Well, that was abrupt. No word on her injuries, nothing about the building being almost destroyed. Simple instructions. That was Tanya, she supposed.
Why were they still at the office? She got that news never slept, but the building was about to fall last she saw. Surely they wouldn’t be back inside the building yet. Liliana had to admit she was curious, so she grabbed her bag and keys before heading out of the apartment that no longer felt like home.
The city around her felt a mix of everyday life and recovery. They left some buildings miraculously untouched, businesses still up and running, lives left intact. Others had been reduced to rubble and stone, injuries uncounted and lives torn apart. Liliana walked through a nightmare, tears falling on one side of the street, the other side trying to figure out what to do. Should they help their neighbours or try to go about life as if everything was fine? She couldn’t understand the question.
A café that had got by relatively unscathed was open, handing out hot drinks and food to people working to rebuild and recover. That was the angle. Liliana believed this is what people should report after such a big fight. Strangers coming together, community strengthening. Liliana jotted some notes down on her phone as she walked past the people helping others. She wanted to take some shots but realised that wouldn’t be the right move in this situation.
Running to the bus stop, she hopped onto her ride as it was about to leave, swiping her card before sitting down on the last seat. Letting out a deep breath, she tried to relax as the damaged city rolled past her window.
So much destruction from two people having it out with each other. One of them being her Max. Why didn’t he try to take the fight out of the city? The city he loved so much, the city he wanted to protect at any cost. It made little sense to her; she wanted to find him and ask all these questions. Like that was going to happen. The police wouldn’t let her anywhere near Max, not if they thought they might have been working together.
All she wanted was to be with Max. To hold him still so she could make sense of everything. To be together again. She could almost feel his hands on her arms, pulling her in close. She allowed herself to close her eyes for a moment as she lent into the memory of Max. Only for a second as the bus came to a stop, rougher than usual, jolting her away from her memory of Max.
“Sorry, folks, seems like we are going to have to reroute here. A piece of building blocks the road ahead. If you need to get off at the next couple of stops, it might be worth walking from here,” the bus driver called over the PA system. Liliana saw that her office building was just a couple of streets over, so she stood to get off along with a handful of other passengers.
“You’re about to head into the worst hit area,” the bus driver called after the little group that had disembarked. “Be careful where you go, some bits aren’t stable yet, apparently.”
The small group looked around warily before splitting up, continuously looking up for falling debris. Liliana saw there were one or two areas blocked off from the public. They must be the unstable areas. She noted to avoid them if possible.
Continuous detours around fallen concrete and burst pipes made the short walk longer. She felt like she was walking through a maze to get to her office, still unsure of what she was going to find when she got there. If it weren’t for the message from Tanya, she would have thought they had moved to another office building. Though, she wasn’t sure of where they would have gone.
Rounding the last corner, she saw the state of the building. How Tanya had gained access, she did not know. It looked ready to collapse. Liliana really didn’t want to step foot in the office.
Liliana’s heart skipped a beat as a hand reached out and grabbed her elbow, pulling her back towards the neighbouring building. She turned her head to see a familiar face. One of the office interns pulled her towards a marquee she hadn’t spotted. The marquee was being used by the office staff. At the centre of the hustle and bustle stood Tanya, barking orders out to everyone around her.
Tanya set them up right next to Carl’s café, right where she and Rose were when the fight reached them. Right where Rose saved her from being squashed by a flying car door. Liliana pushed through the madness surrounding Tanya and grabbed her attention away from yelling at people.
“Tanya!” Liliana shouted over the din surrounding them. Tanya looked over and clocked who was standing right in front of her.
“Ah, Ms Masters. Follow me.” She turned and walked through the crowd, which parted like the Red Sea to let her through. Liliana hurried after her, following her into Carl’s café where she had set up a makeshift office. “Take a seat.”
Sitting across from each other in one of Carl’s well-worn booths, Tanya pulled out a recorder and notebook.
“What are those for?” As far as Liliana knew, this was just meant to be a brief chat.
“Ms Masters. I understand the fight caused you injuries?” Tanya had switched into interviewer mode. Maybe she was collecting everyone’s view of the fight for a story?
“Yes. I was in the subway tunnel with Rose and hit my head on the concrete wall. Rose got me to the hospital yesterday and they checked me over,” she replied.
“And they let you go?” Tanya asked.
“Obviously.”
“You didn’t check yourself out? Not in a hurry to get out at all?” Tanya probed.
“No. Why would I be in a hurry to leave the hospital? I passed out twice and had a load of stitches in my head. I couldn’t walk straight for a bit.”
Tanya nodded and squinted her eyes a little. This was feeling like an interrogation rather than a chat or interview.
“Not in a hurry to see Mr Victor?” There it was. Liliana frowned and remained silent. Tanya wanted the dirt on Max. She didn’t care that Liliana had been unaware of what happened, who everyone thought Max was.
“Were you aware of who the man really was?” Tanya asked, trying to dig deeper.
“I… No. There’s more to him than this, I’m sure of it,” Liliana stumbled over her words, not sure of what to say. What was going to be reported from this?
