The next morning, I went straight to Metro Frontier magazine’s office, where she worked.

There were some things I needed to retrieve.

As I pushed open the glass door to her team’s office, the scene that greeted me came as no surprise.

Amaya and her junior colleague, Javor, were huddled together in front of the same computer chair. Their heads were almost touching.

They were chatting and laughing as they looked at a photo on the screen. The atmosphere between them was uncomfortably intimate.

When she saw me, the smile on Amaya’s face froze. It was replaced by undisguised annoyance.

“Efim? What are you doing here? Should you even be here?”

I glanced around the room. My gaze settled on the cameras and recording equipment as they gleamed metallically. A cold smile tugged at the corners of my mouth.

“If I hadn’t come, how else would I get to admire the way ‘Senior Reporter Shaw’ and her right-hand man are so… deeply focused on their work?”

I paused deliberately.

“It seems your publication’s editorial focus has shifted from in-depth social reporting to office sitcoms?”

Amaya’s face flushed bright red.

Javor immediately stepped forward and tried to shield her.

“Mr. Gogh, please show some respect! We’re selecting images to go with last night’s breaking news. This is work!”

The other colleagues in the office shot us disapproving glances and began whispering among themselves.

“What gives him the right to come here and act like this?

“Amaya and Javor pulled an all-nighter to cover the story. Why should they be spoken to like that?”

“Who does he think he is? He’s just a lawyer…”

I ignored the whispers and walked straight to the cabinet in the corner where the high-end equipment was stored.

Inside was a top-of-the-line broadcast-grade camera system and several portable satellite transmitters.

That equipment was mine, which I had personally lent to Amaya’s team free of charge.

It was to support their on-site reporting in harsh environments or during emergencies.

Looking back, it seemed like a complete joke that I had poured my heart and soul into helping her and others “fight side by side.”

I began calmly taking inventory and packing up the equipment.

Seeing this, Amaya completely lost it. She rushed over and grabbed my hand.

“Efim, what’re you doing?! This is all work equipment! How dare you take it?!”

I shook off her hand. My tone was calm with unquestionable authority.

“How dare I? My name is on the receipt.

“I lent the equipment to you as a favor. It’s only fair to take back what’s mine.

“What’s this now? Is the great reporter Amaya trying to seize private property by force?”

Javor leaned in just then. His face wore a mock look of concern. However, his voice was low enough that only the two of us could hear.

“Mr. Gogh, it’s a real shame that last night’s mango dessert didn’t land you in the ICU. Guess what, maybe next time it’ll be a different kind of ‘accident’.”

Before he could finish, he suddenly reached out as if to snatch the camera from my hands.

I instinctively blocked his move, but he stumbled backward as if struck by a massive force.

He stumbled a few steps back dramatically before slamming into the desk beside him.

There was a dull thud. Then, he immediately clutched his lower back and curled up in agony.

“Efim, what are you doing?!” Amaya screamed and rushed over to support Javor.

When she looked up at me, her eyes were filled with venom.

“How dare you lay a hand on someone here?! Are you out of your mind?!”

Everyone in the office gathered around. Their anger boiled over.

“Call the police! Call the police right now!”

“He’s so brazen! He came into our office to assault someone!”

“Stop him! Don’t let him get away!”

Several burly male colleagues immediately stepped forward and grabbed my arms. Their grip was so firm that it sent a sharp pain through my joints.

I tried to explain. “I didn’t! He did it himself—”

“Enough!” Amaya interrupted me sharply. She helped the “feeble” Javor up as she ordered the crowd.

“Keep an eye on him! I’m calling security right now!”

“Committing an assault in broad daylight, Efim? I think it’s time your law license was seized!”

Javor leaned against Amaya as he spoke weakly. His voice choked with just the right amount of emotion.

“Ms. Shaw… Please, don’t make things difficult for Mr. Gogh. Maybe I just lost my balance… He definitely didn’t mean to…”

Those words were nothing short of pouring oil on the fire.

Amaya watched as I was held down. Her gaze was icy as she watched with a cruel sense of satisfaction.

“Didn’t mean to? I think he did it on purpose to get back at me! Once security arrives, take him straight to the police station!

“We’ll see how long you can keep up this act!”

Just as the scene descended into chaos and the security guards’ footsteps echoed down the hallway, a steady, authoritative voice rang out from the doorway.

“Oh? I’d love to hear exactly which law my company’s chief legal counsel has broken that warrants a trip to the police station.”

The male colleagues, who had been holding me back, exchanged glances. They looked bewildered.

