For someone who was used to expressing herself with punches and kicks, Alia found it incredibly difficult to understand Charlotte's motives when she chose to remain silent about the truth. Was there really something that warranted such secrecy? Or was it simply, as Dmitri once suggested, that she was romantically involved with someone?
But… isn't she with Leonid now? That's what he himself had said. Unless, of course, she was cheating on him and playing behind his back.
Suddenly, a memory sprang into Alia's mind that man who gently wiped Charlotte's tears with hands so tender. Could he be the killer they were looking for? Leonid had once asked her about a tenant with green eyes and black hair, but when she gave him the information, he had firmly denied it.
So… someone else, then?
Doubt crept deep into her. She turned to Pyotr and stared into his eyes without saying a word.
The rich, deep green was striking and familiar.
After a moment of silence, Pyotr furrowed his brows and said with a semi-sarcastic tone:
"What? Is there something stuck on my face?"
Alia gazed at him a little longer, and when he turned toward her again and moved closer, she felt a subtle warmth rise to her cheeks. She hadn't noticed how close he'd gotten. Wait… when did he stop the car?
That heart she thought had long since died had started beating again; and for some reason, it was beating for him.
For Pyotr.
"Nothing!"
She answered quickly and seriously, unbuckling her seatbelt and rushing out of the car.
Pyotr sighed in his seat, then stepped out calmly and closed the door behind him without a word.
"Wait for me! We came together, let's go in together!"
He called out in a tone he tried to keep light, though it carried a trace of pleading.
"No!"
Alia's response was sharp and final. She didn't look back, but dashed inside ahead of him, as if running from something she refused to acknowledge.
Pyotr shook his head, a playful smile spreading across his lips, as if he had grown used to her mercurial reactions. Then he walked forward quietly and followed her inside without saying a word.
From a nearby corner, two officers watched them with barely hidden astonishment.
"Did you see that?"
"Yeah… I saw."
One of them gave a low whistle of admiration, then said with a tone tinged with amusement:
"Told you… they make one interesting pair."
His partner nodded, a faint smile forming on his face.
"Hmm, wonderful."
The sky was gradually darkening, the horizon ablaze with the colors of sunset, while the evening breeze passed gently through the air. As time passed, the sky settled into a deep navy blue, studded with small, silent, twinkling stars.
Leonid quietly closed the living room curtains. Through the narrow slits, he caught a glimpse of Kayser's car returning to the parking lot.
He spared the scene only a fleeting glance before turning toward Charlotte.
She had just come out of the bathroom, drying her chestnut hair, dressed in a silky pajama set that clung lightly to her body.
"Come here."
Leonid called to her softly, stepping toward her at the same time.
He gently took the towel from her hands and began to dry her hair with care. The scent of her shampoo and body wash reached him warm, fragrant, unmistakably her.
Charlotte remained still and silent, eyes half-closed, surrendering to that small, quiet moment of tenderness.
In truth, every moment she spent with him carried this same kind of attention calm, unspoken care.
"Does anything hurt?"
Leonid asked gently, moving strands of her hair from one shoulder to the other.
She shook her head and murmured,
"Just tired…"
Leonid set the towel aside, then ran his hand gently over her hair as if to soothe it.
"I'm not talking about being tired I mean your cheek."
His hand slid to her left cheek. She flinched slightly, tilting her head away to avoid the pain.
"I'm fine."
"Was Natalia's slap that weak? And… why are you pulling away from my touch?"
Charlotte had finally mustered the courage over dinner to tell him about the fight she had with Natalia, though she had left out some details especially the words that had hurt more than the slap itself.
She whispered hesitantly,
"I don't know…"
"You don't know, huh?"
"Hm…"
Leonid smiled softly, stepped closer, and cupped her cheeks in his palms with gentleness, despite her hesitation, pulling her into his chest.
"All right, all right… I won't pry."
He whispered near her hair, resting his cheek atop her head, giving her warmth.
"But we barely talked today… Breakfast, dessert, then dinner… If you go to sleep without another word, I might be forced to—"
"Now!"
Charlotte suddenly lifted her head. Leonid raised his as well, their eyes meeting.
"We can talk now… if you want to."
He noticed the bashful blush creeping onto her features after her sudden enthusiasm, and he chuckled softly.
"Oh God, that's too cute. I was just about to threaten you with nonsense, but you're the one who actually wants to talk…"
He leaned down and brushed his nose lightly against hers. Charlotte tried to avoid the contact, but he didn't give her the chance.
