CHAPTER NINETY SIX – A TREASURE TO KEEP

The hours ticked by in agonizing slowness as they sat in the cramped interrogation room, the air thick with the stale scent of sweat and drying mud. Julian's ankle had swollen to nearly twice its normal size, despite the makeshift ice pack a sympathetic guard had procured for him. Charlotte, for her part, felt utterly drained – physically, emotionally, and mentally. Her once-vibrant sundress was now a tattered, stained reminder of their chaotic escapades, and her hair hung in stiff, mud-caked tendrils around her face. "I can't believe this is happening," she muttered, raking a hand through her matted locks in frustration. "We've been through so much already today, and now we're stuck here like common criminals." Julian reached across the table, his calloused palm engulfing her mud-streaked fingers. "It'll be alright, darling. Ernesto is on our side, and once this ridiculous investigation is over, we can put this whole ordeal behind us." Charlotte managed a weary smile, giving his h