurant.
After a series of pleasant and measured conversations, Bryan Kim suddenly fell quiet, as if weighing something heavier than the moment allowed.
He reached up, adjusting the cufflink on his wrist out of habit.
Vanessa's eyes narrowed slightly. "That cufflink… it means something to you?"
"Yes," he nodded. "It belonged to my father. It's all I have left of him. Wearing it… is my way of remembering."
He paused, his voice softening.
"Whenever I think of him, I remember my childhood… and then my dreams. And eventually, this city."
Vanessa tilted her head, puzzled. "What do they have to do with each other?"
"As a child," he began slowly, "I witnessed the darkness in human nature. And when I grew up, I saw even more.
I used to think the world was simple… that this city was simple. But it isn't."
He looked down for a moment, then smiled faintly.
"But I love this city. Deeply. Reshaping it—that is my dream."
There was a silence between them.
Then his eyes flicked to the bag at Vanessa's side.
"You brought a gun?"
Vanessa froze, then slowly nodded. "It's dangerous here."
Bryan Kim sighed.
"That's exactly what I wanted to talk to you about. It is dangerous here."
He glanced out the window.
"This city… it's overrun with gangs, riddled with chaos, poisoned by lawlessness. What it needs—desperately—is order. Real order. Firm, unyielding order."
Vanessa hesitated. "That day… Devil Face said you were…"
Bryan Kim pressed his lips together.
"I've lied to many people in my life. But I don't want to lie to you."
"I'm afraid it's exactly what you think it is," Bryan Kim said quietly.
He took a deep breath.
"In the past, I've hurt many people. In the future, I may hurt even more."
His eyes didn't waver as he looked at Vanessa.
"But I don't take pleasure in it. In fact, it causes me pain."
He leaned forward, his gaze sincere and steady.
"Everything I've done—everything I will do—is for this city."
"Look at the police. Useless. They can't protect the people. In fact, they've become shackles on the very system they claim to uphold."
"But I—" he placed a hand over his heart, "—I will break those shackles. I will give this city a rebirth."
"I will create new laws. A new order. And everyone will live under that order."
"This city was once glorious. Now it has fallen into ruin. And only I can save it."
Vanessa was stunned. She stared at Bryan Kim in disbelief, the weight of his words silencing her.
He reached across the table and gently took her hand, his eyes softening.
"With me," he said, "you'll never need that gun again."
Vanessa hesitated. Slowly, almost reluctantly, she picked up the silver pistol from her handbag, a sleek weapon designed for a woman's grip, and handed it to him.
A faint smile curved across Bryan Kim's face.
"So… you've made your choice," he said gently.
"Are you ready to step into my world?"
Vanessa bit her lip, then gave him a small, bashful smile.
"Yes. I think I am."
Clap, clap!
Bryan Kim brought his hands together in a slow, deliberate applause.
In an instant, the quiet hum of the restaurant was broken by the synchronized scrape of chairs and the sound of every diner rising to their feet in unison.
All the surrounding "diners" rose silently to their feet and exited the restaurant in perfect order.
It was only then that Vanessa realized—with a jolt of surprise—that there had never been any real customers at all.
Or rather, there had only ever been two.
Bryan Kim took her hand and led her toward the floor-to-ceiling windows.
"I arranged a fireworks display for you," he said softly. "I think you'll love it."
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