“Mr Victor dealt a lot of damage to the city, a lot of injuries. Particularly to this company. My building seemed to be targeted. Did you piss Mr Victor off? Did you have an affair? Why would he target you like this?” Tanya reeled off the questions before Liliana had a moment to process them.
“What do you have to say to the man who saved you: Sentinel?” she finished, waiting for Liliana’s response.
“No, I didn’t cheat on Max. He wasn’t targeting me. He has no reason to want me dead. There’s more to this. There has to be,” Liliana replied, her face getting hotter as she got angrier.
“So, you are standing by Mr Victor?” Tanya replied, her eyebrows raised in surprise.
“No. Wait. I don’t condone what happened yesterday. All I’m saying is that there is more to what happened than meets the eye,” Liliana tried to clarify, leaning into the recorder to make sure it got her words correctly. “Why are you asking me all these questions?”
Tanya ignored Liliana’s question and carried on with her own interrogation.
“Does it not matter to you your boyfriend hurt people yesterday? He killed people.” That made her stop. She didn’t think anyone died during the fight. That’s what the police officers told her.
“Wait. People died? Who?” she asked, tears forming in her eyes. Max couldn’t have done this. He couldn’t have killed people. That wasn’t him.
“Yes. Many of them our own people. People you worked with every day. Your boyfriend killed my staff,” Tanya replied, somehow staying emotionless.
“Who? Tanya, tell me who!” Liliana raised her voice for the first time against Tanya. How was she staying so calm about this, talking about people she employed being killed? Any normal person would be distraught by this.
“That intern, the one who started yesterday. I believe you knew him.”
No. Not Johnathon. He had just started, he was so young. Liliana slu
mped back into the booth as Tanya reeled off some more names, people she had worked with, some more than others. But Johnathon stuck in her mind. He had been in the coffee shop with her and Rose. If he hadn’t rushed back, he would be here, being ordered about by Tanya.
“The fact of the matter here is that your boyfriend is a murderer. He’ll never see the light of day again. I understand the police have him firmly locked away. I’m not entirely convinced you should walk free either. You were so lovey-dovey about each other, you must have known about him.” Tanya dug her claws into Liliana’s heart as she drove home her message.
“I didn’t know. How many times can I say it? I’m just as surprised by his involvement in all of this as everyone else. More so, actually. I thought I knew him,” Liliana tailed off, tears falling down her face as she pictured Johnathon in her mind.
“You may have convinced the authorities of that, but not me, Ms Masters. I think it’s best you don’t come back to my company again.” That brought Liliana out of her mind and back into the booth with Tanya.
“Wait. You’re firing me?” she asked. She couldn’t believe Tanya. She brought her in to interrogate and fire her. After everything that she had done for the company? She had poured her blood, sweat and tears into this job. For what?
“I’m afraid we cannot have someone with your background on this team,” Tanya replied, cool as ever.
“Don’t bother. I quit. You’re a horrible bitch of a woman.” Liliana couldn’t stop herself from telling Tanya what she really thought of her, before storming out of the café and back through the marquee, barely having time to savour the look on Tanya’s face at her insult.
She pushed past several people who stayed behind her at Tanya coming out of the café with a sour look on her face.
“Don’t bother coming back for your things, your boyfriend destroyed them when he attacked my building,” Tanya called after Liliana.
More people turned to stare at Liliana as she stormed off and hailed a cab at the nearest open road. Before she knew what she was doing, she had given the driver Max’s address. Not his house up on the hilltop above the city. He kept an apartment in the city for when he had to stay late at work. Liliana wasn’t sure if she was going to get in, though. The police might have blocked it off.
She just wanted to feel near to Max. Despite everything, she knew Max wasn’t a killer. Did that make her a bad person? To trust Max over what had happened to Johnathon? She felt split down to her core. If Max was a villain, what did that make her? She held her head in the palm of her hands as she tried to figure out what was going on.
A few minutes later, the cab pulled up outside of Max’s apartment building. The driver was thankfully quiet and didn’t know about the connection she had to Max. She really needed that right now. Stepping out of the cab and walking towards the building, her phone beeped at her.
Rose: I heard what happened with the devil witch. Are you ok?
Liliana: I’m pissed off. Need some time to clear my head. I’m at Max’s.
Rose: What on earth are you doing there? Aren’t the police crawling all over his house?
Liliana: No one’s here for now. Think I’m allowed in. I’ll call you once I calm down and sort my head out.
She loved Rose, but she needed some peace and quiet to work things through. Despite everything, she felt safe here. Max’s apartment was empty. It didn’t look like the police had searched through it yet. Hopefully they would leave it alone, leave her alone. Alone with Max.
Chapter 9
Liliana sank into the deep couch in Max’s living room, surrounded by blankets they shared. She felt closer to home than in her own apartment. She could smell Max’s cologne on the cushions. It brought back many happy memories, going back to the start of their relationship. Max brought her here after their third date.
*
“You have two homes? Why aren’t I more surprised?” Liliana exclaimed, taking in the apartment for the first time.
“I have two homes in the city. This penthouse and an actual house on the hilltop looking over the city,” Max replied, smiling at Liliana’s amazement.
