Jennifer's POV
"Bro, I'm genuinely impressed with the way you dealt with those bullies!" Tina exclaimed, hooking her arm around mine before I could even react. Her excitement was impossible to ignore as she practically dragged me across the campus.
"Come on! I'll show you the canteen."
"You know, I'm not really hu-"
Before I could finish my sentence, I realized we had already reached the bustling cafeteria.
The place buzzed with conversations, laughter, the clatter of trays, and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee blending with the scent of fried snacks. Students crowded every corner. Some laughed loudly with their friends while others buried themselves in assignments despite the lunch break.
Tina leaned closer and lowered her voice.
"You see all those seniors?" she whispered, subtly gesturing around the room. "Or... bullies. Just ignore them. And whatever happens, don't tell anyone which year you're in."
I nodded quietly.
My eyes wandered across the crowded cafeteria until they suddenly stopped.
A boy stood near one of the tables, casually talking to a few friends.
Loose black T-shirt.
Baggy jeans.
Hands tucked comfortably into his pockets.
There was something effortlessly confident about him.
And strangely...
His face looked familiar.
"Wait..." I murmured under my breath.
Tina noticed immediately and followed my gaze.
"Handsome, isn't he?" she teased with a grin. "That's Kunal Kundra. Final-year student. Campus genius."
She folded her arms dramatically.
"Every girl here has a crush on him."
"No..." I replied softly, unable to take my eyes off him. "I think... I know him."
Tina blinked.
"You know him?"
I slowly turned toward her.
"On my first day... he helped me."
A small smile appeared on my face.
"I never even got the chance to thank him."
"He... helped you?"
She looked genuinely confused.
"I mean..." I frowned. "Why does that sound so unbelievable?"
She laughed.
"Because Kunal helping someone? Especially a stranger?"
She shook her head.
"That sounds more like a fairy tale."
"I'm serious."
Determination settled across my face.
"I'm going to thank him."
I took a step forward.
Then another.
But before I could reach him, three boys suddenly stepped into my path, blocking it completely.
One let out a low whistle.
Another folded his arms with a mocking grin.
"So..."
"Got that rich-girl attitude already?"
"You know who you're talking t-?"
A calm voice interrupted them.
"What's going on here?"
Every one of them stiffened instantly.
I looked past their shoulders.
Kunal.
He stood there with an unreadable expression, his hands resting casually inside his pockets.
One of the boys cleared his throat nervously.
"Sh-She punched our friend recently, so we were just..."
Kunal didn't even let him finish.
"Leave."
His voice remained calm.
Cold.
Unquestionable.
"She's mine."
Silence.
The boys exchanged nervous glances before backing away almost immediately.
"Let's go."
"Forget it."
Within seconds, they disappeared into the crowd.
I barely had time to process what had happened before Kunal caught hold of my wrist.
Without saying another word, he led me out of the cafeteria.
Past the corridors.
Past the classrooms.
Until we reached the quiet gymnasium courtyard, where only the distant sounds of basketballs bouncing echoed through the afternoon air.
I finally pulled my hand free.
"What was that?" I asked, still trying to catch up with everything that had just happened.
He raised an eyebrow.
"So that's how you greet the person who helped you on your first day?"
Heat rushed to my face.
"Well..."
I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly.
"Thank you... for that day."
A small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
"I thought you were planning to thank me on my graduation day."
"It's not like that..."
I laughed nervously.
"I just never got the chance."
He extended his hand toward me.
"I'm Kunal Kundra."
I smiled and shook it.
"Jennifer Fonseca."
After a brief pause, I added,
"But you can call me Jenny."
"Okay, Jenny."
For some reason...
Hearing my name in his voice felt strangely comforting.
The bell rang moments later, breaking the silence between us.
Without another word, we both headed back toward our respective classrooms.
The moment I stepped inside mine..
Every pair of eyes turned toward me. The room fell unusually quiet.
Confused, I walked over to Tina.
"What's going on?"
She leaned closer immediately. "Are you dating Kunal?"
My eyes widened.
"What? No!"
"I told you, he only helped me!"
Tina sighed dramatically. "After whatever happened in the cafeteria..."
She gestured toward the classroom.
"...everyone thinks there's something going on between you two."
"What?!"
I slapped my palm against the desk in disbelief.
The sharp sound echoed across the classroom.
Right on cue, the professor entered.
He adjusted his glasses before looking directly at me.
"What happened, Ms. Fonseca?"
My face instantly flushed.
"N-Nothing, sir."
The professor gave me one last suspicious look before beginning the lecture.
But I could still feel dozens of curious eyes stealing glances in my direction.
Rumors, apparently...
Present
Kunal's POV
The park looked almost too peaceful.
Children laughed as they raced across the open field, parents chatted on nearby benches, and the evening breeze carried the scent of freshly cut grass through the air. Birds chirped from the trees overhead while the occasional bark of a dog echoed somewhere beyond the walking trail.
