Page 87 of Captured Heart

When they leave, my dad and I walk to the kitchen. My parents turn to me, their expressions heavy with concern.

“You okay, sweetheart?” my mom asks.

“I’m fine, mom.”

It’s a reflexive answer, one I don’t entirely believe myself. But the way they look at me, like I’m still fragile, like I might break at any moment, makes it hard to admit the truth. Especially when they’ve already done so much for me.

My dad took time off work after I came back home. He said it was to make sure I felt safe, but I think he needed the time just as much as I did. He’s been my rock, offering strength and comfort whenever I needed it, whether that meant sitting in silence beside me when words felt too heavy or wrapping me in his arms when the nightmares got too real.

My mom’s support has been quieter, but no less important. She’s the one who sat through therapy sessions with me, holding my hand as I stumbled through the hardest conversations of my life. She was the one who met with my professors to mapout a plan to help me catch up on my coursework. Her calm reassurance guided me whenever I felt overwhelmed.

Their love has been unwavering, a safety net. And now, with them standing here, their eyes filled with worry, I feel a flicker of guilt. Because no matter how much they’ve given to me, I know I’m not entirely okay. Not yet.

They assure me I’ll heal in due time. And they’re right. Eventually, I will get over what happened. I’ll stop jolting at every sound. I’ll stop thinking someone’s always out to get me. But what I’ll never get over is Alex. I won’t get over the guilt. He helped me through the worst ordeal of my life, and I can’t do anything to repay him.

Then it strikes me.

Maybe I can do something.

When my grandfather gave me that compass, he said it wasn’t for direction because the onus was on me to know the difference between right and wrong. He told me that the right path isn’t always the easy path, and I needed to be strong enough to make the hard choices. Breaking the pact I made with Alex to stay quiet is a hard choice but a necessary one.

“I need to go out for a while.” I tell my parents and reach for my car keys. “Don’t ask questions. Just trust me. I’ll be back soon.”

They stare at me, then each other, wondering where this came from so suddenly, but they do as I ask. They don’t say one word as I pluck a kiss on each of their cheeks before heading out the door.

It’s time to take control. Alex gave me my freedom. Now, it’s my turn to fight for his.

MY NERVES ARE SHOTby the time I reach the station, my fingers fidgeting with the strap of my bag. I exhale slowly. “I need to see Detective Collins.”

The officer at the desk raises an eyebrow. “Do you have an appointment?”

“No, but it’s urgent.”

He sighs, picks up the phone, and makes a quick call. A few moments later, another officer arrives to escort me to Collins’ office. My heart pounds with each step, my resolve hardening with every breath.

When I step inside, Collins glances up from the cluttered paperwork on his desk, his expression shifting from curiosity to surprise. “Miss Akiyama, what can I do for you?”

I close the door behind me and take a seat across from him, forcing myself to meet his sharp gaze. “I need to know if you arrested a man named Aleksandras Kazlauskas.”

His brows furrow slightly, but he nods. “We did. Why?”

I swallow hard, deciding to try my first tactic. “If I didn’t press charges...for the kidnapping, would you release him?”

His frown deepens, and he leans back in his chair, studying me. “No.”

The single word drops like a stone in my stomach. “Why not? If I’m the victim, doesn’t that give me a say?”

“Not in this case. Kidnapping is a federal crime. It’s not just about you. It’s about the laws he broke. The state and federal government can and will prosecute him regardless of whether you press charges. And even if we ignore the kidnapping, Kazlauskas has priors. Big ones. There’s no walking away from this without consequences.”

My throat tightens, but I try to keep my composure. “Why would you care about someone like Alex? Isn’t putting Victor away your main priority?”

“It is. But letting Kazlauskas walk free isn’t on the table. He was part of Victor’s operation for years, and there’s more than enough in those files to tie him to multiple crimes. If anything, the kidnapping just adds another nail to the coffin.”

“What?” The word bursts out of me. “I didn’t know they would implicate him, too.”

It’s the tinge of desperation in my voice that makes his eyes narrow at me. “Why would you want to drop the charges? Why are you so hellbent on him getting out of here scot-free?”

The question lingers in the air, sharp and probing. My mind races for an answer, and I glance down at my hands to avoid his scrutiny. “I just think...maybe there’s more to him than what you see on paper. He’s not like Victor.”

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