Hearts Divided: A Mafia Love Triangle Volume 1

Chapter 11 - Scarlett

I wasn't in my best condition, but I had to at least appear presentable. The fact that the police had me on their radar as a possible accomplice of Cain and Blaze was causing me immense stress.

As the two officers led me outside, the older one paused to speak with Kristopher. I shifted my focus back to the phone in my hand, which was buzzing again. It was a message from Tiffany, one of the few colleagues I had spoken to at work besides Inferno Knight. I had asked her to grab my bag and other belongings for me. After everything that had happened, I knew it would take some time for it all to sink in and I didn't want to have to go back for my bag later.

Detective Carter, who had introduced himself earlier, was still trying to engage me in conversation, but my mind was elsewhere. It kept replaying the subtle glance between him and Kristopher, making me question if I was overanalyzing. The sudden quietness brought me back to reality, and I turned my attention to the blond man standing in front of me. My eyes then shifted to Cain's car parked nearby, a seemingly random spot for it to be.

I refocused on Detective Carter, who was observing my actions with caution. The door of the coffee shop swung open once more and the veteran officer stepped out, seemingly unaware of Cain's presence. Detective Carter gave me a subtle signal to indicate that he wasn't going to inform the older cop about Cain's presence. Before I could ask for an explanation, Tiffany suddenly appeared from the car parked next to us.

"There you are! I was getting anxious", she said, quickly making her way towards me and giving me my bag. "What's going on? Why does the police need to talk to you?", she persisted with her questions.

With a smile, I thanked Tiffany and took the bag from her hand.

"I'm not entirely sure, but hopefully I'll find out soon," I replied.

I could hear her voice asking me more questions, but I was no longer paying attention. My focus shifted to Cain, who was about to enter the coffee shop's back entrance and looked back at us. The way he gazed at Tifanny grabbed my attention, igniting a strong feeling of jealousy within me. I couldn't understand why he would look at her with such intensity. To me, she was an unremarkable woman with nothing special about her. Her wardrobe consisted only of neutral colors, and she wore the same makeup every day, making you think that she did not remove it the night before. Her sandy blonde hair was always styled in curls, a look I had seen her wear since I started working here.

But what did she possess that I lacked? What was it about her that captivated Cain so intensely, leaving me unnoticed and ignored?

Not having answers to any of these questions drove me insane. It was becoming increasingly apparent that my feelings for him ran much deeper than I had initially realized. I couldn't explain why I felt so envious when he gazed at her. We had no real reason to pretend to be a couple if he actually liked Tiffany.

Conflicting emotions churned within me as I watched Cain stroll into the coffee shop.

"Scarlett, are you even paying attention?" Tiffany's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

My mind snaps back to the present as I turn my attention towards her.

"Oh, sorry about that. My mind was elsewhere. What were you saying again?"

"I offered to speak with Inferno Knight on your behalf," she reminded me. "He had already left when you called."

I expressed my gratitude for her assistance and assured her that I would call him back at a later time. It was not the right moment for her to speak with him, and I couldn't reach out to him since I didn't have all the details yet

I entered the police car calmly, but my mind was racing with questions about why I was being involved in this situation. As we made our way to the station, I felt my phone buzzing multiple times - it was Cain, trying to reach me. I ignored his calls, but he sent me a few messages, asking for an explanation. Annoyed, I rolled my eyes and put my phone away in my bag. I had no interest in talking to him. If he truly cared about me, he wouldn't have wasted time staring like that at Tiffany.