Chapter 409: Love And Roses, I Burn For You

[FROLO]

"Perhaps that is the question Frolo is left with today... When we look at Katya Romanov standing beside Sergei Moskowsky, are we looking at a man who found the love of his life..." she said before turning to Alek...

"...or are we looking at a man whose life changed so completely that we no longer know where his own choices end and the influence of Sergei Moskowsky begins?"

No one said a word.

Alek simply sat there, looking devastated, and every bit like a man who had just lost the love of his life and wanted nothing more than to make sure that man was safe.

Sierra, on the other hand, let the silence stay for a moment before she continued:

"Then let’s talk about the terrorism accusations."

Aleksandr’s expression immediately became serious.

"I don’t believe Katya is a terrorist," Alek said immediately, his voice serious, even dropping the little rose title he was using for Katya before.

If Sierra and anyone noticed, they didn’t say a word about it.

"How can you sit here and say he isn’t involved with the evidence stacked against him?"

"Because being involved in something and being a terrorist are not automatically the same thing. I am defending Katya from a conclusion that has yet to be proven.

"I am not asking anyone to overlook it; I’m only saying the proper authorities should investigate carefully before ruining someone’s life for nothing."

The guests stared at each other, then at Aleksandr, who seemed so confident again.

Was this man serious?

"Your former boyfriend’s name is attached to companies connected to drug operations. And again, this happened while he was chairman. You still believe he was unaware?"

"I believe it is possible."

"That sounds convenient."

"No. It is reasonable."

"Katya was the chairman of a massive empire with people under him. If someone wanted to hide a criminal operation from the chairman, they could. I’m just saying a chairman is not omniscient."

"But the videos don’t stop there. The footage shows Katya sharing Moskowsky trade secrets with his friends who were recorded interfering with Bratva operations, not to mention the footage from the burn chambers," one of the government officials said.

Alek’s jaw tightened at the blatant accusation.

"And you are still saying Katya should not be treated as a terrorist?"

"Yes. None of those videos show Katya carrying out terrorism. If you’re going to investigate Katya, do it because there is evidence against him. Not because people are angry with everyone standing beside him."

"You’re asking the city to separate Katya from the people around him."

"I’m asking the city to separate Katya from crimes he may not have ordered. I’m not going to sit here and tell Frolo that every accusation is false. That would be ridiculous, seeing as some of what was released is obviously real."

The studio had never gotten that quiet.

"But the conclusion that Katya Romanov personally orchestrated terrorism is another matter," Alek insisted.

"You keep saying that like you knew him."

"Yes. But loving him does not mean I get to decide what he did. And it doesn’t mean I am going to let the city decide he is a monster before the evidence does. But until that happens, I will not call him a terrorist."

Sierra watched him carefully.

"And you still expect Frolo to trust you with the task force?"

"Yes. Because I know what Sergei Moskowsky can do. I’ve spent years watching what happens when people underestimate him. I’m not going to make the same mistake."

"And what is the first thing your task force will do?"

"Separate the facts from the spectacle. Katya will get the same treatment as everyone else in the investigation."

"Even though you love him? Won’t that be a conflict of interest?"

"No, it won’t... Especially because I love him."

Sierra looked down at her notes before focusing back on Aleksandr.

"There is one more video. The one involving the general’s secretary. The footage that appears to show Sergei Moskowsky torturing the secretary over the nuclear launch codes. And the person standing in that room who appears to be Katya Romanov."

"I’ve seen it."

"You believe it is real?"

"I believe the video exists."

"You’ve spent this entire interview defending Katya. Are you now saying that video could be real?"

"No. I’m saying I don’t know what happened in that room... Sergei Moskowsky was clearly involved in an act of terrorism... Katya just looks like he was there."

"You say that very differently."

"Because I don’t know why he was there. He could have been forced to be there, based on the devil of Frolo’s history."

"But you have no proof that Katya was forced to stand in that room."

"No, I don’t. Everyone else is looking at that video and asking why Katya was there. But if he was there because Sergei threatened him, or simply made it impossible for him to refuse, then Frolo shouldn’t be calling him a terrorist."

"You’re asking the public to believe that the man in the video may not have been acting of his own free will."

"I’m asking them not to assume they know what happened."

One of the officials interrupted.

"But the person beside Sergei looks like Katya, yet you’re telling us not to draw conclusions."

"I’m telling you to investigate. That video is serious enough that it deserves forensic analysis. The footage needs to be authenticated and the timeline verified. Until that happens, nobody should be sentenced on television."

"Even Sergei?"

"Yes. If that video is genuine, then the consequences are enormous, but if it is fabricated, then someone is trying to start a war by using Sergei’s face, Katya’s image, and the government’s own fears against the city."

"And you think that possibility exists?"

"Yes. Because whoever released it wanted people to believe one thing immediately. That Sergei Moskowsky was willing to kill for nuclear launch codes, which doesn’t even make sense. Worse, that Katya Romanov was standing there while he did it."

"You don’t believe Katya would willingly participate in something like that?" Sierra asked quietly, and Aleksandr’s smile softened.

"No... Because that isn’t the man I knew. Little rose could be many things. Stubborn. Make mistakes and terrible decisions, just not a terrorist," the alpha’s voice broke at the end.

"You’re very certain."

"I want to be... Maybe that is why this is so difficult for me. Because if that video is real, then I have to accept that the man I loved may have been dragged into Sergei’s world, and I don’t recognize him anymore.

"...But I won’t condemn him before we know whether he walked into that room willingly."

"And if he did?" Sierra asked carefully.

"Then I will accept whatever the law decides... But if he didn’t... Then Frolo needs to stop asking what kind of terrorist little rose is, and start asking what was done to him."

Sierra held Aleksandr’s gaze for a moment before turning toward the camera.

"Thank you, Senator, and our guests for joining us today. I think Frolo will be watching very closely now to see what happens next," she smiled softly before continuing:

"Because the city has seen what Sergei Moskowsky does when he believes the people he loves are threatened... Now we get to see what happens when the man chosen to stop him walks into that world," she said, looking at Aleksandr.

"And just like the rest of the realm, I look forward to finding out myself," Sierra said before turning back toward the camera.

"Until our next broadcast, good morning, Frolo."