The girl stood at about five-foot-plus with soft curves and warm, honey skin that glistened under the dim light. Her dark curls were even darker in real life, and they cascaded down her back, framing her heart-shaped face.
Her amber eyes were wide with a mix of fear and defiance, the kind that was both alluring and innocent at the same time. She was wearing a white silk top and a plain black skirt. Like in the footage, she had some jewelry on her wrist and around her neck.
“Yes,” she finally answered. “I have. I’ve seen the book.”
I hesitated for a second, watching her more closely. “Where?”
“In my school library,” she responded swiftly.
“What do you know about it?”
“Nothing.”
I drew my brows together, but didn’t take my eyes off her. “You dare lie to me?”
“I’m not lying.” Her throat wobbled. “Look, I’m just a librarian, okay? It’s my job to catalogue books, nothing more.” She exhaled sharply and then continued, a lot calmer this time. “So whatever it is you think I did, I didn’t do it.”
Librarian?
She had no idea that I already knew who she was and that all her information was stored in the back of my mind.
I walked forward with slow, calculated steps. “I’m not interested in what you did.” My eyes locked with hers. “I’m interested in what you know.”
She bit on the inside of her mouth when I halted in front of her. “I don’t know anything.”
Lies.
As a business student who was good with numbers and had read my ledger, she knew enough.
“Do you expect me to believe that…” I towered over her, “…Celine?”
Color drained from her face, and her chest began heaving subtly. The fact that I knew her name told her that I must’ve done my homework on her.
She realized now that I already knew who she was. A business student. Not a librarian.
Her lips trembled, and a bead of sweat trickled down her temple. She couldn’t say another word, couldn’t move from her spot either.
The fear in her eyes was satisfying, and that alone made me smirk. “You’ll remain here until I decide what to do with you.”
Silence.
“Konstantin,” I called out, my voice low but audible.
The door opened, and he walked in.
“Take her away.”
He grabbed her by the arm, but to our surprise, she didn’t resist; she followed him quietly.
As he took her away, her silence did something to me that I couldn’t explain. When I recalled the look in her eyes, I realized that beneath her fear was something else. Something I’d yet to name.
I’d dealt with killers, traitors, and liars before. But none of them had ever looked at me like that. And this had nothing to do with her being a beautiful girl.
Chapter 5 – Celine
Drenched in the rain, I ran for my life, my feet splashing in the puddle. I could hear their heavy footsteps behind me, but I dared not look back.
My breathing was coming in ragged gasps, my heart pounding in my heaving chest. Yet I didn’t stop, nor did I slow down. All I could think of was how to get away from my attackers.