Hearing the policeman's words, Leo felt that perhaps the night shift didn't need a coward. Maybe the man had tried to scare him on purpose—to test his courage—so there would be no regrets later.
Leo was still thinking when Station In-Charge Alex walked in and asked,
"Hey, you're taking the night shift, right?"
Leo nodded.
"Then what are you doing here? Your duty starts at 10:00 PM. Go home and rest. Get proper sleep so you can work all night," Alex said.
From that moment on, Alex had started respecting Leo. He hated cowardly people, and Leo clearly wasn't one.
"If trouble comes, we should answer it head-on—otherwise, what's the point of being police? Every country runs by law, and no one is above it. Do your job within the law. If anyone causes trouble, you have the authority to arrest them," Alex said quietly.
Leo listened carefully.
"Of course, sir. I'll come in the evening."
Alex smiled and sent him off.
Leo had nothing left to do for the day, so he decided to go home. On the way, he thought about exercising once he reached there. If he wanted to join the MIB (Midnight Intelligence Bureau), he would have to rebuild his strength—there was no other way.
When he reached his building and stepped out of the lift onto his floor, he noticed a very beautiful woman standing there. Any other man might have felt tempted to strike up a conversation, but Leo wasn't that kind of person. She seemed to be waiting for someone. Ignoring her, Leo took out his keys to open his door.
Just as he was about to unlock it, the woman suddenly shouted,"So you're the one because of whom I'm being thrown out of this place?"
Leo looked confused.
"Are you talking to me?"
She snapped angrily,
"Who else is standing here?"
At that moment, the building manager also arrived, and the woman immediately began arguing with him again.
She was wearing a white shirt and blue jeans, looking soft, delicate—almost fragile.
Leo was still processing everything when the "fragile" woman suddenly shoved him hard, knocking him flat onto the floor.
Leo was stunned. He never imagined that someone so slim could throw a six-foot man to the ground so easily. Lying there, he decided it was better to stay down for the moment. The move she had used—only police or army personnel were trained like that.
Before he could say anything, she bent down and snapped at him,
"I was living here peacefully, but because of you I'm being kicked out. Do you think you can do anything with money? Do you know how hard it is for a woman to find a safe place in Riverdale at this time? I've been living here long before you. If anyone leaves, it should be you. If you don't listen, I'll sit on protest outside your door. If you want peace, find another place to live. Got it?"
As soon as she finished, Leo burst out laughing.
"What joke did I make that you're laughing so much?" she demanded angrily.
Without warning, Leo suddenly used force and flipped her down instead. He figured police officers deserved to be answered in their own language. Caught off guard, she tried to defend herself—but Leo's strength overpowered her, and she hit the floor hard.
He made sure not to hurt her seriously. If he had used his full strength, she would have ended up in the hospital.
Dusting off his shirt, Leo said calmly,
"If this is your way of saying hello, then this is mine."
He turned and walked into his apartment.
Just as he was about to shut the door, she stepped in between.
"I've come here to live, not to fight with you or anyone else. If you have a problem, talk to the management," Leo said.
"But no one in Riverdale will give me a house right now," she replied, her tone softening. "You don't know how difficult it is for a woman to find a place alone. I've already paid a full month's rent. How can I just leave?"
"As far as I know, the management refunded you double the rent. Isn't that enough?" Leo asked.
"I don't want money," she snapped. "I just don't want to leave. This place is close to my office. Where will I find another house in such little time? And tell me something—are you crazy? There are four flats on this floor and you want all of them? What will you do alone in such a huge space? Look, just give me one room. I'll pay rent. Double, if you want."
"I don't want money. Please leave," Leo said coldly. "Don't waste my time."
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
"What kind of man are you? Anyone else would be dying just to talk to me! What's your problem with sharing space? I'm paying rent. Any other guy would give me a room for free!"
"Go live with someone else," Leo said, closing the door.
She stepped back in shock. From the other side of the door, she shouted,
"I'm a woman living alone, far from home! I'm new to the city—no friends, no family. And did I mention I'm a police officer? Do you know how dangerous the cases I get are? I don't have time to search for houses. If I waste time on that, who will keep the city safe?"
Hearing this, Leo opened the door.
"Show me your police ID."
"I'm not lying," she snapped.
After checking the ID, Leo asked,
"You don't even know me. Aren't you scared to live with a stranger?"
She wasn't as foolish as she pretended to be.
"I showed you my police ID, didn't I? You don't look stupid enough to mess with a cop. And we're not sharing a room—we're just sharing a floor. I have no choice. I'll look for another place once my case load is lighter."
"Come inside," Leo said, opening the door.
She rushed in.
"So you finally lost to my beauty?"
Leo noticed she hadn't closed the door.
"Are you scared?" he asked, smiling.
"Should I be?" she shot back.
"What's your name?" Leo asked.
"Aria Ashton. And you?"
"Leo Larson If you're not scared, then why haven't you closed the door?"
Aria studied him carefully. By now, she knew Leo wasn't like other men.
She walked back, closed the door, and turned to face him.
"I'm a police officer. Why would I be scared of you? There—door closed."
"Fine. You can stay," Leo said. "Pick any room. No rent. But there's one condition."
"What?" Aria asked.
"You'll have to clean the entire house."
After training and night shifts, Leo had no time for housework. He figured—two birds, one stone.