Captain Jacob was already standing in front of her, gesturing for her to leave. She sat stiffly in the chair, tears streaming down her face. The handkerchief he had just given her was already used to wipe her tears; her helpless and desperate tears kept falling, and the handkerchief was completely soaked. Seemingly ignoring Captain Jacob’s words to drive her away, her gaze became deep, staring straight out the window. The sun was about to set, and the remnants of the sun on the horizon were as red as blood. Khanyi did not know if there would still be a sunrise after this long, dark night…
“Jacob, what about that list I wanted?” The office door was suddenly pushed open, and the newcomer did not knock. His voice was initially filled with anger, but when his gaze met the black-haired, black-eyed girl sitting in that black chair, it immediately froze. His ice-blue eyes twitched slightly, and he quickly lowered his head, letting the black brim of his hat shield his view. His hand lightly rested on the door, but his nails almost dug into the wooden door.
He remained silent for a long time before finally speaking, “Send it to my office.” After saying this, his foot had not fully entered the room before he turned and left.
Captain Jacob hesitated for two seconds in place. His superior’s instructions had been ambiguous; he didn’t know if he wanted that list or this girl. He walked to the file cabinet, took out a manila envelope from the top shelf, pulled out the paper inside, confirmed it, then stuffed it back in, walking to Khanyi, who had already fused with the wooden chair, gently patting her stiff shoulder, “Please, Miss Gianna.”
She wore a black, coarse-knit sweater and a gray-brown patterned woolen skirt. Her legs were tightly pressed together, and she sat up straight, trying her best to maintain a proper posture. Her smooth, silky black hair was pinned back with a brown bow clip, making her appear even more frail.
Although the current fashion favored black and neutral tones, her outfit was too dull and did not match her youthful age. She was very young, yet not sexy or glamorous, nor was she sweet and charming. Her face was shaped like a pointed melon seed, slightly pale, with lips lacking color, but the beautiful curve of her lip line could not be concealed.
Her large eyes, distinctly black and white, had long eyelashes that fluttered rapidly, perhaps due to her inner tension. Her chest rose and fell increasingly, and in the quiet room, her faint gasps could be heard, clearly indicating that her nerves were gradually being strained by the oppressive silence.
He shifted his gaze away from her and glanced out the office window. The sun was about to set, and the fiery red sunset painted half the sky. The last rays of evening glow filtered through the glass, illuminating her. The rosy light finally brought a hint of color to her pale face.
“I heard from Jacob that you wanted to see me?” he said.
Khanyi did not respond. The frequency of her blinking increased, as if she were trying to organize her thoughts on how to answer his question.
He could see that it was not just her black eyes that were trembling; her whole body was shaking. So he coldly chuckled and continued, “Well, now you’ve seen me.”
Suddenly, she looked up, her shining black eyes meeting his icy blue gaze. Her tone was soft, like a little kitten, which did not match the somewhat aggressive look in his eyes. “Please, let them go, the teachers from Starlight School. They haven’t done anything wrong.”
He paused for a moment, then lowered his gaze, pulling open the drawer of his desk. He took out a cigarette case and a lighter, lit a cigarette, and held it between his long fingers, taking a light puff. “You mean the teachers from Starlight Art School? The ones who captured them are the Public Security Joint Defense Forces, not my people.” He added, “I only ordered the capture of those who truly pose a threat, not these nameless nobodies who only know how to talk big.”
She struggled to analyze his words, realizing that the school teachers had not committed any serious offenses. “But Irina inquired with the municipal officials, and they said… you are the one with the final say.”
