Chapter 61 The Test of Freedom.

Chapter 61 The Test of Freedom.
Chapter 63.

The Test of Freedom.

Alicia arrives at the university campus. The morning sun reflects on the polished hood of her Ferrari, a symbol of the golden cage Lucas has imposed on her. The confrontation in the car has freed her from the need to pretend; Lucas’s hypocrisy—his right to kiss Carolina and his prohibition for Alicia to have friends—ignites her accumulated resentment.

She heads to the postgraduate building. The university atmosphere is a balm; this is the Alicia who existed before the Jank hurricane. She greets several classmates who congratulate her on her graduation, exchanging jokes about the stress of the final theses. She picks up the last books and notes from her locker, feeling a definitive closure to that stage of her life.

Her last stop is the dean's office, where she retrieves the formal documents for her degree. Upon finishing, with a pile of folders and books in her arms, she walks through the underground parking lot. She is focused, making sure not to leave anything visible on the passenger seat of the Ferrari that might be stolen.

Just as she is distracted, leaning over the seat, she feels an unfamiliar figure holding her from behind, a sudden but firm grip on her shoulders.

“Ah!” she screams, startled, her books falling to the ground with a thud. Adrenaline surges through her.

“It’s me, beautiful, it's me,” a familiar voice whispers in her ear.

Alicia whirls around, seeing the amused face of Alexéi Krylov, dressed in a leather jacket and a white T-shirt.

“God, you idiot! You scared me!” Alicia exclaims, her breathing ragged.

Alexéi bursts out laughing, a fresh, free sound that contrasts with the oppression Alicia feels at the mansion. “I’m sorry, you served it up on a platter. I was trying to call you, but you were too concentrated, taking inventory. Is everything alright?”

“What are you doing here?” Alicia asks, her nervousness returning. Despite her boldness, she cannot ignore Lucas's security men who always lurk, although today they seem to be maintaining an unusual distance.

“The question is, where are we going?” Alexéi casually leans against the Ferrari.

“What do you mean?”

“I came for you. We’re going for a ride. Are you up for it?”

The proposal is tempting. It is an opportunity to disobey, to breathe, to be the Alicia that exists outside of Lucas Jank’s orbit. But guilt and fear are still there.

“I can’t. I have a boyfriend,” Alicia says, using the excuse she has always used.

Alexéi smiles at her, but his gaze is serious. “I guarantee we'll have fun. You shouldn’t tell me no. Come on, we’re just friends. Nothing will happen that you don't want.” There is an intensity in his voice that challenges her own authority.

Alicia is unsettled by the proposal. It is the promise of freedom, wrapped in the danger of disobedience. Alexéi must see the doubt in her eyes.

“You can’t say no to me. Listen. Let's go on the first tour, the ‘Vertigo Plan.’ If you don't like it, I'll bring you straight back. Deal?”

The name, 'Vertigo Plan,' resonates with the dizziness she felt the day before. It is an audacious plan. Alicia looks at the elegant Ferrari, a symbol of her confinement, and then at Alexéi, the messenger of liberation.

“Agreed,” Alicia whispers. “Just one ride.”

Alexéi grins from ear to ear. “Great. The car, with all due respect, is too formal for the Vertigo Plan.”

He points toward the corner of the parking lot. There is a café racer motorcycle, vintage-style, gleaming and bold.

Alicia feels a shiver of terror and excitement. “A motorcycle? I’ve never been on one of those.”

“There’s a first time for everything,” Alexéi says.

At the exact moment Alexéi hands her a helmet, a dark car that has been discreetly parked at the service entrance moves. Gael, Lucas's head of security, has already detected Alexéi's presence and the motorcycle, reporting to his superior. Lucas has ignored Alicia's accusations that he watches her, but the truth is that Gael's team has never left her side.

Alexéi helps her put on the helmet and climb on behind him. Alicia clings to his leather jacket, feeling the vibrating power of the machine.

When the motorcycle roars and speeds out of the parking lot, Lucas's security men, already alerted, activate the pursuit.

Immersion in the City

Alexéi takes her on a tour of the city, not along the main avenues she knows, but through alleys and historic neighborhoods. It is a labyrinth of colors and sounds that Alicia has never experienced from the perspective of freedom, without the isolation of the tinted glass of the family car.

At a quick stop at a traffic light, Alexéi pulls out two pairs of dark sunglasses and a baseball cap.

“We need camouflage,” he explains, pulling the cap over Alicia's helmet. “Your face is too recognizable in these circles.”

He puts his on, and with a quick, playful movement, he tucks her hair beneath the cap, his hand brushing her neck. The contact is electric, yet strangely lacking the guilt she feels with Lucas. It is the touch of a daring friend.

“Ready,” Alexéi says. “We’re going to be two strangers enjoying the city.”

The first stop is the Museum of Natural History. Alicia, who has only visited museums for charity galas with the Jank family, finds herself fascinated, wandering through the halls, observing the giant dinosaur skeletons and the preserved animals.

Alexéi doesn't force her to talk about her problems; instead, he bombards her with curious facts and silly stories about zoology. In the ocean room, he leans over the tropical fish tank and makes funny faces, mimicking the fish with a comical seriousness, provoking a genuine laugh from Alicia that she hasn't released in months.

As she is having fun, unaware that they are being photographed from various angles, the farce of her life crumbles. Lucas has ordered Gael to document everything. But what Gael photographs is the evidence of Alicia's happiness.

The ride continues. The zoo, the oldest pizzeria in the city (where they eat greasy slices on the sidewalk), and finally, the movie theater. They watch a ridiculous action film, laughing pleasantly at the bad dialogue and special effects.

The contrast between the previous night—the façade dinner with Carolina and the public pretense—and this day of authenticity and anonymity is overwhelming. Alicia realizes that what she feels for Alexéi is not physical desire, but an addiction to normalcy and freedom.

The Documented Escape

While Alicia is having fun, Lucas is living his own hell of suspicion and rage in his office. Gael has been sending him minute-by-minute reports, with blurry photos and laconic descriptions.

> 10:15h: The objective gets on a motorcycle with Alexéi Krylov. Unknown direction.

> 14:30h: Natural History Museum. They are together. Laughing.

> 16:00h: Pizzeria “El Horno.” Animated conversation. They
buy food.

> 18:30h: Leaving the cinema. The objective seems very comfortable with Krylov.