Chapter88 manipulation
Nikolai POV
I listened as Victor relayed Aliya's message about the surveillance footage. With every word he spoke, my jaw clenched tighter. After he hung up, I stood by the window, arms crossed, staring out at the city.
"Marcus again," I said flatly. "Marcus this, Marcus that. Every conversation with her somehow circles back to Marcus."
"Come on, Nikolai," Victor said, setting down his phone. "You can't be serious right now."
"Three sentences. That's all she said to you. And somehow every single one mentioned Marcus."
Victor rolled his eyes. "She's trying to take him down. Of course she's going to bring him up. That's literally the whole point of your partnership."
I turned away from the window, frustration clear on my face. "Really? Sometimes I wonder if she actually wants to destroy him or if she's still hung up on him."
"Are you listening to yourself?" Victor's voice got sharp. "You think if she was still in love with her husband, she'd be working with you to drag him to court?"
The words hit me like a slap. I stopped and stared at my brother.
"You're right," I said slowly.
"Of course I'm right. You're being an idiot." Victor leaned back in his chair. "Now stop pouting like a kid and get to work. She just handed us everything we need to destroy Marcus. This is what we've been waiting for."
I felt something shift in my chest. Maybe it was relief, or maybe it was realizing I'd been acting like a fool.
I walked back to my desk. "We need to start legal proceedings immediately."
Victor grinned. "Now you're talking sense. Damn right."
I called my Beta Anton, who also happened to be one of the best lawyers in the state. Within an hour, he was in my office with a team of paralegals, ready to file charges of kidnapping, drug possession, and assault against Marcus.
"The evidence is solid," Anton said, reviewing the surveillance footage Aliya had provided. "Clear timeline, video proof, and we have witness testimony about the condition you found her in. Marcus is screwed."
"How long until we can get this in front of a judge?" I asked.
"With evidence this strong? I can fast track it. We could have a hearing within two weeks."
I smiled for the first time in days. "Perfect. Let's do it."
For three days, everything went according to plan. Papers were filed, Marcus was served, his lawyers scrambled to prepare a defense. I could already picture the look on his face when the judge tore into him.
Then Anton called with news that made my blood run cold.
"We've got a problem. Marcus's legal team just filed a counter motion. They're claiming Marcus wasn't the one who drugged Aliya."
"What the hell are you talking about? We have video evidence."
"They're saying Sarah Meadows acted alone. That Marcus was actually trying to rescue Aliya from Sarah's scheme. He's completely throwing her under the bus."
I slammed my fist on the desk. "That's complete bullshit and everyone knows it."
"Maybe, but it creates doubt. If they can convince a jury that Marcus was just an innocent bystander trying to help his wife, our whole case falls apart."
I hung up and immediately called Viktor. "We need Aliya here. Now."
Twenty minutes later, she walked into my office. When our eyes met, I felt that familiar electric current. She looked beautiful as always, but I could see tension in her face.
She sneered. "Of course that's something Marcus would do. Throw all the blame on Sarah and keep playing the innocent victim."
"His lawyers are good," Victor said from behind my desk. "They'll paint him as a concerned husband trying to save you from Sarah's jealous plot."
Aliya shook her head in disgust. "Sarah's cunning, but she's not smart enough to plan something like this alone. Marcus has been pulling the strings the whole time."
"The problem is proving it," I said. "Right now it's our word against his, and he has the advantage of being the 'worried husband' who came to rescue you."
Viktor leaned forward. "Maybe there's a way to solve this. We could go after Sarah directly."
I immediately shook my head. "Absolutely not. Too dangerous."
"Why?" Aliya asked.
"Because Sarah hates you," I said bluntly. "She's always seen you as the enemy, the one who stole Marcus from her. Sending you to talk to her would be walking into a trap."
Victor nodded in agreement. "Nikolai's right. Sarah comes from a small family. Everything she has, her status, money, protection, all depends on Marcus. If she's taking the fall for him, it's probably something they planned from the start."
"You think she's being paid to stay quiet?" Aliya asked.
"I think she's been promised the world," I said. "Marcus probably told her that once this all blows over, he'll divorce you and make her his official partner. She's desperate enough to believe it."
Aliya was quiet for a long time, staring out the window. I could almost see the gears turning in her head.
"What if I still go see her?" she finally said.
"No," I said immediately. "Absolutely not."
"Hear me out. Sarah's emotional, impulsive. Why don't we use that? I could go see her personally and make her show her true colors. We could take down both Sarah and Marcus at the same time."
"It's too risky," Victor said.
Aliya looked at both of us with that determined expression I knew meant she'd already made up her mind.
"I know it's dangerous," she said. "But this might be our only chance. We could completely destroy both him and Sarah."
I wanted to keep arguing, but Aliya turned directly to Victor. "Victor, I need your help with this."
When did they get so close?
I narrowed my eyes. "Can't I help instead?"
Aliya smiled slyly, pushing Victor's wheelchair toward the door. "You have more important things to do."