"Well then, I'm all yours… All my time is yours. Until nine-thirty."
"Are you threatening me? Do you think you can actually pull that off?"
Charlotte pouted her full lips in a small frown, avoiding his gaze, then whispered shyly:
"Why are you putting a limit on the time we spend together? Won't you… stay with me?"
Leonid smiled softly and said:
"I told you I was threatening you with nonsense… I wasn't serious. As for the time, I've got work waiting after that, and I can't put it off."
Charlotte nodded slightly and murmured in a low tone:
"Hmm, I see…"
Leonid noticed the disappointment in her voice. He gently lifted her chin with his finger until her eyes met his.
"Until it's time for work… you can use me however you like."
Charlotte gazed at him in silence for a moment, then said calmly, her eyes sparkling with a soft sleepiness:
"Then let's go to my bed."
Leonid smiled and answered simply:
"All right… I knew we'd end up talking there."
As he walked down the hallway toward his apartment, Kaiser was scrolling through his phone. Natalia's repeated calls made his skin crawl, but he couldn't afford to ignore her. The manipulation had to continue, even if he despised women like her.
"Too clingy... One day she's going to lose her mind."
He muttered in irritation, sliding his key into the lock. But before he could open the door, the apartment next to his suddenly swung open.
Natalia appeared hollow eyes, disheveled hair, pale skin, and swollen eyelids.
"Or maybe… today,"
Kaiser remarked under his breath, taking in her exhausted appearance.
"Are you okay?"
He asked in a warm tone that lacked any true concern. A layer of artificial warmth wrapped around his usual coldness. Natalia ignored the question and shot back sharply:
"Where were you?"
He answered with indifference, a glint of sarcasm dancing in his eyes:
"Where was I? And why does it matter to you?"
He paused, then added with calculated calm:
"Anyway, I was visiting family. My little brother's sick."
Natalia's face tightened, and she stepped closer, her green eyes brimming with tears:
"Are you telling the truth? Then why didn't you answer my calls?"
"Please, Natalia…"
He cut her off with a heavy sigh.
But she didn't hear him or maybe she just didn't want to. She stood in front of him like a fragile barrier, ready to shatter.
"Don't say anything else… You're lying now. I shouldn't have trusted you. Nobody wants me… everyone abandons me… but why?"
Tears rolled down her cheeks as she hugged herself, shrinking inwards as if shielding herself from the world's disappointment.
"You love her more than me, don't you?"
Natalia spoke with a voice verging on delirium, as if she wasn't even talking to him but to herself. And yet, each word struck Kaiser like a blade.
"Can you imagine… I fought with Charlotte for you. I defended your honor… I slapped her… Do you still love her?"
Kaiser's smirk faded, his expression turning into an unreadable mask.
"You what?"
"I slapped her. For you."
Kaiser froze for a moment, then slowly raised his hand and covered his face in silence… before letting out a short, bitter laugh. It bled from his lips as if he were mocking everything including himself.
Natalia laughed too, maybe to feel like she was sharing the moment. But her laugh was weak, disoriented like she didn't even know why she was laughing.
Her smile hadn't even settled when Kaiser suddenly pulled her to him, locking his lips on hers in a deep kiss.
He dragged her in with silent madness, opening his apartment door with one hand and pushing her inside without breaking the kiss.
The apartment filled with hushed whispers of intimacy, while next door, silence reigned.
Leonid was leaning against the headboard of the bed, while Charlotte lay on his chest, basking in a moment of complete stillness and comfort.
"Did you feel lonely while waiting for me?"
Leonid asked softly, gently combing through her hair.
"Hmm, kind of…"
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be late. But the grocery store suddenly got crowded."
"It's okay, you don't need to apologize."
Charlotte closed her eyes, and after a few moments of silence, she said:
"Leonid, I have a question."
Her voice was clearer and more distinct than the murmuring from earlier, which made Leonid sense she was serious about starting a conversation. He responded calmly.
"I'm listening."
Charlotte stayed quiet for a moment, then asked in a low voice:
"If someone hurt you and deliberately tried to scare you, how would you react afterward?"
Her heart was pounding she had finally brought it up.
Charlotte's question stirred whirlpools of thoughts in Leonid's mind, but he chose to approach it with patience, very slowly.
"For me, it depends on the type of harm or intimidation that was directed at me."
Charlotte lifted her head slightly and looked into his eyes with a calm, steady gaze, as if she were weighing his sincerity, not just his words.
Then she said,
"Let's say… the harm was violent, and psychological… you could call it sadistic."