Chapter 17: Rivals Once Again

Maya looked at the three people standing in front of her new desk in the Evidence and File Classification Department related to the Narcotics Unit at the Special Security Forces Center. She then said with boredom, "You’ve been standing in front of me for a full minute. Isn't it time to tell me what you want?"

Bernard was the first to speak, "We’re waiting for you to tell us."

Maya asked innocently, "Tell you what?"

Bob, feeling frustrated, asked, "Why are you here?"

She replied calmly, "Because I was transferred to this department at my request."

Bob exclaimed, "Why?"

Maya answered simply, "I’ve realized that desk work suits me."

Crick, angry, said, "And what about us? Didn’t you care about us? How could you leave us?"

Maya rested her chin on her hand and smiled, "Is this coming from the same man who once said he’d rather die than work with me?"

Crick shouted, "I’m not joking."

"Okay, Crick, I just got tired of fieldwork and wanted to take a break, that’s all."

Crick quickly responded, "You’re lying!"

Maya raised her eyebrows in surprise, and Bernard explained, "Alex told us. He told us the story of your father’s death that Frederick shared with you a week ago. You don’t mind that he told us, right?"

Maya stared at Bernard for a long moment, then replied with no emotion, "No. I don’t mind at all."

Bernard continued, deducing, "So, is that why you left our team and transferred to the Evidence and Files Department? Because you don’t want to work with Alex?"

Without moving her head, Maya looked up as if thinking, then looked back at them, saying, "No, that’s not the reason. The reason, as I said, is that I’m tired of the field and want to take a break. I’m not lying, Crick."

Bob spoke up hopefully, "Does that mean you’re still friends with Alex?"

Maya responded with a question, "Was I ever really his friend, Bob?"

Bob opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it in disappointment. Maya then said gently, "Tell me how you see me."

Crick spoke firmly, "You’re our friend."

Maya replied seriously, "Then regardless of what happens between me and Alexander, I’ll remain your friend, until you decide otherwise..."

Bernard interrupted, "But we don’t want to ignore what’s happening between you two."

Maya pursed her lips and then said curtly, "I won’t dodge you then. I truly don’t want any relationship with Alexander."

Crick muttered in disbelief, "Did you tell Alex that?"

Maya responded coldly, "If he had come with you, I would have."

Bernard said sternly, "He went to meet with Chief John."

Maya said indifferently, "Then tell him for me."

Bernard insisted firmly, "You tell him yourself."

Maya whispered provocatively, "As you wish."

Bernard and Crick left after excusing themselves, their faces showing clear anger. However, Bob remained. Maya gestured for him to sit, and after he did, she said, "I’m listening."

Bob spoke directly, his face showing signs of nervousness, "I recognize that look in your eyes. It’s the same look you had when we raided Sam’s hideout and rescued Alex. It’s a look that shows you’ll do whatever you want."

Maya murmured, "What do you want, Bob?"

Bob continued confidently, "I don’t want to interfere in things that don’t concern me; it’s a matter that relates to you. I won’t dictate what you do, but I want you to make me one promise."

"What is it?"

"Don’t harm Alex. Don’t ever hurt him."

Maya leaned back in her leather chair, thinking. Bob, the young man, had suddenly matured and was speaking to her with utmost seriousness. Was it his love and concern for Alexander that gave him this strength and confidence? She gave him a sympathetic smile and said, "Bob, I have no intention of hurting Alex, so there’s no need to get a promise from me."

Bob’s face brightened, and he thanked her before leaving the office, leaving her alone.

"How did you allow this?"

John responded, "Why wouldn’t I allow the transfer, given that she requested it?"

Alex exclaimed in disbelief, "She was honored and reinstated after capturing Sam and rescuing me. How could it make sense after all that to transfer her from fieldwork to some trivial desk job that even a lieutenant wouldn’t accept?"

John sighed and replied, "Dear Alex, Maya requested the transfer to desk work. All I did was approve it."

"And why did you approve it?"

"Why wouldn’t I approve it?"

"Because she’s incredibly skilled at her job—better than me. Sam, who I’ve been trying to catch for a year, she caught him in a day. Transferring her to desk work is a waste for the unit."

"I know that, my boy, but her request was accompanied by a report from a psychiatrist."

Alex frowned and repeated, "A psychiatrist?"

"Yes."

"What did the report say?"

John smiled and asked, "Don’t you think you’re overstepping, Alex?"

Alex replied impatiently, "Oh, come on, you clearly want to tell me what’s in it."

John responded, "Yes, I’ll tell you so we can end this conversation. Her psychiatrist says that Maya is in an unstable mental state and feels exhausted, so she needs a break from fieldwork to recover and return to her usual self."

After a moment of silence, Alex asked, "Is that so?"

John confirmed, "Yes, so I had no choice but to respect her wishes. Her well-being comes first, my boy."

Alex then excused himself, repeating, "Of course, her well-being comes first."

