Page 29 of Not This Soon

She didn't miss the glint of arrogance in his eyes. The eyes of a man who knew his power and flaunted it with impunity.Rachel held his gaze steadily, refusing to back down. Growing up as a half-native woman, she’d developed a spine of steal.

Just then, the door creaked open, and Ethan strolled in, a folder clutched tightly under his arm. He nodded at Elias before taking the seat next to Rachel.

"Sorry for the delay," he said curtly before settling down. "Shall we?"

He flipped open his folder as he spoke. Rachel's eyes flickered towards him briefly. She noticed that he'd deliberately placed the folder to block Elias' view - there was no way Elias could see what was inside.

Rachel grabbed it without taking her eyes off Grant. The name 'Robert Morris' was written at the top, along with a number that looked like an office line.

Rachel took a deep breath and opened the questioning with, "Care to explain your connection with Rebecca Morris?"

Ethan placed a folder on the table. Elias' eyes flickered to the photograph in the open file. A hint of a smile played on his lips – a cat playing with a mouse before going in for the kill. It sent an icy prickle down Rachel's spine.

"I've told you, Ranger," he said, leaning back in his chair. His calm demeanor was unnerving. "She wrote some articles about me. Nothing more."

"And yet," Rachel interjected, "You seemed quite disturbed when I mentioned her name."

"She was an annoying fly buzzing around my head," Elias replied, shrugging nonchalantly. "But I swatted her away and moved on."

The metaphor made Rachel's blood boil. Rebecca was a person, not an insect, to be dismissed so lightly.

Suddenly, the door burst open, the sound reverberating through the small room. A team of lawyers strode in, their expensive suits and briefcases filling the space.

"This interview is over," the lead lawyer declared, his voice booming with authority. "Mr. Grant will not be answering any more questions without his legal counsel present."

Rachel stood abruptly, her chair scraping against the concrete floor.

Rachel's jaw clenched as the lawyers asserted their authority, their presence an unwelcome intrusion. "We're not finished here," she said, her tone icy. "I have questions that need answers."

The lead lawyer, a man with slicked-back hair and a shark-like grin, shook his head. "You'll have your answers, Ranger Blackwood, but on our terms. We'll be supervising this interview from here on out."

One of them snapped his fingers as if calling for a waiter and waved towards Ethan as if summoning a hound.

"We demand refreshments. Bottled waters for everyone, please," he said, rolling his eyes exaggeratedly.

Rachel's patience strained at his condescending tone but she held her tongue. She gave a curt nod to Ethan, who left the room to fetch the water.

While waiting, Rachel studied these new arrivals. Their expensive suits were perfectly pressed, their hair immaculately styled. Each one had a self-satisfied smirk etched on their face.

When Ethan returned with a tray of bottled waters, another lawyer pulled out an extra chair and set it next to Elias without uttering a single word. The others followed suit, closing ranks around Elias like a pack of wolves.

With everyone settled, Rachel resumed the interrogation. "Mr. Grant," she began, her gaze hardening, "Can you tell us where you were last night?"

Ethan slid his phone subtly across the table to Rachel while keeping Elias under watchful scrutiny. She read the messagequickly: 'Mob connections - law firm.' A chill ran down her spine as she realized the gravity of the situation.

Elias shrugged nonchalantly as he answered her question. "I was at work, like always."

"And can anyone vouch for that?" Rachel asked.

Elias nodded confidently towards his attorneys. "All three of these gentlemen can."

One by one, each lawyer nodded in agreement.

Rachel stood up now, arms crossed. She released a snort of derision. “Your lawyers are your alibi? Please—be serious.”

Elias just smirked. “An alibi is an alibi. Wouldn’t want to discriminate, now would you, Ranger?”

Rachel didn’t answer but rather continued to pace. She glanced back towards where Ethan had stepped out into the hall briefly. She frowned, noticing her partner keeping the door ajar with one foot. A few seconds later, he nodded at someone out of sight and re-entered the room.

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