𝐀𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐨

Rain drummed against the windows of the Chicago Police Department, filling the air with the scent of coffee and wet paper. I had only been transferred there a few weeks ago, still feeling a little out of place among the seasoned detectives.

But there was one person who made my presence feel… seen — Adriano Blake, Chief of Police. Tall, broad-shouldered, every inch of him radiated command. His uniform was always perfectly pressed, his dark hair slicked back, his jawline sharp as if carved from stone. And those eyes — steel-gray, piercing, unreadable. When they landed on you, it felt like he could see everything.

He was calm, collected, intimidating… but sometimes, when our eyes met for a second too long, I could swear there was something else hidden there. Something he was fighting to keep buried.

Everything was running smoothly — until that day. “Chief, the new officer’s here. Detective William Blake, from the criminal unit.”

The door opened, and in walked a man with a confident grin and striking green eyes.

Later, I learned he was Adriano’s cousin.

From the very beginning, William was friendly — too friendly. Joking, helping me with reports, flashing that easy smile that made everyone feel comfortable.

What I didn’t know was that every one of those smiles was quietly igniting something in Adriano — something dangerous, something he never let anyone see.

That night, as I was leaving the precinct, I heard his deep voice behind me. “Officer. Hold on.”

I turned. Rain still poured outside, and Adriano stepped closer, his wet hair glistening under the dim streetlight. “William’s been hanging around you a lot lately,” he said, his voice low, calm… but there was a weight beneath it. “Just— be careful.”

His tone wasn’t anger. It wasn’t command. It was something else entirely — a quiet, burning jealousy he couldn’t admit… not yet.