Chapter 177
Our lives returned to peace.
I had just gone to Shadow Circuit Studio to handle a few new project orders when Liliana called.
"Sophia, I need to tell you something." Her tone was different from usual—less excited, more hesitant.
I kept working while talking: "Go ahead."
"I... I met someone."
I put down the sample I was holding: "Who?"
"A few days ago, remember I drove out? It was raining, the road was slippery, and I accidentally scraped someone's car."
I frowned: "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, just scraped the bumper. It was my fault." She paused, "We were supposed to just go through insurance and be done with it, but the guy got out and yelled at me, 'If you can't drive, stay off the road. You're a danger to yourself and others.'"
I raised an eyebrow: "And then?"
"Then another guy came to help me, and he even got hit by that person." She sounded indignant, "I've never been treated like that before, so I started arguing with him right away."
That definitely sounded like her.
"After the argument, the traffic police came to determine fault, we each got our cars fixed, and I thought that was the end of it." Her voice suddenly dropped, "But the next day, I ran into the guy who stood up for me at the coffee shop I always go to."
"What a coincidence?"
"I thought so too. He said he lives nearby. The shop was crowded that day, and his table was the only one with an empty seat, so I sat down, and we chatted for a bit."
She paused, with a hint of a smile in her voice that even I hadn't noticed: "We really hit it off."
I didn't say anything.
After waiting a moment, she got anxious: "Why aren't you saying anything? Aren't you curious about what happened next?"
"Would you not tell me if I didn't ask?"
Only then was she satisfied, and she told me everything: "His name is Tyrell Baldwin, he's thirty-two, works in investment, studied abroad and came back, never been married, looks pretty good, 6 feet tall, doesn't wear glasses..."
I interrupted her: "Did you investigate him?"
"No, he told me himself." She laughed, "Sophia, help me figure out if he's a good person."
I was silent for a moment: "You want me to meet him?"
"Yes, let's have dinner together. Help me see if this guy is reliable. When other people date someone, they have their friends check him out. I want that too."
I didn't refuse: "Okay, you arrange it."
Liliana was always efficient. The next day, she had the dinner set up.
She chose the location—a restaurant with private rooms that offered good privacy. She'd taken me there a few times before.
I arrived ten minutes early.
When I pushed the door open, Liliana was already sitting inside, with Tyrell next to her.
"Sophia, over here!" She waved at me, smiling—a kind of smile I hadn't seen on her face in a long time.
I walked over, quietly sizing up Tyrell.
He looked young, with genuinely decent features—regular eyebrows and eyes, wearing a dark gray cashmere sweater with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms.
When he saw me, he immediately stood up, wearing a perfectly appropriate smile, and bowed slightly: "Ms. Brown, I've heard so much about you. Liliana often mentions you, says you're her best friend."
I nodded: "Hello."
When we sat down, he moved aside, leaving the inner seat for Liliana, and reached out to block the corner of the table, worried she might bump into it.
He was thoughtful and considerate. He seemed like a decent person.
When the waiter brought the menu, he took it and handed it to Liliana: "See what you'd like to eat."
Liliana ordered, and he occasionally added a comment or two—all dishes Liliana liked. Then he turned to me and asked if I had any dietary restrictions or what I'd like to eat.
I looked at him and said, "Anything is fine."
He smiled and nodded, calling the waiter to place the order.
When Liliana went to the restroom, only Tyrell and I were left in the private room.
I put down my glass and looked at him: "Mr. Baldwin, may I ask how you and Liliana met?"
His smile didn't change, and he answered smoothly: "Through a car accident."
"You live in that area?"
"Yes, Maple Grove."
"What time was it when you ran into her that day?"
He paused for a moment, still smiling: "Around six in the evening."
"At that time, from Maple Grove in that direction is heading out of the city. Why weren't you driving home but heading out of town instead?"
His smile faded for an instant, then quickly returned: "To meet a client."
"What kind of client would you meet at that time in that area?"
He didn't answer.
I looked at him.
He looked back at me, the smile completely gone from his face.
"Ms. Brown." He put down his glass and leaned back in his chair. His voice was still gentle, but his eyes had changed. "You're Liliana's friend, you care about her. I understand that."
"But asking such detailed questions—isn't that overstepping?"
"I'm just asking casually."
"Casually?" He laughed without humor. "Think about it yourself—are these questions a normal person would ask? You're clearly treating me like a criminal under interrogation."
I didn't deny it.
He looked down at his phone. The screen lit up, he swiped a couple of times, then locked it and placed it face down on the table.
For the next twenty minutes, he didn't speak to me again.
When Liliana came back, she clearly sensed something was wrong.
She looked at me, then at Tyrell, her eyes questioning.
Tyrell put down his fork and sighed, his face showing a hint of restrained grievance.
"Liliana." He spoke, his voice gentle. "I don't know if I should say this."
Liliana frowned: "Go ahead."
He glanced at me, hesitating, but finally said: "When you went to the restroom, Ms. Brown asked me a lot of questions that I found very offensive."
He paused and smiled bitterly: "She even asked if I was deliberately trying to get close to you."
Liliana's frown deepened as she looked at me.
Tyrell continued: "I didn't know how to answer that kind of question, so I didn't say anything."
"After that, Ms. Brown didn't give me a friendly look. She seems quite dissatisfied with me."
He lowered his head, his voice dropping: "If I've caused a misunderstanding between you and your friend, I deserve to die..."
The private room fell silent for a few seconds.
I looked at Liliana.
Liliana was silent.
Then she spoke, addressing Tyrell.
"Sophia asked you something? Tell me exactly what she said."
Tyrell paused, then repeated the questions I had asked.
Liliana listened and fell silent.
Then she said, "Tyrell, you should go. Sophia and I need to talk alone."
Tyrell looked at her, a hint of a smile flashing across his face.
But he didn't argue. He nodded and stood up, taking his coat from the back of the chair.
"Okay, I'll be in touch."
After he left, the private room fell quiet again.
Liliana poured herself a glass of water but didn't drink it, just held it and turned it in her hands.
"Go ahead," she looked at me, "why did you ask those questions?"
I didn't beat around the bush: "I think something's off."
"What do you think is wrong?"
"It's too much of a coincidence." I listed them one by one for her, "Don't you think everything is too convenient?"