Maya slowly opened her eyes, thinking something had woken her, but she couldn’t pinpoint what it was. Perhaps it was just noise from one of the tenants in the neighboring room, as she had been staying in this hotel for three days. In truth, she hadn’t even considered leaving home, but after the argument she had with her mother a week ago, the situation had become unbearable. Her mother’s coldness, alienation, and reluctance even to see her had hurt her deeply, leading Maya to decide after four days to leave home for a short while. She still remembered the look of panic in her mother’s eyes when Maya told her about her decision. That look had given Maya some satisfaction, knowing that her mother still loved her. Maya’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of loud knocking on the door. So that’s what had woken her. She glanced at the wall clock in front of her, noting that it was 10:00 PM. She looked around and noticed she had fallen asleep in the clothes she had worn to work, perched on the edge of the bed with her feet dangling off the side. She then remembered that she had been so exhausted that she collapsed onto the bed as soon as she entered the room around 6:00 PM. She sighed as the knocking grew more intense, so she lazily got up from the bed, walked to the door, and opened it without asking who it was, finding him standing there.

Her disheveled hair, sleepy green eyes, and flushed face made Alex furrow his brows as he said, "I had no idea you’d be asleep at this hour. I’m sorry."

She replied softly, "Well, now you know. What do you want?" Then she turned and walked back into the room.

Alex followed her in after closing the door behind him, saying in surprise, "Aren’t you going to ask how I found you?"

Maya sat on the edge of the bed and said, her voice still groggy, "I’m not hiding, so my location isn’t a secret. You probably just asked Crick to ask Nina, right?"

"Since you’re so smart, why the desk job?"

She calmly replied as she rubbed her eyes, "No. We’re not discussing that now; I’m still sleepy."

He suggested, pointing to the phone, "I’ll order you some coffee."

She mumbled, "You’re not ordering me anything because I’m going back to sleep."

Alex leaned against the door, looking at the bed. It was almost tidy, and the pillow didn’t show any signs of being used, making him say in a strange tone, "You’re really exhausted to the point where you fell asleep without even bothering to use the pillow or cover yourself with the blanket, right?"

Maya tilted her head back to look at him, then got up, whispering, "Wait," and headed to the bathroom. She returned moments later, her face washed in an attempt to erase the signs of sleep that still tempted her to return to bed.

She sat back down on the bed and asked indifferently, "Now, what do you want?"

Alex took a long breath and asked, "What are you planning?"

"Be clearer; I don’t understand hints and riddles."

"Do you really think I believe the nonsense in the report? Unstable mental state, exhaustion, needing a break. I know you better than that, and I know you’re not the kind of woman who asks for rest."

Maya replied in annoyance, "Aren’t these reports supposed to be confidential? How did it end up in your hands?"

Alex responded determinedly, ignoring her words, "Who is it?"

"Who?"

"The psychiatrist you saw—who is it?"

"Why? So you can verify whether I’m telling the truth or not?"

"Who is it?"

Maya shouted angrily, "What’s wrong with you? Why the sudden concern?"

He replied immediately, "I’ve cared about you since I met you."

Maya paused to think, then said bitterly, "Fine, why not? The psychiatrist you’re asking about is the same one who helped me realize that Frederick was innocent and that I was wrongfully blaming him because of my grief over losing my father."

Alex lowered his head, staring at his shiny black shoes without seeing them, as all he could see now was the shock on her face that day. He raised his head and said, "I’m sorry. I couldn’t imagine it was like that. I couldn’t imagine that I was connected to your father’s death. I still can’t believe it."

Maya smiled painfully and said, "How did it feel when you found out your uncle was deceiving you and lying to you? As I recall, you were fully convinced of his innocence!"

He whispered harshly, "It wasn’t his fault. He’s still innocent."

Maya stood abruptly, her eyes blazing with anger, "Why won’t you open your eyes to the truth? Your perfect uncle, whom you admire, is gone. In fact, he never existed. He was just a mask he wore to cover his rotten core. It seems that mask fooled you, just as it fooled my father, unfortunately."

Alex asked rationally, "What if it were your father? What if he had been in my uncle’s position and had to choose between you and Frederick, who would he have chosen? I believe the outcome would be the same."

Maya pointed her finger at him in a threatening manner and said, "Don’t you dare speak about my father that way. My father wasn’t a traitor. Do you know why they chose Frederick over my father? Because they knew beforehand that my father wasn’t a coward who would abandon his friends."

Alex replied sarcastically, "So he would’ve chosen for his daughter to die instead of his friend?"

Maya walked up to him, standing just a step away, and said through gritted teeth, "He would’ve chosen to kill them first, even if it meant his death. The important thing is that he wouldn’t have sacrificed either of us. He wouldn’t have lived with himself knowing his friend died because of his choice." Then she raised her hands and grabbed the lapels of Alex’s jacket, shaking him violently as she shouted, "Tell me how he could choose to let his friend die! How could he stand there and watch his friend be killed right in front of him? How could he betray my father’s trust and love? You know, I used to be proud that my father died protecting his country and fighting against corruption, but now I feel humiliated because I learned that my father was killed due to betrayal by his closest friend. This is definitely not the end my father wanted. I can’t stop thinking about how my father would feel if he knew this."

