Chapter 152: Behind the Lens

"You won't wait long," the investigator said, leaning back in her metal chair. "Once my team gets that drive, the truth will come out, including the name of the girl you're trying to protect."

Zarik didn't look up from the table. He kept his hands flat against the cold steel, his posture rigid. "You're wasting your time."

"We'll see about that," she replied, picking up her smartphone from the desk.

A sharp chime broke the silence of the interrogation room.

The investigator swiped her thumb across the glass, her eyebrows lifting at a trending alert. "Look at this. Your case is blowing up online."

She tapped the notification out of curiosity, turning the volume up.

A live video feed loaded on the screen, the audio echoing clearly through the small room.

"...is my boyfriend," a woman's voice said from the device.

Zarik's head snapped up. He recognized that voice instantly.

The investigator turned the phone so he could see. A young woman sat in front of a plain wall, speaking directly into the lens. Her eyes were red, but her posture stayed steady.

"Zarik didn't assault me," the woman said on the livestream. "He didn't drug my drink or force me anywhere. I drank too much at that bar, and he carried me home so I'd be safe. That's the entire truth."

The investigator scoffed, pulling the phone back. "Your agency works fast. I wonder how much they paid her to sit there and read a script."

"She isn't reading a script," Zarik said, his jaw tightening.

The investigator scrolled through the rapid stream of live comments. "Nobody believes her anyway. The viewers are tearing her apart in the chat."

She read comments aloud, tapping the glass with her pen. "One user says it's staged. Another says your manager hired an actress since the street clip hid the victim's face. They're calling it complete garbage."

She shook her head. "It's a cheap cover-up. Anyone could put on a sad face and pretend to be the girl from that alley."

The profile page loaded on her screen.

The investigator's smug expression slowly faded.

The account wasn't a fake profile created this morning. It had thousands of followers, regular updates, and verified work credentials displayed right in the biography.

"Chloe," the investigator read quietly, her eyes moving across the lines. "Personal assistant to the Chief Executive Officer at Zenith Beauty."

Her face went completely unreadable.

Zenith Beauty was the fastest-rising cosmetic brand in the province. An executive assistant at a major firm didn't take bribes from a talent manager.

If the public decided she was lying, her corporate reputation would be destroyed forever.

"Why would someone in her position risk her entire career for you?" the investigator asked, staring across the metal table.

Zarik kept his mouth shut.

Before she could ask another question, a loud knock rattled the door.

The heavy handle turned, and the team leader pushed into the room. He carried a small black thumb drive in his palm, holding it up for her to see.

"We got the drive," the officer reported, setting the plastic drive on the desk. "The security technician is locked in a holding cell downstairs. He gave it up the second we showed the warrant."

"Plug it into the terminal," the investigator ordered.

The officer inserted the drive, loading the video files onto the main monitor.

The room fell into heavy silence as the recording began to play. The black-and-white video showed the entire interior of the basement bar from midnight to two in the morning.

\---

An hour passed as they watched the events unfold on the screen.

The door swung open again, and Chloe stepped into the interrogation room.

She didn't look at the officers. She didn't look at the screens on the wall. Her eyes locked straight onto Zarik.

Zarik pushed his chair back and stood up.

Chloe crossed the room in three quick steps, throwing her arms around his neck. She pulled him into a tight hug, burying her face against his collar.

Zarik wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close while the two officers watched in silence.

"I saw the news," Chloe whispered, her voice shaking against his shirt. "I'm so sorry I caused this mess."

"You didn't cause anything," Zarik said softly, resting his hand against her hair.

The investigator stepped forward, holding a printed file under her arm. "We reviewed the entire security feed from the bar, Miss Chloe. Your face and timeline match every second of the tape."

Chloe loosened her grip, turning her head to face the investigator.

"I apologize for the trouble, Mr. Zarik," the investigator said, her tone level and sincere. "My job is finding the truth, no matter who's involved. You're officially cleared of all charges."

Zarik nodded once, his fingers remaining laced through Chloe's hand.

"You have a good man beside you," the investigator told Chloe. "You're lucky."

Chloe looked at her, confused. "What do you mean?"

"The indoor footage showed the whole confrontation," the investigator explained, pointing toward the monitor. "He put his body directly in front of yours while four armed men pointed a gun straight at his head. He didn't run, and he didn't back down."

She paused, her eyes narrowing. "And that wasn't a bunch of drunk locals. That was the Cobra gang."

Chloe looked up at Zarik, her chest tightening as the memory of the bar came back.

"Let's get out of here," Zarik said quietly.

He guided Chloe toward the open doorway, leading her out into the main hallway of the precinct.

The heavy door clicked shut behind them, cutting off the sound of their footsteps.

The investigator stood alone by the workstation.

She didn't pack her files. She sat down in her rolling chair, pulled the keyboard close, and rewound the security tape.

The video paused on the moment the gang leader slapped his subordinate's gun away.

The investigator stared at the screen, her brow furrowing.

Zarik's bravery was obvious. But something else in that footage didn't make any sense at all.

The Cobra gang was the most feared criminal syndicate in the city. Their leader shot people for fun. Yet the moment he realized who Chloe was, he lowered his weapon, yelled at his own men, and walked out into the street.

The gang boss wasn't scared of Zarik.

He was protecting Chloe.

"Why would the head of the Cobra gang be terrified of hurting a corporate assistant?" the investigator muttered to herself, staring at the frozen frame.

Heavy boots pounded against the tiled floor outside.

"Where is she?!" a harsh voice yelled from the hallway.

The door flew open with a loud bang, hitting the wall.

Detective Miller stormed into the room, his jacket open, his face red with anger.

He pointed a shaking finger at her desk.

"Why did you just release Zarik?!" Miller roared.