Lexie Matthews sat in her cozy Silver Lake living room, the late afternoon sun filtering through sheer curtains, casting a warm glow on her bookshelves and potted plants. Dressed in her police uniform, her blonde hair pulled into a loose ponytail, she sipped coffee, savoring a rare moment of calm before a grueling shift with the LAPD. Her green eyes scanned a crime novel, but her peace shattered when the front door burst open. Chloe, her 13-year-old niece, stormed in, tears streaming down her face, her dark hair disheveled.“I hate him!”Chloe sobbed, collapsing onto the couch.

Lexie’s heart clenched. She set her book down, her officer instincts kicking in.“Chloe, sweetheart, who?”she asked, kneeling beside her niece, her voice steady but laced with concern. Chloe’s sobs hiccupped as she choked out,“Isaac! He’s such a jerk! He keeps bullying me at school, calling me names, pushing me in the halls!”Lexie’s jaw tightened. Isaac, she knew, was the nephew of a criminal thug she’d dealt with repeatedly—a menacing figure with an extensive rap sheet. Of course, it’s his family, Lexie thought, her mind flashing to tense standoffs and his smug grin during interrogations. This kid’s learning from the worst.

She pulled Chloe into a hug, stroking her hair.“You’re safe here, okay? Tell me everything.”Chloe recounted Isaac’s cruelty—taunts about her clothes, shoving her against lockers. Lexie’s protective instincts surged, but so did her anger. This ends now, she vowed, her submissive side buried beneath her cop’s resolve. She knew confronting Isaac directly could escalate things, given his uncle’s influence. Instead, she needed to go straight to the source.

Lexie grabbed her phone, her fingers steady as she dialed his number.“We need to talk. Now,”she demanded, her voice cold, professional, leaving no room for argument.“Meet me at my place in an hour.”She hung up after giving him her address, not waiting for a response, and turned to Chloe, wiping her tears.“I’ll handle this, Chloe. You’re not alone.”

An hour later, as Lexie paced her living room having called in for a personal day, a sharp knock echoed from the front door. Her pulse quickened, but she squared her shoulders, ready to face the thug whose nephew was tormenting her niece."Come in we really need to talk."