It was the first time I'd seen Blake look so baffled since I got into this room. "You're not Mr. Osman's lawyer, Amelia. I've met him; he's a legal aid," he said, eyes fixed on her.

"You're right, he was the legal aid," she said smoothly, "but now I'm representing him pro bono. That's what Mr. Osman wants, correct?"

Blake scoffed. "No, he didn’t—"

"Yes," I cut him off. "I want her to represent me."

Blake glanced back and forth between us, confusion all over his face. His gaze hardened as it settled on Amelia. Pointing at her, he said with malice, "You—you set this whole thing up, didn't you?"

Amelia smirked. "Detective Blake, unless you have something important to share, I suggest you leave. My client won't be saying a word. He's given me permission to speak for him." She nudged me slightly.

"Y-yes. I give her permission to speak on my behalf, Detective Blake," I stammered.

"It's detective," he corrected sharply. Then he took a deep breath, trying to calm down. "Look, Mr. Osman, please consider what we discussed. No matter how brilliant a lawyer Amelia is, the evidence against you is overwhelming. Take my advice seriously." He shot Amelia a hard look before leaving the room.

Bagley whistled in my mind. "She's a feisty one. If she were a bit older, she'd be quite the lady to woo."

Amelia sat down where Blake had been. She organized the files and folders neatly in front of her, then looked up and smiled at me.

"Thanks for the backup," she said.

"It's no issue, but, uh, I definitely didn't ask for you," I admitted.

She smiled and extended her hand. I shook it. "Amelia Shaw, from Shaw Legal. I'll be representing your case from now on."

"May I ask why?" I said, feeling a knot tighten in my stomach.

"Well, for starters, you killed a man," she replied. "But it's not just that you killed someone—it's who you killed. You took out someone close to a very important man. This man—people here are even afraid to say his name. He's got his hands in all the dark corners of London. Shady nightclubs, ruthless casinos, corrupt politicians. And it looks like he's going to use everything he's got to come after you, Zakir."

"But why? Who did I kill, and what does that have to do with you?" I asked, confusion mixing with dread.

She leaned back in her chair, giving me a sly smile. "I'm after this man, and you, Zakir, are the key to getting to him. The person you killed is his son. So you can imagine, he's going to be very angry and will want to make you suffer."

Bagley laughed maniacally in my head. "This is fantastic, Zak! You've just killed the local warlord's son. Now he'll be gunning for you. Isn't this exciting? Think of all the souls you'll collect."

I swallowed hard. My earlier assessment was way off. I was in deep trouble. Completely screwed from every angle. First, there was Bagley, and now some powerful man probably wants me dead. At the very least, I should know his name. So I asked her.

"No one knows his real name," she said. "But he goes by Mr. Smith. He's a drug lord dealing in cocaine, heroin, and a new product on the market called Madness."

Amelia then filled me in on what's been happening behind the scenes. Apparently, Mr. Smith is responsible for moving huge amounts of drugs throughout the city, leading to a spike in addiction and he and his associates control parts of London, involved in money lending, extortion, even racketeering. He's even into human trafficking. The organization he runs is called the Syndicate.

But the problem for Amelia is that he's well-connected. That means he's well-protected. Evidence of his crimes is usually hard to find—they get erased quickly. With me involved, it's a chance for her to build a case against him, bring him into the spotlight, and then take him down.

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"Why me? How do I fit into all this mess?" I asked, confusion creeping into my voice.

She leaned forward. "You, Zak, have seen his son's face. Almost no one has ever laid eyes on Mr. Smith, let alone his family. And now, his son's body has probably been whisked away somewhere secret so they can bury him quietly. If you can describe his son, I can help get you out of jail. No matter what Blake says, I'm the best in the field. I've pulled people out of worse situations than this. And I believe you're being set up, especially since your boss claims he doesn't even know you, isn't that, right?"

"Yeah," I mumbled, feeling a knot in my stomach. "I don't know why he'd do that."