Mr. Cole said nothing. He merely gestured for me to follow him out.

We passed Amaya, whose face was ashen, and Javor, whose eyes darted nervously.

As we passed them, I leaned down to pick up the equipment case that had fallen during the scuffle. I did not want to look at either of them again.

Shortly after returning to the law firm, my phone screen lit up with a message from Amaya. The tone of the text was completely opposite to her earlier aggressive behavior.

[Efim, I was too impulsive today. Javor and his colleagues egged me on, and I lost my head.]

[I’ve booked the restaurant where we were supposed to celebrate our anniversary tomorrow. Let’s have a proper talk, okay?]

I stared at the message. My fingertips tapped the screen as I sent her a reply.

[Fine. Let’s make it the rooftop restaurant at The Peninsula. You pick the time.]

I knew that place was one of the media’s favorite spots to stake out for celebrity gossip.

If she wanted to “talk,” then I would give her a stage she would never forget.

The following evening, at the rooftop restaurant of The Peninsula, the river outside the windows sparkled.

When I arrived, Amaya was already there. She was wearing an elegant dress. She clearly had taken an effort to dress up.

Her face showed a deliberately forced gentleness, like she was trying to salvage the situation.

Both our parents, along with many relatives and friends. Even a handful of financial and entertainment reporters had shown up, blending in as diners while quietly observing everything.

The whole place felt like a belated anniversary celebration.

As soon as Amaya saw me, she jumped to her feet and beat me to the microphone on the podium.

The gentleness faded from her face. It was replaced by righteous indignation that I knew so well from her appearances on camera.

“Thank you all for coming today to witness this important moment.

“But I’m sorry to say, Mr. Efim Gogh, who’s standing beside me, isn’t really the star of the show. I want to reveal the truth today!”

She pointed sharply at me. Her voice boomed through the microphone across the entire hall.

“Just yesterday, this so-called ‘champion of justice’ was driven by ridiculous jealousy.

“He stormed into our magazine office and openly assaulted my colleague, Javor Furey, just because Javor and I work so well together!”

The audience erupted into an uproar. Friends and family stared in disbelief, while the camera flashes went off frantically.

“My God! How could Mr. Gogh assault someone?”

“Is it because Amaya has been getting too close to that intern?”

“That’s just so unprofessional!”

Amaya watched the audience’s reaction and spoke with even greater indignation.

“And that’s not all. He’s been abusing his legal expertise to undermine Javor and interfere with his work!

“All because his pathetic ego can’t handle that my career requires working closely with other men!”

She paused. Her gaze swept across the room before she delivered the most devastating blow.

“As for all those major corporate legal cases he’s landed over the years…

“Everyone knows full well how much of that was thanks to the influence of Metro Frontier!

“I’ve worked tirelessly out there! All to raise a manchild who does nothing but suspect and undermine his partner!”

A wave of murmurs surged like a tide.

My parents’ faces turned ashen, and my phone began to vibrate frantically.

Calls from my law firm partners came one after another.

Right on cue, Javor stepped out from the wings. Dressed in a simple suit, he wore a carefully crafted mix of hurt and defiance.

He took the microphone as his voice slightly choked with emotion.

“My name is Javor Furey. I’m the intern… who was targeted by Mr. Gogh.”

He pulled out his phone and revealed a photo of the “Rising Star Journalist of the Year” nomination certificate he had received.

“I just want to be a journalist with a conscience, like Ms. Shaw, and expose social injustices.

“But I never imagined Mr. Gogh would be so narrow-minded.

“Just because Ms. Shaw mentors me at work, he sees me as a thorn in his side…”

It was a flawless, manipulative performance. The relatives and friends who had hesitated before looked at me with utter contempt.

Amaya leaned in close to my ear, her lips barely moving as she whispered coldly, “Efim, apologize to Javor right now in front of everyone. Admit you were momentarily confused.

“I might still be able to help you salvage some of your dignity.

“Otherwise, your law firm can expect its reputation to be ruined!”

As I watched the two of them play their parts perfectly, I did not feel angry. In fact, I smiled.

I clapped my hands lightly. The crisp sound stood out sharply against the clamor of the hall.

“Finished?”

I spoke calmly as I stepped toward the center of the stage.

“I was actually hesitating to do this, but now it seems there’s no reason for me to hold back.”

As I spoke, the massive LED screen behind me suddenly lit up.

I snatched the microphone from Javor’s stunned hands and scanned the faces of everyone in the room.

“Today, I invite you all to bear witness…

“To the true faces of this ‘conscientious journalist’ and this ‘champion of truth’ behind the scenes!”