At the police station, Kaiser sat giving his testimony instead of accompanying the others to the hospital to check on Charlotte's condition.
In truth, it seemed as if he had come reluctantly.
"So… you're saying you returned to your apartment to rest, but you ran into Daniel and Lyudmila outside the victim's apartment, Charlotte Smith's, knocking on the door in an attempt to open it?"
"That's correct."
Kaiser replied calmly, his expression steady.
"After that, you contacted the building's private security officer and asked him for the spare key to the victim's apartment."
"Yes."
The investigator leaned forward, his voice dripping with suspicion:
"Didn't it occur to you that everything might be fine? That trying to open the apartment like that could be extremely risky?"
Kaiser raised an eyebrow, a calm smile forming on his lips as he crossed his arms over his chest:
"Are you suggesting I would have become an intruder on someone else's property? Perhaps. But I didn't think about the consequences. And look at this… thanks to me, things didn't turn out worse than they could have."
The investigator sighed coldly:
"Almost… alright. But you haven't told me yet: how were you able to request the spare key to the victim's apartment so easily?"
"Oh, simply because I have the authority to do so. Would you like me to show you my ID?"
Before he could continue, a knock sounded at the door, and a man wearing old-fashioned glasses entered carrying a black leather briefcase.
It was Alex, Kaiser's lawyer, arriving at the perfect moment.
"Why does it feel like this is an interrogation of a suspect, not testimony from a witness?"
He said sharply, placing his briefcase on the table and pulling out his business card.
The investigator raised his eyebrows.
"And who are you?"
Alex replied coldly, placing the card in front of him:
"A lawyer from Stars Corporation. I'm here to accompany the young master … and I won't sit idly by if this approach continues."
The investigator smiled coldly, leaning back slightly and crossing his arms:
"What approach? We're just going over the details. As for the room…"
He gestured around casually.
"It's always like this, whether a witness or a suspect sits here."
A heavy silence fell between them. The investigator flipped the card between his fingers, his blue eyes wandering for a moment, before he exhaled and gestured toward the door:
"Anyway, I've got what I need. You may leave."
Kaiser smiled lightly, then stood gracefully, buttoning his stylish jacket:
"Pleasure speaking with you, Officer."
He walked out confidently, Alex following with measured steps, leaving behind an air of mystery and lingering suspicion in the room.
"How is Charlotte?"
"Almost fine, but she is still unconscious."
Kaiser sighed in frustration; what happened in Charlotte's apartment would bring a lot of negative attention to their residential building, which, honestly, worked in his favor.
In the other interrogation room, Pyotr sat across from Devin, the table between them acting as a fragile barrier preventing him from lunging forward.
"You've never killed anyone before…"
Pyotr said, his voice low but charged with anger.
"Yes."
Devin replied indifferently, leaning back in his chair, his hands still restrained.
"Alright… then how do you justify breaking into the victim's apartment, Charlotte Smith's?"
Pyotr pressed, his eyes scanning every subtle expression on Devin's face.
Devin smiled, unconcerned, shrugging his shoulders:
"I didn't break in… she let me in."
Pyotr tapped his fingers on the file before him, trying to steady his nerves:
"Your fingerprints were found on the doorknob… and on the key."
Devin gave a fearless glance, shrugging casually:
"Natural… she asked me to close the door behind me."
Pyotr leaned forward, his eyes shining with suppressed fury:
"Really?!"
It was the twentieth time he had asked that question, and the answer was always the same.
Pyotr exhaled sharply, flipping through the file:
"You're charged with multiple crimes. Even if you deny the break-in and physical assault… how do you deny attempted murder?"
Devin chuckled softly, then said sarcastically:
"Attempted murder? My God… you're exaggerating. Maybe I lost my temper a little, but Charlotte and I… we understand each other perfectly. This isn't new between us."
Pyotr narrowed his eyes:
"What do you mean?"
Devin leaned forward, his voice softer and cunning:
"I mean we've done this before. Yes… choking. She likes it. She enjoys violent relationships. That's her preference."
"Preference?!"
Devin smiled, his green eyes glinting with a devilish coldness:
"Of course. Some prefer dull, routine relationships… while others need violence… to feel real pleasure."
Pyotr slammed his fist on the table, making the papers tremble:
"That's nonsense! The victim's heart actually stopped! If the medical team and I hadn't revived her… Charlotte Smith would be a corpse right now!"
A faint smile appeared on Devin's face, his voice calm yet provocative:
"You're yelling at me… why? Trying to impose your view on mine?"
He leaned slightly forward, his gaze as cold as a blade:
"You want me to confess to a crime I didn't commit? I told you… what happened was just an accident. Slightly different from what Charlotte and I are used to."
Pyotr slammed the file on the table with his finger:
"Fine, then explain this: the wound on her head, how do you justify that?"
