Sofia stood off to the side, her palms slick with sweat.


    When the officers reached the living room, they spotted the fake documents scattered everywhere. One of them bent down, picked up a file, flipped through a few pages, and then eyed the two water sses sitting on the coffee table. His expression grew even more serious.


    "What are these documents?" Frank asked, lifting one of the fake agreements as he looked at Sofia.


    Her heart skipped a beat. She nced at the coffee table, quietly cursing Nathaniel. He''d left in such a hurry he hadn''t even bothered to take the evidence with him.


    “That''s... just some old paperwork from a project at work," she managed. "It''s useless, I just haven''t gotten around to throwing it out yet."


    Frank didn''t push further, but he gave her a long, searching look.


    After more than half an hour of searching every corner of the apartment, the officers came up empty. There was no sign of Nathaniel.


    "Captain, there''s no trace of the suspect," one of the officers reported.


    Frank''s brow tightened. He had been sure Nathaniel was hiding here. How could he just disappear? He turned to Sofia, watching her carefully. "Ms. Meyer, you''re certain Nathaniel hasn''t been here?"


    "I really don''t know him. Why would hee here?" Sofia replied. Her eyes darted away for a split second, but her voice sounded steady.


    Frank stared at her for a while, looking for any hint of a lie, but her face gave nothing away. Finally, he told the team, "We''re done here."


    The officers packed up their gear and filed out of the apartment. Frank paused at the door before leaving. atth


    He nced back at Sofia, his voice serious "Ms. Meyer, if you remember anything, or notice anything strange, you need to call us right away. And just so you know, hiding a fugitive is a crime."


    "I understand, officer," Sofia said quickly, nodding. Relief flooded through her as she watched them go.


    As soon as the hallway was clear, she closed the door and leaned against it, breathing hard. Sweat soaked her back. Her legs gave out and she slid down to the floor, fighting to catch her breath.


    Meanwhile, over at the military hospital, Matthew rushed Derek into the emergency room, practically holding him up as they moved.


    "Doctor, please, he''s badly hurt!" Matthew called out, his voice tight with worry.


    The medical team moved fast, lifting Derek onto a gurney and wheeling him into the trauma room.


    "Family members, please wait outside," a nurse said before the door closed.


    Matthew was left standing in the hallway, staring at the glowing red light above the door. Guilt twisted in his chest Derek was only here because of him. If not for him, Derek would still be living a normal quiet life, not lying in an emergency room fighting for his.


    He leaned back against the wall and rubbed his forehead, feeling the fatigue catch up to him. His own body still hadn''t fully recovered, and the chaos at the factory had teft him exhausted. His chest ached, but he couldn''t bring himself to leave. He needed to wait for news.


    Minutes ticked by, every second stretching out. The only sounds were the distant hum of machines and footsteps echoing down the corridor. Eventually, the red light above the trauma room flickered off.


    A doctor stepped out, peeling off his mask. He looked tired, but his voice was calm. "He''s out of immediate danger. He has a lot of injuries, and he''s severely dehydrated and malnourished. He''ll need time to recover, but he''s stable now."