---
Title "The Judge's Dilemma"
The Morning Attack
The morning sun rose quietly over the city as Judge Donna drove to work, lost in thought. Her mind raced with the weight of a difficult decision, should she declare an innocent man guilty, despite knowing the truth?
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a black SUV swerved in front of her, forcing her car to a screeching halt. Before she could react, masked men leaped out, and one of them stabbed her brutally in the stomach. Pain overwhelmed her as she tried to resist. They slashed her tires, ensuring she couldn't escape, then disappeared, leaving her bleeding and alone.
---
Judge Donna woke in a sterile hospital room, disoriented and in pain. Her memories flooded back, the masked attackers, the stabbing, and then a horrifying realization struck her.
"The governor tried to murder me," she whispered, panic rising.
She reached under her pillow, searching for her phone, but instead found a note. The chilling message read:
"Why do you keep resisting? Do you prefer risking your life, Miss Donna? Do the needful, or I'll be forced to send you to a place of no return. Hope your injury doesn't hurt much. Hahaha."
Terror clenched her chest. It was the governor. Just then, a knock echoed at the door. She froze, clutching her pillow like a shield.
The door creaked open. Two of her coworkers entered, followed by a tall man in a dark suit, Detective Charles.
"Oh my goodness, what happened, Your Honor?" asked Mr. Jackson as he stepped closer.
Donna quickly hid the note beneath the sheets. She couldn't drag them into this. Not yet.
"I don't remember much," she lied. "Just masked men. I couldn't see their faces."
Detective Charles nodded. "Understood. When you're better, I'll ask some follow-up questions. For now, we'll place guards outside your door for protection. I'm Charles, by the way. I was assigned to your case, it's no coincidence a judge was targeted."
"Thank you," Donna said with a forced smile.
As the others offered well wishes and left to fetch food, I stayed with her..
"Ma'am, I heard about the incident at the court and wanted to see how you're doing. I'm so sorry. I hope you recover quickly," I said, sitting beside her.
"Thank you, dear. You're Daven, right?"
"Yes ma'am. You remember me?"
"I do. Just needed to be sure."
"So… what really happened?" I asked gently.
Donna smiled, exhaling slowly. "It's a long story, Daven. But thank you for caring. You didn't have to come all the way here."
"I don't mind. Helping people like you makes me think of my mother. She was in a helpless situation once… and she didn't make it. I couldn't save her. But if I can help someone now, I will."
"I'm sorry for your loss," she said kindly.
"It's okay. Just focus on getting better."
"Well, maybe when I recover, I'll treat you for your kindness," she smiled warmly.
"No need. I didn't do this for any reward."
"I insist," she replied with a light laugh.
Just then, the doctor entered. "Ah, I see you're awake. Let's do a check-up."
As I stood to leave, the doctor asked, "Oh, are you her husband?"
"No!" Donna and I both said quickly, slightly flustered.
"She's my boss," I clarified, smiling as I left, our eyes meeting once more before the door closed behind me.
---
The Governor's Threat
Elsewhere, in the governor's private garden, Virgo stood before the man himself.
"It's done, sir. As you ordered," Virgo said.
The governor exhaled smoke slowly, narrowing his eyes. "You made sure she got the message?"
"Yes, she'll comply," Virgo replied confidently.
"You better be right. If she doesn't... it's you who goes down, not me."
As the governor turned and walked away, another operative approached Virgo. "He's losing patience. What will you do?"
Virgo's expression hardened. "I won't go down. I have it under control."
....
The Visit
I stood in front of her door, hands slightly trembling, heart racing like a runaway train. For a moment, I just stared at the wooden frame, as if it held the answers I'd been searching for these past few weeks. A dozen thoughts swirled through my mind like leaves caught in a storm. Should I go through with this? What if I'm not ready? What if she's not ready? What if I make things worse?
I exhaled slowly, trying to release the tension that had built up in my chest. I told myself this wasn't just about me, it was about making things right. Still, doubt whispered in my ear, telling me to turn around, go back home, forget I ever made this plan. But I couldn't. Not this time.
I took one hesitant step forward and raised my hand to knock. Before my knuckles could meet the wood, the door creaked open. And there she was, Lexy. Her eyes widened the moment she saw me, shock and a flicker of something else, maybe caution, maybe hope, flickering across her face.
"Daven?" she asked, her voice a mixture of surprise and curiosity. "What are you doing here?"
I didn't answer right away. Instead, I pulled out the single rose I had hidden behind my back. It wasn't much, just something simple. A peace offering. A symbol. Something to break the ice. I handed it to her, and a small smile curled on her lips as she accepted it. That smile, God, I had missed that.
"Can I come in?" I asked softly.
She nodded, stepping aside, and I walked into her sitting room, but everything felt different. Like there was an invisible wall between us that I had to climb if I wanted to reach her again.
We sat down, the silence between us stretching like an elastic band ready to snap. I couldn't take it anymore. I leaned forward, elbows on my knees, and the words just spilled out.
"I didn't mean for things to go the way they did last time," I began, my voice shaky, raw. "I've been beating myself up about it ever since. I can't forgive myself. Please... please don't shut me out."
Lexy shook her head, gently, like she was trying to shake away the weight of what I'd just said.
"It's alright, Daven," she said quickly, her voice low but steady. "I don't want you to dwell on that. I just... wasn't ready. And honestly, I felt like we were still getting to know each other. Things were moving a little fast."
I looked down, nodding slowly. She was right. I had let my emotions take the wheel and crashed headfirst into what could've been something beautiful.
"Yeah," I said. "You're right. It's a gradual process. I guess I got ahead of myself. But I'd really like to start over, with you. I mean it, Lexy. I like you. A lot. And I want to really know you."
For a long second, she just looked at me. And then, with that same soft smile, she leaned forward and hugged me. Her arms around my shoulders, her warmth, her scent, it was like I had found something I didn't realize I'd been missing.
I held her close but careful, trying not to overstep again. My heart screamed to kiss her, to close the gap between us completely, but I held myself back.
Stop this daven, I told myself. Don't rush it. Don't ruin it.
We sat there like that for a while, just holding each other. Eventually, she pulled back and looked at me with curiosity in her eyes.
"So... how's work? Actually, now that I think about it, you never really told me what you do."
Her question caught me off guard. My throat tightened a little. I had always felt a little embarrassed about my job, not because it wasn't honest work, but because I wasn't sure how someone like Lexy would see it. Truth was, I was a gatekeeper. And yeah, I knew how that sounded.
"I, uh..." I hesitated, rubbing the back of my neck. "I actually lost my job. I was working as a bodyguard, but... yeah. Things didn't work out."
"Oh no," she said, her brow creasing in concern. "I'm sorry to hear that. What's next for you then?"
I shrugged, trying to sound more confident than I felt. "Still job hunting. Looking for something decent, you know, something that pays enough to keep the lights on and the fridge full."
She nodded slowly. "You'll find something. I'm sure of it."
I smiled, grateful for the encouragement. Then I gently changed the subject.
"How about your dad? Is he okay?"
Her face fell slightly, and she looked down at her hands. "He's still in the hospital. The treatment's ongoing, but we can't move forward with the transplant until I have the full amount. It's... hard."
A quiet sadness filled the room like smoke. I reached out and gently placed my hand over hers.
"He's going to be alright," I said firmly, maybe more to reassure her than myself. "We'll find a way. I promise you, Lexy, we'll find a way to help your father."
For the first time that night, she looked at me like she truly believed it.
And in that moment, I realized something.
This visit wasn't just about mending a mistake. It was the beginning of something new. Maybe even something real.