I should withdraw right now before things get messy. I should drop the case and walk away. But if I did, wouldn’t I just be making myself his puppet?
Yes, I was afraid. However, giving up without much resistance on my part would only make me look weak. Fear wasn’t the same as cowardice.
I sat there, drumming my fingers against the table, torn between giving up the case and pushing it through.
Even if I wasn’t sure about Vetrov’s innocence before, this man’s confrontation just confirmed my claims.
What was the plan now? Drop the case or fight for justice for a total stranger, even if it would endanger my life?
Chapter 4 – Karik
Lightning flashed across the dark skies above, accompanied by a low rumble of thunder. My shoes scuffed against the pavement as I stepped out of the restaurant, one hand buried in my pocket.
The gentle breeze grazed my skin, prompting my eyes to squint by a fraction. I walked across the street without looking back, even though all I wanted to do was catch a glimpse of the fear she tried to mask.
Sergei opened the backseat door, and I climbed in before he closed it. Seconds later, he took his place behind the wheel, his gaze meeting mine in the rearview mirror.
“How’d it go?” he asked.
I looked out the window, fingers adjusting the tie around my neck. “She’s stubborn as a mule, that one,” I replied, watching her from behind my tainted glass.
“Do you think she’ll drop the case?”
I hesitated because, for the first time in a long time, I couldn’t predict someone’s next move. I was already used to people trembling in my presence, too afraid to look me in the eyes, let alone say no to me.
“I don’t know,” I answered, my voice barely above a whisper.
This Eliza girl proved different. Although she was intimidated and afraid, she refused to show it. She knew I wasn’t a man she wanted to mess with. Yet, she didn’t back down. She denied me the satisfaction of seeing her tremble.
Remarkable!
My lips curled into a mischievous grin as I watched her sip her tea in silence. She remained seated in the same position, seemingly unaffected by what I’d said to her.
I watched her fingers curl tightly around the cup. But that was pretty much the only reaction I got from her. Her expression didn’t change even when she looked toward my car.
Her ability to control her fear and act completely unbothered was rather fascinating. Most people in her shoes, after being visited by Karik Tarasov himself, would’ve already collapsed under pressure.
Not this one.
She slipped her tea and pushed her light brown hair behind her ear, her warm hazel eyes staring blankly into space. I recalled the look she gave me when she asked who I was—terrified and confused. It made me feel a certain type of way. Strange.
Though scared, she didn’t panic and didn’t ask the wrong questions either. The girl refused to break, claiming she wouldn’t stop until justice prevailed. Her enthusiasm and trust in the justice system were admirable.
Eliza was a gentle, patriotic citizen with good intentions, smart but naive. And inmyworld, those attributes often got people like her canceled. Or worse. Silenced.
“Bravery,”my father used to say,“isn’t the absence of fear. It is refusing to let your fears control your actions.”
Eliza was afraid. But the look in her eyes when she said no to me told me she was going to see this through to the end. No matter what.
People like her, though gentle on the surface, didn’t break easily. Good. I’d always loved a good challenge anyway.
“What do you want me to do about her?” Sergei asked, stealing a glance out the window.
A pause.
“I’ll deal with her later,” I replied. “For now, take me home.”
He gave a curt nod and started the engine. As the vehicle hummed to life and began rolling down the street, I wound down my window. It was as though time slowed down just enough to let me meet her gaze.