After she stopped speaking, her breathing became erratic. Alex slowly raised his hand to her face, trying to wipe away the tear that had escaped her eye. But before he could, the back of her hand struck his palm with force, and she shouted, turning her face away from him, "Don’t touch me!"

Alex stared at his raised hand for a few seconds, then lowered it into a tight fist and looked up at Maya, who had moved away from him. He smiled bitterly and said, "So I’m going to be a major target of your anger and revenge too, right?"

Maya replied weakly without looking at him, "It’s not your fault, but still, I can’t help but think you’re the main reason my father is dead. If you hadn’t been there, my father would be with me now." She looked at him and continued, "We’ve already agreed that I’m crazy, so don’t blame me when I tell you that when you speak, I think it should be my father speaking. When I see you breathing, I think it should be my father breathing. It should be my father wiping away my tears, not you. So to avoid thinking that way, I don’t want to see you anymore."

He said, consumed with anger, "Say it! Just say it!"

She gave him a questioning look, and he clarified with darkened eyes, "You’re thinking every time you look at me, ‘Who am I to be chosen instead of Faan, right? Who am I to be bargained for Faan? Frederick should’ve chosen Faan. I’m not worth a single finger of his. Nothing would change if I died, but so much changed because Faan died. I...’"

Maya interrupted him, her voice choked, "Stop!"

But he ignored her and added loudly, "You used to feel proud because you thought your father died for an honorable cause, but now you feel humiliated because your father died because of me, which in your eyes is not an honorable reason. To you, I’m worth nothing."

Maya repeated in disbelief, "You’re worth nothing to me! To me!" Then her eyes glistened as she gazed at him, and she spoke with strength, losing control over her emotions after his last statement, "For you, only for you, Alexander Barran, I went to the psychiatrist and asked him to help me believe in Frederick’s innocence because I didn’t want to hurt the man who is your uncle. My mother kept telling me to forgive Frederick for my father’s sake because he was his friend, but I refused. Yet after meeting you, I decided to forgive Frederick for your sake because he is your uncle. I did it for you, not for my father. I chose you over my father, and now you’re telling me I feel humiliated because my father died because of you! I haven’t blamed you once. I haven’t even hinted that I would seek revenge against you. All I did was be honest about how I feel and ask you to stay away from me so I wouldn’t do something that would hurt you or wound your feelings like when you tried to wipe away my tear." She paused for a moment before whispering, "I did all that because I love you, Alexander."

Except for his chest rising and falling with erratic breaths, Alex didn’t move. How could he move when Maya had just dropped such a bombshell on him? She always left him stunned with her surprises, but this time, she had paralyzed and silenced him to the point where he was incapable of looking at her. Why? Why does every attempt to resolve things only make them more complicated when it comes to Maya? But he knew there would be no complication more difficult or intense than this one. Finally, he lifted his eyes to her and muttered, "Then do it again."

Her puzzled look met his determined gaze, and he swallowed hard before continuing, "Forgive Frederick again, for my sake."

After everything she had said, after her confession, that was his only response—Frederick. But instead of getting angry, she gave him a slow, gentle smile because she already knew he didn’t love her. She said softly, "You arrogant man! Let me clarify something. I am now ready to sacrifice everything to get Frederick and Maddoff. I swear I will spare nothing to kill them, so stay away and don’t make me sacrifice you."

"Would you sacrifice your love for me because I stood by Frederick?"

"I won’t have to! My love for you will die on its own the moment you support him. You know, I hurt my mother deeply, a wound I’m sure will never heal, just because she tried to defend him with words."

"Love doesn’t die."

Maya laughed and said, "Oh, don’t be so sure. It does die, and in seconds, just as it did with Frederick. I told you before that I loved him, that I gave him half the love I had for my father. But that love, despite its greatness, didn’t stop me from wanting to kill him for even a moment over the past three years."

He shook his head and asked, "So you’re determined to kill me then?"

She replied with an honest tone, "No. But if you try to stand in my way of getting to Frederick, if killing you is necessary to reach Frederick, then I will do it. I’ll kill you without hesitation; I won’t care about you, not even an ounce."

Grinding his teeth in anger, Alex said, "Just like that, huh? Listen here, Maya, I’m Frederick’s nephew, and he’ll always be the uncle I love. That means you won’t harm a single hair on his head while I’m alive, so good luck trying to kill me. By the way, I’ll assign guards to protect my uncle, and I’ll hire someone to track your movements. I’ll keep you under surveillance, always one step ahead of you. The bottom line is you won’t harm my uncle, and your love can go to hell." Then he stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

Maya focused her gaze on the door he had just exited through and said, "I tried my best to keep you out of this fight, even to the point of throwing my pride to the wind for your sake. But you’re determined to join, so welcome to the depths of revenge, Alexander."