I shake my head, bitterness welling up to coat my tongue. "Safe? You don't know the meaning. Men like you promise protection with one hand and demand payment with the other." My voice drops to a ragged whisper. "There's always a price."
Morello looks stricken. In another life, I might have felt bad.
But right now, I need to protect myself. From enemies seen and unseen.
No matter how kind the eyes watching me seem to be.
Morello's eyes darken, his mouth pressing into a thin line. For a moment, he looks every inch the imposing figure of authority I've learned to fear.
"I understand your skepticism," he says finally, a hard edge to his voice now. "You've been failed before by people meant to uphold justice. But not everyone is corrupt."
His words pluck a chord deep inside me. I want to believe him, want to grasp at the fragile hope he offers. But I know better.
"Maybe you're different," I reply slowly. "But I can't take that risk. Where I'm from, trust gets you killed."
I expect Morello to argue, to push his point. Instead, he nods, almost sadly.
"You're wise beyond your years, Alina," he says. "Forced to grow up too fast, like so many others are. I'm sorry the world has given you so many reasons to doubt."
His empathy catches me off guard. For a moment, we simply look at each other, separated by a gulf of experience.
In his eyes, I glimpse understanding, not judgment. It stirs an unwelcome feeling—a desire to close the distance between us. To allow someone to truly see me.
The urge terrifies me. I take a step back, steeling myself once more.
"I should go," I mutter. "He'll be looking for me soon."
Morello looks like he wants to object. But he simply nods again, handing me a card.
I briefly glance at it, noting the agency emblem.
"If you change your mind, call anytime. I meant what I said, Alina. I want to help you."
His fingers brush mine as I take the card. A spark shoots through me at the contact.
Wordlessly, I turn and disappear into the crowd, his gaze burning into my back.
I hurry through the crowded mall, Morello's card clutched in my hand.
My heart is racing, my thoughts a turbulent mess.
Part of me wants to trust him. He seems so different from the corrupt officials I've known—sincere, empathetic, willing to help without expecting anything in return.
But I know such men are rare, if they exist at all.
And even if Morello is one of the good ones, he doesn't understand the world I come from. A world where people with power use it only for themselves, where no one helps without wanting something.
I should throw this card away, forget I ever spoke to him.
It's too dangerous to get involved.
Gerald would kill us both if he found out.
Yet even as my head screams caution, my heart whispers hope.
What if Morello really can help me escape? He knew my name, he must know about Gerald and his dealings.
Maybe he has a plan.