Chapter 3

The next morning, I went straight to Metro Frontier magazine’s office, where she worked.

There were some things I needed to retrieve.

As I pushed open the glass door to her team’s office, the scene that greeted me came as no surprise.

Amaya and her junior colleague, Javor, were huddled together in front of the same computer chair. Their heads were almost touching.

They were chatting and laughing as they looked at a photo on the screen. The atmosphere between them was uncomfortably intimate.

When she saw me, the smile on Amaya’s face froze. It was replaced by undisguised annoyance.

“Efim? What are you doing here? Should you even be here?”

I glanced around the room. My gaze settled on the cameras and recording equipment as they gleamed metallically. A cold smile tugged at the corners of my mouth.

“If I hadn’t come, how else would I get to admire the way ‘Senior Reporter Shaw’ and her right-hand man are so… deeply focused on their work?”

I paused deliberately.

“It seems your publication’s editorial focus has shifted from in-depth social reporting to office sitcoms?”

Amaya’s face flushed bright red.

Javor immediately stepped forward and tried to shield her.

“Mr. Gogh, please show some respect! We’re selecting images to go with last night’s breaking news. This is work!”

The other colleagues in the office shot us disapproving glances and began whispering among themselves.

“What gives him the right to come here and act like this?

“Amaya and Javor pulled an all-nighter to cover the story. Why should they be spoken to like that?”

“Who does he think he is? He’s just a lawyer…”

I ignored the whispers and walked straight to the cabinet in the corner where the high-end equipment was stored.

Inside was a top-of-the-line broadcast-grade camera system and several portable satellite transmitters.

That equipment was mine, which I had personally lent to Amaya’s team free of charge.

It was to support their on-site reporting in harsh environments or during emergencies.

Looking back, it seemed like a complete joke that I had poured my heart and soul into helping her and others “fight side by side.”

I began calmly taking inventory and packing up the equipment.

Seeing this, Amaya completely lost it. She rushed over and grabbed my hand.

“Efim, what’re you doing?! This is all work equipment! How dare you take it?!”

I shook off her hand. My tone was calm with unquestionable authority.

“How dare I? My name is on the receipt.

“I lent the equipment to you as a favor. It’s only fair to take back what’s mine.

“What’s this now? Is the great reporter Amaya trying to seize private property by force?”

Javor leaned in just then. His face wore a mock look of concern. However, his voice was low enough that only the two of us could hear.

“Mr. Gogh, it’s a real shame that last night’s mango dessert didn’t land you in the ICU. Guess what, maybe next time it’ll be a different kind of ‘accident’.”

Before he could finish, he suddenly reached out as if to snatch the camera from my hands.

I instinctively blocked his move, but he stumbled backward as if struck by a massive force.

He stumbled a few steps back dramatically before slamming into the desk beside him.

There was a dull thud. Then, he immediately clutched his lower back and curled up in agony.

“Efim, what are you doing?!” Amaya screamed and rushed over to support Javor.

When she looked up at me, her eyes were filled with venom.

“How dare you lay a hand on someone here?! Are you out of your mind?!”

Everyone in the office gathered around. Their anger boiled over.

“Call the police! Call the police right now!”

“He’s so brazen! He came into our office to assault someone!”

“Stop him! Don’t let him get away!”

Several burly male colleagues immediately stepped forward and grabbed my arms. Their grip was so firm that it sent a sharp pain through my joints.

I tried to explain. “I didn’t! He did it himself—”

“Enough!” Amaya interrupted me sharply. She helped the “feeble” Javor up as she ordered the crowd.

“Keep an eye on him! I’m calling security right now!”

“Committing an assault in broad daylight, Efim? I think it’s time your law license was seized!”

Javor leaned against Amaya as he spoke weakly. His voice choked with just the right amount of emotion.

“Ms. Shaw… Please, don’t make things difficult for Mr. Gogh. Maybe I just lost my balance… He definitely didn’t mean to…”

Those words were nothing short of pouring oil on the fire.

Amaya watched as I was held down. Her gaze was icy as she watched with a cruel sense of satisfaction.

“Didn’t mean to? I think he did it on purpose to get back at me! Once security arrives, take him straight to the police station!

“We’ll see how long you can keep up this act!”

Just as the scene descended into chaos and the security guards’ footsteps echoed down the hallway, a steady, authoritative voice rang out from the doorway.

“Oh? I’d love to hear exactly which law my company’s chief legal counsel has broken that warrants a trip to the police station.”