CHAPTER TWENTY - ONE

LORENZO GRAYSON\ VADIM KERZHAKOV ©

It was already past five, yet I was still stuck in my office at school sorting student projects stacked on my desk.

I didn't touch any of them during the weekend since I spent most of my time drinking and replaying footage I could not stop thinking about.

Coffee became my only way to stay awake as empty squeezed cups sat in the bin like proof of how long I had been in the office

A knock then came at the door. It couldn't be that kid again… could it?

The door opened before I could say anything and Douglas stepped in and shut the door behind her.

“What are you still doing at school?” I asked, setting the papers down.

She gave me a look and crossed her arms.

“I should be asking you the same, Enzo. What are you still doing at school?”

“I still have some papers to sort out,” I said, nodding toward the pile on my desk. “And I can’t exactly take all of this home.”

“I see.“ She nodded.

Her eyes moved around the office as she walked about, looking at everything like she had never stepped into the room before.

“I noticed your car in the parking lot,” she said. “So I decided to come check on you.”

She stopped in front of my desk and looked into the bin. Her eyes moved over the empty coffee cups piled inside.

“That’s a lot of coffee,” she said, raising a brow and I glanced at the bin also.

“It’s sugar-free, actually,” I replied.

She gave me a look.

“That doesn’t make it better. It’s still too much caffeine,” she said and I gave a small nod.

Silence settled between us as the room suddenly felt too quiet. She stood there while I watched her, hesitating on what to say.

After a moment, she let out a small breath.

“I should get going then…” she said and turned slightly to leave.

“Alina,” I called before she could take another step.

“I need something from you,” I said firmly as my voice stayed calm. “Something important.”

She looked at me and gave a nod.

“What is it? How can I help?” she asked.

I motioned for her to sit down. Then I stood up and walked to the vending machine to get another cup of coffee.

“I know who you are,” I said. “And I know who your father is. Right now… I need your father’s influence.”

My face stayed blank.

She went quiet for a few seconds. Then she clicked her tongue softly.

Without a word, she stood up, took the coffee from my hand, and had a sip. The air between us suddenly felt tense.

“Since when did you know?” she asked. She walked to the couch and sat down, crossing her legs.

“Before I became a professor,” I said and she stared at me for a moment.

“Fine. Let’s cut to the chase,” she said. “What does Professor Grayson need from me?”

I stayed quiet for a few seconds before I spoke.

“I’m investigating something important,” I said. “Something personal. And I need real evidence.”

Her eyes stayed on me as I paused.

“Valarie Kerzhakov,” I said and her eyes widened at once.

“I’ve heard that name before,” she said slowly. “Papa used to mention that name a lot.”

“Kerzhakov?” I asked.

She nodded right away. “Yes,” she said softly. “That one.”

“They’re a mafia group,” I said in a calm voice.

She blinked and stared at me.

“Then why are you looking into them?” she asked. “What do you have to do with them?”

I stayed quiet and her eyes stayed on me for a few seconds before sighing.

“Fine,” she said. “If you don’t want to tell me, I won’t push.”

She leaned back a little and crossed her arms.

“But getting information on people like that won’t be easy,” she added.

“You’ll need someone you trust,” I said. “Someone who can stay discreet about this. If people start asking questions or get suspicious, it could ruin everything. It has to stay private.”

She said nothing and only watched me.

“I know it won’t be easy,” I added, my voice softer this time. “But I really need your help with this.”

“Okay,” she said after a moment. “What exactly do you need?”

A quiet sense of relief settled in me when she agreed.

“For the past four years, they told us it was an accident,” I said. “But I know someone must have gotten hold of the real evidence.”

Her brows pulled together. “How?” she asked.

I leaned back slightly.

“You don’t seem to know the kind of people the Minister of Police Affairs relates with,” I said. “He has connections all over Russia. He has people everywhere.”

I paused before looking at her.

“So, Miss Douglas, if you can reach any of your father’s informants, I’m sure someone out there knows something. There has to be a trail.”

She stayed quiet, then stood up and walked to the water dispenser, filling her cup.

“So,” she said before taking a sip of water, “what exactly do you need?”

“Documents. Information. Camera footage. Anything at all,” I said. “As long as it connects to Valarie Kerzhakov’s death.”

“Fine,” she said after a moment, giving a small nod. “I’ll help.”

Then she walked over to me and stopped close to where I sat and leaned in, her face now only inches from mine.

“But I will be getting something in return,” she said in a quiet voice.

“Of course,” I answered right away with a polite smile, not even thinking twice.

She stepped back and looked at me for a few seconds.

“You’re not even going to ask what I want?”

I stood up and started clearing the papers on my desk before turning to look at her.

“Anything is fine with me,” I said calmly. “As long as I get what I want.”

“Come on,” I said, grabbing my briefcase. “It’s getting late.”

She let out a quiet sigh.

“Well… I could use a strong drink right now, if you don’t mind.”

I nodded and adjusted my glasses.

“I know a place,” I said and walked to the door and held it open for her. She stepped out first, and I followed behind.

∆∆

~ FIVE STAR CLUB AND BAR ~

I was about to step out of the car when Alina spoke.

“My parents want me to bring someone home,” she said quietly. “I left Russia because of the pressure. They never stopped talking about it.”

She paused for a moment before looking at me.

“Let’s date,” she said. “That’s what I want in return.”

I stayed silent for a few seconds. Then I stepped out of the car and walked to the passenger side and opened the door for her.

“Fine,” I said calmly. “Let's date. If that's what you want, then I’m okay with it.”

I held out my hand to help her out of the car.

“Aren’t you going to think about it first?” she asked.

“Come on,” I said. “Let’s get that strong drink.”

That was all I said before we walked inside and took seats at the front of the bar. I slowly removed my glasses and set them on the table.

Nick was busy serving another customer when he looked our way. The moment he noticed us, he paused.

“Huh? I know you,” Alina said, pointing at him.

Nick forced a small smile and gave a polite nod. We locked eyes for a few seconds before he looked away, breaking eye contact.

“Wasn’t this the boy you told me to check on?” she asked and I gave a small nod while still keeping my eyes on him.

He frowned. “He told you to check on me?” he asked, clearly confused.

She nodded. “Yeah.”

“Rum. Two shots,” I said.

He grabbed two small glasses and polished them before setting them down in front of us. Then he reached for the bottle, poured the drink, and slid the glasses closer.

Our fingers brushed against the glasses at the same time, and for a brief second, our eyes met.

“Cheers to us,” she said with a small smile.

I turned to look at her and lightly tapped my glass against hers before downing mine in one go.

The rum burned as it went down my throat, warm and sharp.

“So… you both know each other?” she asked.

Nick and I looked at each other at the same time.

“No, we don’t.”

“Yes, we do.”

We answered at the same time. The room went quiet for a second as our eyes locked.

Did he really just deny he didn’t know me?