To everyone else...
It was just another ordinary evening.
To us...
It was a crime scene waiting to happen.
Every member of our team was undercover.
Shruti had brought along her little cousin, perfectly blending into the role of a young woman spending the evening with family. The child happily looked at pigeons across the pathway, completely unaware that nearly every adult around him was an armed police officer.
Tanish wandered near the benches and swings, pretending to scroll through his phone while keeping his surroundings under constant observation.
Rhea sat alone on a bench with a novel in her hands. Every few seconds, her eyes lifted above the pages, silently studying the people walking past.
Naveen remained near the jogging track, dressed like an ordinary fitness enthusiast taking an evening stroll.
And Jenny...
She had positioned herself near the playground.
She stood beside the colorful slides, watching the children laugh as they climbed ladders, chased one another, and disappeared through tunnels.
A gentle smile appeared on her face.
She had always loved children.
A painful memory surfaced without warning.
She once told me she wanted a family.
Our family.
A small house.
A little garden.
Children running through the hallway while she complained that I spoiled them too much.
I swallowed hard.
Those dreams had belonged to another lifetime.
I walked toward the swings and quietly sat on one of them.
The chains creaked softly beneath my weight as I gently pushed myself back and forth, pretending to be nothing more than another visitor enjoying the evening.
In reality...
My eyes never stopped moving.
Every face.
Every conversation.
Every suspicious movement.
Nothing escaped my attention.
Then...
A man approached Jenny.
He looked to be around our age, dressed casually with an easy smile on his face.
He stopped beside her and said something.
Jenny laughed.
My eyebrows twitched.
"...What?" I straightened immediately.
The swing came to a stop.
My gaze locked onto them.
The man leaned slightly closer, clearly trying to continue the conversation.
I stood up.
Without drawing attention to myself, I slowly walked toward them, stopping just close enough to overhear while remaining hidden among the nearby trees.
"Seriously?" the man laughed. "You look way too young."
My jaw tightened.
What the...
He's flirting with her.
Jenny laughed again.
"Oh, come on..." she replied. "You're just saying that to make me feel better."
Wonderful.
Absolutely wonderful.
We're here to catch a serial killer...
...and this guy chooses today to audition as her boyfriend.
I exhaled slowly, trying to ignore the irritation creeping into my chest.
Then something nearby caught my attention.
A little boy slid down the playground slide, laughing happily before running back toward the ladder.
He couldn't have been older than five.
He wore a bright T-shirt featuring Loid Forger from Spy × Family.
Perfect.
I crouched down until I was at his eye level.
"Hey, buddy."
The little boy turned toward me curiously.
"Do you like police officers?"
His eyes immediately sparkled. "Yeah!"
"Spies?" He nodded enthusiastically.
"Superheroes?"
"YEAH!"
I smiled. "Well..."
I leaned in conspiratorially, "I'm a police officer."
His mouth slowly fell open.
"And I need your help with a very important investigation."
He gasped dramatically.
Exactly the reaction I was hoping for.
"If you go over there..."
I subtly pointed toward Jenny.
"...and tell her, 'Mom! Dad is calling you,' I'll personally give you a tour of our police headquarters someday."
The boy's eyes widened even more.
"Really?"
I nodded with complete confidence.
"Scout's honor."
Without another word...
The kid sprinted toward Jenny as fast as his tiny legs could carry him.
I folded my arms and waited.
Three...
Two...
One...
"Mom!!"
The little boy grabbed Jenny's wrist enthusiastically.
"Mom! Dad is calling you!"
Then he pointed directly at me.
Mission accomplished.
I couldn't stop the smug smile spreading across my face.
The man standing beside Jenny blinked in complete confusion.
"...Mom?" Jenny froze.
Her eyes slowly met mine from across the playground.
I could practically see the realization hitting her.
Then came the death stare.
She forced an awkward smile toward the stranger.
"I'll... be right back."
She walked toward me with slow, deliberate steps.
Every step looked more dangerous than the last.
The moment she reached me...
She folded her arms tightly across her chest.
"What?" she asked through clenched teeth, "are you even trying to do?"
I raised an eyebrow.
"What were you trying to do?"
She frowned.
"We're here to keep an eye on suspicious people."
I leaned slightly closer.
"Not entertain random men who decide to flirt with you, Ms. Fonseca."
She stared at me in disbelief. "And what exactly were you doing?"
"You just made me somebody's mother." Her eyebrows pulled together.
I shook my head.
"No."
Her expression hardened.
"I don't want you to be somebody's mother."
I paused just long enough to watch the confusion spread across her face.
"I want you to be my child's mother."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Jenny stopped breathing for a moment.
Her eyes widened.
Every trace of irritation disappeared, replaced by absolute shock.
For the first time in a long while...
Jennifer Fonseca had absolutely nothing to say.