“Why did you say ‘in the city’ specifically? Let me guess, holiday homes.” Liliana shook her head as she was once again reminded of Max’s immense wealth.
“I have a log cabin in Canada, a beach house in the Canaries and a small island off the coast of Japan,” Max reeled off his list of homes. “But I rent out several of them to holiday makers when I know they are going to be empty. The proceeds go towards my charitable foundations.”
“Ah, so you don’t sound as big-headed as people might think hearing that list,” Liliana chuckled. She knew he wasn’t like that anyway, but it was enjoyable to poke fun.
“Exactly,” Max replied, heading through an open door to what Liliana thought to be the kitchen. She followed and saw a bright room filled with wooden cabinets. Max opened a cabinet, floor-to-ceiling length, revealing several dozen bottles of wine. The cabinet was half refrigeration, half storage, splitting the white from the red. Max turned to Liliana to ask for her preference.
“White, please. Dry,” she answered his unasked question. He pulled a bottle out from the middle of the fridge and collected a couple of glasses before leading Liliana over to the couch in the spacious living room.
Liliana relaxed into the soft cushions as Max handed her a glass of chilled wine.
“So, I’ve not scared you off yet?” Max asked, unsure of the answer.
“No. Not yet,” Liliana smiled as Max moved a little closer. “Although this is a little intimidating. My apartment has to be a quarter of the size of this place.” Liliana looked around as Max chuckled at her answer.
“I’m sure your home is as lovely as you are.” Max’s deep voice drew Liliana in further, the wine almost forgotten.
“You haven’t seen it yet. This place is amazing and I’m sure I haven’t seen half of it,” Liliana rambled on as Max inched closer and closer. She couldn’t help it. She was being drawn into his bright-green eyes. Like a calm meadow, they’re beautiful.
Liliana felt the warmth of Max’s breath as he pulled her closer to him, powerful hands on her waist, moving up to gently cup her face as he finally closed the gap between them. Lips touched, and Liliana felt the air leave her body. She fell into his body completely as the kiss took over her mind. Max was soft and strong in all the right places as he drew the kiss out as long as it could go before they had to stop for air.
“Wow,” they both exclaimed together as their lips finally parted, leaving them slightly panting. Liliana only remembered the glass of wine she was holding as it spilled onto Max’s expensive-looking blue rug.
“Oh shit! I’m so sorry!” Liliana jumped up from the couch, leaving Max to fall against the cushions she was just using. Liliana looked around for something to mop up the wine as Max realised what had happened.
“Oh, don’t worry, I’ll grab something.” Max went through another door and came back with a spray bottle and some cloths. Before Liliana could move to take them to clear up her mess, Max dropped to the floor and mopped up the spilled wine. “There we go. Good as new.”
Max put down the cleaning supplies and took what remained of Liliana’s wine from her and placed it next to his full glass. He stepped over the wet patch on the rug and pulled Liliana in close for another kiss.
*
She and Max shared many memories in this apartment. She had hoped to make some more. She did not know what was going to happen now. Was she even allowed to be here? Max had given her a key a couple of weeks ago, but was this even Max’s anymore? Had the police seized it? She had no clue. But she was going to stay here for as long as possible.
A couple of hours later, the doorbell rang. Her food had arrived; she didn’t have the energy for cooking. Buzzing the delivery guy up, she dug out the fancy chopsticks Max kept in his kitchen. He had an amazing Chinese takeout place right around the corner from here. It was their favourite place to order from on a l
ate-night date.
She opened the door at the right time to stop the delivery guy from knocking. She thanked him and handed over the money, plus a generous tip. It must not be fun being back at work so soon after the attack. He probably needed the money to be working tonight. Not two seconds after closing the door, there was a knock. Had she got the money wrong? She opened the door to see someone completely different.
“Yates? What are you doing here?” Liliana could swear the hallway was empty a moment ago, apart from the delivery guy. She stood aside to let them into the apartment.
“I could ask you the same thing, Ms Masters,” Yates replied, scanning the room quickly before turning to face Liliana.
“Liliana, please. It’s one thing when you’re actively working for Max, it’s just weird when it’s just the two of us.”
“I am still working for Mr Victor, Ms Masters.” Yates watched Liliana closely, gauging her reaction.
“He’s in prison. You can’t be working for him,” Liliana stated, now sure that something else was going on.
“My employment contract exceeds imprisonment,” Yates replied.
“Well, that’s vague as anything,” Liliana responded. “Come sit down with me. I’ve ordered enough food for four, help yourself.”
Yates seemed unsure about relaxing their high standards in front of Liliana. “Okay. I have some important things to discuss with you.” They walked to the dining table with Liliana, who grabbed another set of chopsticks from the kitchen on the way.
Together they spread out the food between them and ate in an awkward silence, each waiting for the other to speak first.
“Ms Masters, I hope you don’t mind me saying, but I believe you know there is more going on than it seems with Mr Victor.” Yates seemed uncomfortable sitting across from Liliana. They were usually standing in a more professional setting.
“It doesn’t all add up, if that’s what you mean.”
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