"He did it to protect his own family," she continued. "Mr. Smith is the last person you'd want to mess with. His revenge doesn't stop at you—it reaches everyone you care about. And I'm guessing his daughter means more to him than you do."

"That's the only logical reason for his betrayal," Bagley whispered into my mind. "But even so, you should get rid of him, Zak. He betrayed you, as the Apostle of Death you must set an example."

I won't deny it; I'm furious that Mr. Mann would betray me like this. Before, I wanted to make him pay; there was a burning rage inside me pushing me to end his life. But now? I'm not so sure anymore. Despite what Bagley suggests, I don't think making Harleen an orphan is the right thing to do.

"The offer's still on the table, Zak," she said, wrapping things up. "I'll let you mull over what I've told you. If you agree to help, I'll set up a meeting with your family. Blake won't do that for you. Because from here, you're going straight to court—they've scheduled an early session."

"Wait, how is that even possible?" I protested, disbelief evident in my voice. "Normally, they'd keep me locked up for a few days before any court hearing."

"I told you already," she replied calmly. "He has ties with powerful people, and they're embedded deep within the system. And just so you're aware, if we expose his son's identity and bring it out into the open, your family will be in danger, along with you. There's a reason he operates from the shadows. He despises the spotlight," she warned, her eyes serious.

Before she left, she gave me fifteen minutes. That's all the time I had to decide the direction of my life—fifteen minutes to choose between two impossible paths.

"So, what's it gonna be, Zakir Osman?" Bagley said, tossing some beads in his hands. "What will you choose?" he added with a sly grin that made my skin crawl.

I stared at him for a long moment, then let out a deep sigh. I could blame him all I wanted, but it wasn't his fault—it was mine. I chose to play the hero, and now I'm paying the price. Comparing the two options, siding with Amelia seems better for me. But there's a risk to my family. If I go to jail, Mr. Smith will likely find me there too. Either way, I'm marked for death. If Mr. Smith doesn't get me first, this death timer Bagley put on me will. But... what if I try to convince him to remove it?

I turned to Bagley. " If I agree to... do what you want, will you take off the timer?"

"Nope, that's my insurance, Zak. Can't let that slide. I have no reason to trust you'll keep your end of the deal. But I can help you survive. I can teach you how to fight, how to protect yourself."

I clicked my tongue in frustration. This was probably the best offer I'd get from Bagley. I don't know how well he can keep me safe from Mr. Smith. But seeing how he saved me from those thugs gives me a sliver of hope that maybe it'll work.

And considering that if I die, he dies—he's made that clear plenty of times. If not for me, he'll do it to save himself. You can't trust people, but you can always trust their self-interest.

After mulling it over for what felt like ages, I decided to go with Amelia. Yes, my family might be at risk. But maybe this is the only way.

Once I made my decision, I waited patiently for Amelia. She entered the room again, and I told her my answer. She looked relieved, a subtle smile crossing her face, and escorted me out into a corridor that opened up to a bustling hall filled with officers, suspects, criminals, and citizens.

As we moved through the crowd, my eyes met Blake's. He was standing and talking to someone, but his gaze locked onto me. Amelia led me right to him.

"Mr. Osman, I trust you’ve made the smart choice," he said, his tone carrying a hint of expectation.

"Yes," I replied confidently. "We'll fight our case."

Blake gave me a surprised look that quickly turned icy. "You'll regret this, Mr. Osman," he said coldly. "Trust me; you have no idea how things work around here."

I opened my mouth to respond, but Amelia stepped in before I could. "Was that a threat?" she challenged him. "Back off."

Blake stared at her for a moment, then scoffed. "Say your goodbyes. Don't keep the judge waiting," he sneered before walking away.

I watched as Blake disappeared into the crowd of officers, an uneasy feeling settling in my stomach. Something about him felt off.

"Watch out for him, Zak," Bagley whispered in my mind. "He might be tied to Mr. Smith."