Chapter 303: The Distance Between Us, Love

[FROLO]

The senator had resigned.

After a week of speculation and attacks from the people because of what Sergei had pointed them all toward, the senator had reappeared only to tender his resignation.

It was a quiet move that had people wondering what had prompted him.

Others said he was stepping back because of what had happened with Katya, because everyone believed Katya was part of the Bratva, and that was a plan for both of them.

Strangely enough, the senator didn’t once mention Katya in his resignation.

In his statement to the general public, posted on his socials, the senator didn’t even talk about his boyfriend, who was a key subject in a terror plot within the Moskowsky Building. Let alone the fact that for five whole days no one had seen Katya Romanov.

It was something that not many had wanted to challenge, because even if they did, it wasn’t as if the senator was going to retract his words.

A formal resignation from a government office couldn’t just be rescinded because the politician felt like it. And that made it even more dangerous because now there was no legal obligation for the senator.

There was no moral compass he had to bind himself to. No one could be used to help him make sense along the way. None of this was right. Yet none of it was wrong either.

It was normal for the senator to step back from his office, but everything else had the people of Frolo wondering whether the sun had started shining differently or the madness of Sergei Moskowsky was getting closer than they had thought.

The senator could have stood his ground and defended himself. He could have provided alibis for where he was and shown the people that Sergei was just falsely accusing him. Instead, his statement was short as hell.

"Dear people of Frolo. Thank you for believing in me for the past five years. I, however, cannot continue this journey of governance as I am not in the right state of mind and health.

"Everything that happened will be handled with care. As such, I have finalized my resignation process. Once again, thank you for trusting me as your leader."

He hadn’t even tried to bargain his way through all this. He hadn’t tried to explain, but then even if he was to, what the fuck would he say?

Then again, an hour after the resignation was announced to the city of Frolo, the senator held a press conference.

Many people asked why he could not have waited to give the statement on his resignation, along with whatever the hell he was about to tell them in his presser.

"Is he about to defend his bratva involvement?"

"Resigning and setting up a press conference immediately is really something else. Maybe he didn’t want the announcement to affect his political seat?"

"He is the senator. He could have just joined those two."

"Maybe he wants to tell us he is dying or some stupid political shit after the revelation."

Everyone had different suggestions and opinions on the senator’s press conference.

Inside Sergei’s penthouse, Katya Romanov stared at the resignation Alek had given to the people.

He had tried to call Alek ever since he woke up, but the alpha’s calls never went through. He’d texted and even tried to reach out to Leon, but neither of them was picking up his calls.

If Katya didn’t know any better, he would have thought that Sergei had warned them. But Sergei had been busy.

He’d been checking the investigation processes ever since he fully woke up. He hadn’t even had the chance to spend ten minutes with Katya. Not that Katya was complaining.

But he’d tried to reach Alek.

Fuck, he really had.

Svet and Andre told him to be patient with the man and that he would show up. But now Katya didn’t even believe that.

Alek could have called back.

He could have asked Katya where he was.

Surely, he knew that Katya was the main suspect in the terrorism plot against Moskowsky. Was it that hard to even ask how Katya was doing? Or even where Katya was?

Well, Alek had done nothing.

Absolutely nothing, and Katya was even more confused.

Now alone in Sergei’s penthouse, he stared at the television.

His boyfriend was standing outside a residence with countless media personnel. It was like he didn’t want to go to the senatorial residence because he knew he would be hunted there. Well, there was no reason for him to be hunted by anyone, right?

Katya was the suspect.

So why was Alek the one pulling away? Why was Alek the one who was trying to make things complicated? What happened to their relationship?

Gods, Katya was confused.

"Solnyshka," Katya heard when the elevator dinged on the penthouse floor.

Sergei had been in his office. He must have seen the presser loading and came to watch with Katya. Damn, why the fuck was this even going on?

"Aren’t you supposed to be working, Mr. Moskowsky?" Katya teased, desperately trying to hide the sadness in his voice. He hated how things were right now.

He had so many questions about being ditched by Alek, but seeing Sergei kind of made his day better.

"I am," Sergei said, pointing at the tablet he was carrying. Then he showed it to Katya, and on the tablet were damage reports from the R&D floor explosion.

And Katya felt his heart sink for a moment.

He had been the reason for that.

Sergei should have been angry with him even at the least bit, instead of taking care of him and his feelings like they were in a relationship.

Were they, though?

Or were they not?

What were they to each other beyond Solnyshka and Vladimir?

Did Katya want to think about that at the moment?

"Your boyfriend will be fine, Solnyshka," Sergei said softly, making Katya snap out of his trance.

Sergei had been at the door. When the hell had he gotten to the couch beside Katya? Gods, Katya was distracted, and it wasn’t looking good for him.

"I think he hates me for the explosion," Katya sighed softly as he stared at the senator, who was readying himself for the presser.

"That would be very stupid of him," Sergei said, as if it were the one fact that everyone needed to be aware of.

"Maybe you trust me blindly because of your feelings," Katya said, and Sergei let out a soft laugh at that.

"I don’t trust you because I love you, Solnyshka," Sergei said.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I loved you before I trusted you. You earned my trust. That’s why I trust you even now when everything seems to be pointing at you being the traitor," Sergei said, like he was talking about the weather.

Like he wasn’t the man the city had learned to steer away from betraying. And the conviction in his voice should have unsettled Katya, yet for some reason, it had him feeling some type of way.

"Someone worked really hard to make me think you betrayed me, Solnyshka. And until I figure that out, I’m sorry, but this is the safest place for you," Sergei added calmly, his eyes holding Katya’s in silent understanding.

"You’re not a prisoner her—" Sergei added right as Alek spoke.

"Mr. Moskowsky has been holding my boyfriend hostage through a contract marriage he forced Katya to sign three years ago. Right before the leadership of Moskowsky Holdings was suddenly changed."

"What the FUCK?" Katya boomed.

"Damn, that beautiful, colorful mouth," Sergei mumbled, hazy.