Chapter 72 Bail

• Autumn sat on the cold, sterile bench, her hands clasped tightly as she waited for her bail to be posted. She tried to piece together fragments of the interrogation, the detectives overwhelming her with questions, barely giving her a chance to breathe. She bit her lip, wondering who could have set her up. Was it Maverick, Dexter, or Iris? She strained to recall anything from the investigation, but the officers had given her no clues, only escorting her back to her cell afterward.
• "Mrs. Ashton, your bail has been paid. You're lucky," a police officer muttered, his tone clipped as Autumn rose from the bench. It hadn’t even been an hour since the questioning ended. The cell doors creaked open, and Autumn stepped out, meeting the officer's unimpressed stare.
• "It’s Miss Dawson,” she corrected. The officer rolled his eyes, and she followed him through the hallway, toward the lobby, where Derek was signing some documents. A small smirk formed on her lips as he put the pen down and turned to face her. She saw the worry in his eyes soften as she moved into his embrace, her heart racing as she felt the warmth of his arms around her.