Chapter 369 - 369: 'Sorry' Is Not Enough

Today was Monday. Everyone was back to the office. Team Alpha Cinco couldn't help but feel the gloomy ambiance inside their Chief's Office. Though Erick was acting like there's nothing wrong, his silence was quite frightening for his team. It seemed like he shut himself once again in his own world, building an invisible wall that stopping others from entering his personal space. They couldn't figure out what was happening to him. He kept changing his mood. One day, he was cold. The next day, he was eager and enthusiastic about solving their case. And now, he was very calm and unusually quiet, his face void of any emotions. They were also reluctant to approach him. The team didn't know how they would deal and communicate with him without being awkward. The aura emanating from him was quite intimidating. "Hey, Bryan, what's wrong with Chief Lee? Why is it he is acting strangely once again?" Carl couldn't help but ask the person closer to Erick. "How I wish I also know the answer." Bryan mumbled as he heaved a frustrated sigh. "I think it has something to do with Elle's version 2.0." June blurted out of the blue. Everyone averted their gaze to June and asked him in unison. "Elle's version 2.0?" June shrugged his shoulders at them and said, "Who else? It's Miss Aliyah Ross who happened to be James Arison's fiancee. What a great coincidence, right? We have small world after all!" "Uh oh! Spraking of the devil, she's here!" Rose exclaimed upon seeing Elle through the glass door of their office. She was now approaching the main door. "Guys, behave! Watch your mouth!" April said while giving everyone a warning look. June: "Understood, Ma'am!"  Carl: "Yes, Ma'am!" Allen: "Noted!" They mumbled almost at the same time. Rose just winked at April while Bryan nodded at her. "Good morning, officers!" Elle greeted them as soon as she entered their office. "Good morning!" "Good morning too, Miss Ross." "Hi Ali!" Everyone greeted her back with a wide smile. "Is Chief Lee here? Can I see him?" Elle asked the team. Everyone exchanged glances with one another, asking who would respond to her. Would she be alright meeting their moody Chief today? "Chief Lee is inside his office. He is quite busy but don't worry, I'll let him know that you are here. Just wait here for a while, Miss Aliyah." Bryan was the one who spoke up. Elle just nodded and said. "Oh, alright. By the way, just call me Ali or Aliyah, sergeant. Miss Aliyah is too formal." Bryan smiled and agreed on her before he entered Erick's office. Once inside, Bryan saw Erick flipping some doc.u.ments while alternately looking at his laptop screen and those doc.u.ments in his hand. "What do you need, Sergeant Velasquez?" Erick asked him, without glancing at Bryan. "Aliyah Ross is outside, Chief Lee. She's wondering if she could talk to you today. Are you available? Should I call her now, and let her in?" Bryan asked Erick carefully. He was observing Erick's reaction. Upon hearing the name Aliyah Ross, Erick paused for a moment. Complicated emotions flashed in his dark brown eyes but he managed to conceal them in an instant. His face became expressionless and unreadable once again. One second… Two seconds… Three seconds… Until the seconds became a minute, Bryan didn't get any response from Erick. He stood there feeling awkward while Erick continued flipping the doc.u.ment. "Chief Lee?" He called out once again. "What is it?" Erick responded nonchalantly. "I said Aliyah is here. Maybe she wants to talk about Catseye's case. Should I let her in?" Bryan asked him again. Erick stopped what he was doing and gazed up to meet Bryan's eyes.  With his glazed expression, Erick said to him, "I'm about to leave. I am visiting Vello and De Dios, today. If she is just here to talk about Catseye's case then I have no time to accommodate a reporter today. I am busy."  Erick's voice was firm and cold enough to send shiver through Bryan's spine.  Bryan was clueless. He said that because what he needed was an explanation from her. He didn't want to talk about anything else. Erick felt like he was betrayed. He was tired of this 'Lying Game'. If she won't talk about the truth then there's no reason for them to meet. As of now, Erick couldn't bear to see her because he would just feel miserable.  His aching heart could not afford to receive another big blow nor another lie from her, or else, Erick would completely lose himself. If that happened, then he didn't know what he would do anymore. He needed to protect his remaining sanity. Meanwhile, Bryan was tongue-tied at the moment.  He felt like he was in the middle of two colliding rocks. After his long silence, Bryan finally found his voice. "Okay Chief. I'll tell her that you don't want to see her." Erick shot him a cold stare after hearing that. 'Oops! That was just a slip of the tongue!' Bryan mumbled to himself anxiously as he met Erick's threatening gaze. "Hehe… I mean… I'll tell her that you can't see her because you are busy. Yeah, you are BUSY." Bryan said sheepishly, trying to redeem himself before Erick. "Why don't you go now, Chief Lee. I thought you were going to visit De Dios and Vello?" Bryan said. 'Leave now and make your excuse true and believable.' Bryan thought to himself while waiting for Erick's response. However, before Erick could say another word, Elle suddenly entered the office. A deep frown appeared on Erick's handsome face the moment he saw Elle. He clenched his fists, trying to calm himself. He was not ready to see her. On the other hand, Bryan looked at Elle with disbelief. How could she just enter without asking permission? Bryan could now feel the heavy air surrounding them. The atmosphere was filled with tension. '[email protected]! Why do I feel like I want to flee right away and leave these two in order to save myself.' Bryan started to have cold sweats all over his body. "Miss Ross, don't you know how to knock? Or do you understand the word 'asking permission first'?" Erick said to her with his stone cold voice. Elle was taken aback by Erick's distant tone. She knew she shouldn't be doing this but she couldn't help herself. She just wanted to see him. Elle lowered her gaze and said, "I'm sorry. Should I go out again and knock? Or since I already did it, can I just apologize and ask for your forgiveness, Chief Lee?" 'I'm sorry, Erick. Please forgive me about what happened last Saturday.' That's what Elle truly meant by apologizing to Erick. Erick closed his fists tightly once again. "When you made a mistake, or shall I say when you've hurt someone or you've been wronged, sometimes just saying or hearing, "Sorry," is not enough." Erick said to her meaningfully. Silence. The room was engulfed by silence after Erick said those words. Elle had no words to refute that. Just saying 'Sorry' couldn't fix everything. Bryan was just quietly darting his eyes back and forth between Erick and Elle. '[email protected]! This is so awkward! Should I just leave?'