Devin smiled lightly, as if mocking:
"She slipped… and hit her head. Just a regular fall."
"And why was there water all over the bathroom floor in the first place?!"
"I was trying to wake her up."
"Wake her up? From what?"
"From almost fainting… because of her hand, which I accidentally broke."
Pyotr leaned forward, his voice low but threatening:
"And how did her hand break?"
Devin shrugged, his eyes teasingly calm:
"I told you… a mistake. How exactly? I don't know. Maybe Charlotte can explain better than me."
Pyotr shook his head, his anger erupting in his eyes:
"Do you think I'm stupid enough to believe this nonsense?!"
Devin smiled again, a cold, stabbing smile:
"Oh, you're the one questioning my words?"
Pyotr slammed his fist on the table, his voice roaring through the room:
"You vile bastard… how dare you?!"
Devin didn't move; he just shrugged indifferently, his eyes roaming the small room where he had been held since being brought to the police station. Despite the dreary walls and suffocating smell of sweat, he seemed composed… even enjoying it.
"What about the bruises?" Pyotr asked sharply.
Devin gave a faint smile:
"Bruises? You call them bruises? They're marks of love. Every slap… every kick… I put all my feelings for her into them."
Pyotr froze, speechless, as if his mind refused to process what he was hearing. How could a human see pain like that?
He lowered his voice, pressing each word:
"There are clear signs of resistance from the victim."
Devin raised an eyebrow mockingly:
"Resistance makes it more exciting. She knows exactly how to provoke me… and how I show her my love."
Pyotr sighed deeply, his fist trembling on the table.
"Stop manipulating."
Devin chuckled lightly, his eyes glinting with sarcasm:
"Manipulating? We express our love in our own way. Your problem is that your society is old-fashioned and conservative, you don't understand people like us. You think we're abnormal, but it's you who needs to change, not us."
Behind the tinted glass, inside the secret recording room, Alia clasped her hands bitterly:
"He keeps twisting the truth… as if this is all just a game between lovers."
Vasily responded coldly, his eyes fixed on Devin:
"People like him… disgust me."
Suddenly, the door slammed open, and Leonid entered with steady, furious steps.
He stared at Devin with frozen eyes and said:
"You're right… it's us who need to change our way of thinking."
He slowly put on a black glove, as if declaring war.
"I'll change my way… and join you."
Devin smirked sarcastically, tilting his head:
"Mr. Dead Puppy Owner… what brings you here? How did you get in? Or are you a suspect like me?"
Pyotr froze in place, staring in shock:
"Leonid… what are you doing?"
Leonid ignored Pyotr's question, his footsteps heavy in the tense room:
"Why am I here? Simply… because I'm in love with you, Mr. Devin Zorin."
Devin's eyes widened for a moment before he chuckled lightly. Pyotr, however, erupted in anger:
"Are you insane?!"
But Leonid slammed his federal badge onto Pyotr's chest harshly:
"Leave. That's an order."
"That's illegal—"
Leonid cut him off with a cold tone:
"Leave… before I put you with him."
Pyotr had no choice but to retreat, throwing him an angry glare. Silence filled the room for a heavy moment before Devin smiled a twisted smile and said:
"Excuse me… but I'm an upright man."
Leonid smiled coldly, his eyes piercing Devin's, which had started to tremble with visible anxiety:
"Oh really? Consider it unrequited love if you like."
He stepped behind him with steady, menacing steps, his voice low and chilling:
"Before I show you my love… mad for you, answer my question: is the victim, Charlotte Smith, your first lover?"
Devin faltered slightly, trying to control his smile:
"Lover? I like how you've changed your perspective, putting Charlotte in that category… and to answer: no. There are many women, but she's the first in that building."
Leonid nodded slowly, then stepped forward, his fist clenched, smashing Devin's head onto the table with force.
Devin shuddered, his eyes widening, feeling pain for the first time as the echo of the blow weighed on him.
Leonid called in a low voice, feigning sweetness:
"Devin Zorin."
He grabbed Devin's black hair firmly, lifting his angered, distorted face, then continued coldly:
"Former ice skater… used to harass your female assistants, justifying your violence toward them in the name of love, and ended up an alcoholic. What a shameful résumé."
"How dare you—"
Devin tried to respond, but a heavy strike on the table cut him off completely.
"Hahaha."
Leonid laughed with sadistic delight, then dragged Devin off the chair and threw him violently to the floor.
Devin groaned in pain but tried to get up, only to be kicked hard in the stomach, knocking him back down.
"Believe it or not… I have been recorded in history as one of the pathological sadists. I don't just hunt down perverts like you, I deal with them properly, as they deserve."
Leonid paused, crouched beside him, and raised his hand to gently stroke his cheek, before delivering a sharp slap across Devin's face, his eyes fixed on him:
"I'll make you next on my list… be proud."