“I asked Irina to bribe the officials with a large sum of money, and that’s how I was allowed to see you.”
“Bribe? Where did you get so much money?” He exclaimed in surprise, then lowered his voice, “By the way, I have a deposit in a Swiss bank, just in the compartment of my suitcase…”
Khanyi forced a smile, “You don’t need to worry about the money. Have they mistreated you? Why were you and the teachers arrested?” She noticed blood at the corner of his mouth and bruises on his forehead, quickly taking out her handkerchief to wipe the blood away.
He shook his head, his obsidian-like eyes gazing intently at her. “I don’t know why I was arrested. Since the day before yesterday, no one has interrogated me. But don’t worry, they haven’t mistreated me; it’s just a few scrapes.”
“Victor, I will find a way to get you out!”
“Khanyi… you mustn’t do anything foolish.” He knew her too well; seeing her determined expression made him even more worried.
“There’s not much time left, brother. As long as I see you safe, that’s enough,” she said, pushing a small bundle of food and a coat through the iron bars. “Take care, brother. I will come to see you again.”
She wrapped a gray scarf around her head and quickly ascended the stairs from the underground cell to the ground floor. A voice called out to her, “Wait, little beauty, what are you doing here? Visiting your lover?”
The blonde beauty Irina was pacing at the prison entrance, smoking a cigarette. She had been waiting for a while when suddenly her blue eyes flickered. She saw Khanyi being shoved out by a prison guard and quickly approached. “Officer, what are you doing?”
“You scoundrel!” Khanyi glared at him, her scarf had been torn away, and her clothes were ripped. She had just barely escaped his grasp from the prison door. But he followed closely behind, clearly not willing to let her go easily.
“Calm down, officer. This girl is just being foolish and bumped into you.” Irina, clearly more cunning than Khanyi, pulled out a thick stack of cash from her bag and stuffed it into his hand.
“It seems you know how to behave.” The guard first stuffed the money into his pocket, then pinched Irina’s chin, sizing up her face. “Today I’m quite fortunate, another beauty. This is interesting. If you two beauties don’t want the one inside to suffer, just come in with me, how about it? We can discuss it—either you or you? Or maybe both together…”
“You shameless! Money can’t silence your filthy mouth!” Khanyi couldn’t stand the insult and retorted angrily.
“You little brat, really don’t know how to appreciate kindness!” He was somewhat humiliated and raised his baton to strike her forehead.
“What’s going on?” A cold voice rang out. A black-clad SS officer stepped out of a black Mercedes parked right at the prison entrance, as if he had come to handle some business. The argument at the entrance blocked his way.
“Reporting, sir… these two women are causing trouble.” The guard put away his baton and stood behind him, his previous arrogant demeanor completely gone, now resembling a fawning servant.
Irina immediately sensed the change in the air and turned her attention to the slender black-clad SS officer. “Sir, that’s not the case. This officer wanted to invite us to his reception room for tea, but we are very busy and don’t have the time…”
Her hand, with long red nails, immediately climbed up his arm adorned with a white armband with red lettering. Although this man had a cold expression, he was still handsome.
Khanyi also recognized the man’s face. His keen gaze swept over her, and a hint of disbelief flashed in his gray-green pupils. He slightly lowered his head, sidestepping her, and said to the guard, “Alright, since there’s nothing going on, disperse quickly. This is not a place for tea and chat.”
“Yes, sir.” The guard had no choice but to retreat, slinking back into the prison.
“If it’s your invitation, we would be very happy…” Irina threw him a flirtatious glance.
He seemed to treat Irina’s words as mere background noise, gently pushing her hands off his arm with his gloved right hand, quickly stepping up the stairs, pushing open the door, and through the glass door, it seemed he glanced back at Khanyi before swiftly entering the hall…
Since the encounter with that black-clad SS officer, Khanyi had been as if her soul had been lost. Irina thought she was frightened by that troublesome prison guard, so she took off her wool shawl and wrapped it around the shivering Khanyi, supporting her shoulders all the way back to the school dormitory.
“Gianna, this time it might really… be a bit troublesome. I originally thought it was just simple intimidation, but if this matter is related to the SS, then your brother and the teachers will be in danger,” Irina had to voice her concerns.
Khanyi stared blankly at the worn wooden floor of the dormitory, yes, she saw it, saw his black car, she remembered his license plate number, saw his driver, his guard, and his aide, Captain Jacob. Could it be that he had also come to this city…
