Chapter 73 - A Terrible Liar

Anya and Alvin noticed the change in expression of the technician. Both looked at each other and understood there is a hacker in Harper's men who is masking the live videos. That meant, Harper's men wanted those three men to violate Anya to have another video.

The technician held back his numerous questions popping in his mind and turned the laptop for everyone to check. 

***

'Hey Beauty, are you alone?'

'Don't you have anybody?'

'Such a delicate hand."

'Your dress is too boring.'

'I am here with my husband. Mind your business.' It was Anya's voice warning the men.

The men laughed, 'Oh I see… But you look lonely.'

'How could a husband let you walk around alone?'

'I am warning you. Keep your hands off.'

'Come on, how are we going to satisfy you without touching you?'

***

Everyone's faces turned ugly when they saw their son or their son's friends harassing Anya, the daughter-in-law of Collins, and passing dirty comments. They understood where it started. 

Anya felt Alvin's arm tighten on her arm when he heard those men commenting they will satisfy her needs. She didn't say anything to him and instructed the technician without letting off these parents easily, "Could you please play the passage video of the fifth floor, about thirty minutes ago?"

The technician's expression was not good. He was startled when he suddenly heard Anya's voice. He worked on the laptop again, expecting to see the footage that didn't play in the security room. As he guessed, they really didn't see people attacking a man in the corridor.

He turned the laptop for others to see while wondering that something wasn't right on the ship. He considered speaking with the security officer for approval of an investigation as this will put every guests' life in danger on the ship.

Anya spoke this time while the video played, "As everyone saw, your spoiled sons came searching for us." She looked at the woman who called her misbehaving, "I see, your sons are bringing glory to your families."

Now that they had no ground to argue with them, their eyes were down, cursing their sons in mind, while fearing what Collins was going to do to them.

A man awkwardly laughed while closing the laptop from playing more, "Mr. and Mrs. Collins, we will discipline our sons. Please don't mind them. This won't be repeated."

Many joined their voices in adding their agreement. This is what Anya wanted, their parents restricting their sons. However, she wasn't going to let them off so easily.

She pretended to have forgotten something without knowing Alvin's eyes were fixed on her, "I think we forgot something…. Huh? Yeah, who said they forgave my… husband?" 

How could Alvin say 'My wife' so easily while it was still difficult for her?

'Why am I feeling like he is smiling?' She turned to him and saw him sitting indifferently as if a boring show was going on and he was forced to sit there.

Anya had underestimated those families. They rebelled easily, "Don't go too far." They assumed she was expecting all of them to kneel and beg.

"President Collins wouldn't have become president without our support."

"He is in power because of us."

"Don't think of yourself as a god."

Anya's lips twitched. These people really had no brains but long, loose tongues. She saw Alvin flash her provoking smile, challenging her to shut them up.

Challenge accepted.

Anya leaned back as she crossed her leg, facing the people. Her shoulder was leaning against his chest and she didn't care. She nodded at them as she turned to the technician, "Please give me a copy of these videos. I will use those videos to destroy these families." She openly threatened. "More or less their sons will be charged in about nine cases." 

Everyone looked at each other without understanding completely. The manager again felt like she was going to stir up the trouble.

Anya started her long list to threaten them, "Stalking me on the passageway is a punishable crime under penal code 110A, 1o9A for using sexually abusive words, 109 for sexual assault. Penal code 108 and 107 for ganging up and conspiracy against us. 110AA for repeatedly staking us in the passageway. 98 for attacking my… husband, 112 for carrying sharp, life-threatening objects."

Everyone including Alvin: "..."

There was pin-drop silence and everyone's eyes glued to her. Unbothered, Anya pretended to be thinking, "I remember them drinking wine while having lunch, so penal code 100 for attacking under the influence of drugs or alcohol." She started counting on fingers like a kid in kindergarten, "Minimum of seven years in prison, taking our identities, it could be up to eleven years." The identity of Collins, President's family.

She pretended to be suddenly recalling something, "Yeah right, You will be punished under penal code 77 for threatening us. If you try to destroy the evidence, it's a punishable crime under penal code 133. If you try to bribe the officers, it's another crime under 54."

Everyone excluding Alvin: "..."

Alvin was left amused. She knew well those men would argue as they were in power and they could keep their sons safe. So she didn't forget to scare them just by speaking the truth. Now, they would be even afraid to do anything against them.

She cheerfully waved her fingers at them, "I will see you in the courthouse." She tugged Alvin, held his arm, and proudly walked out of the waiting area, like a mischievous yet smart young lady.

The stunned crowd didn't dare to utter a word, afraid it might turn into another crime. They felt dizzy with all the penal codes and punishments. They truly had no idea so many cases could be charged for attacking them.

The manager was first to come out of the daze. He coughed lightly with an impressed smile on his face. He had no doubts about the couple. 

Shouldn't the daughter-in-law and son of President Collins be extraordinary than him?

He concluded the situation to the parents and families of offenders, "As we have watched what happened today. It is confirmed that Mr. and Mrs. Collins were defending themselves. It was all your sons' fault. I suggest you all beg them for forgiveness instead of troubling them or creating a commotion."

Apologizing to a young lad and a lady? It was humiliating for those men. So a desperate man looked around, "Where is the law minister? Where is he?"

The manager: "..."

He let them die. His focus was only to manage what happens on the ship. He watched a few men circle up and discuss something before rushing out.

The technician asked the manager away and whispered, "Manager, I have important matters to discuss regarding the ship's security. It's very urgent." He stressed his words indicating the critical situation.

The manager sensed the importance, "Alright, I will inform the chiefs, come to the conference room in fifteen minutes."

The technician nodded and left from there. 

—--

At another end, Alvin saw Anya leave his hand after some distance. She was stretching her arms and neck, still feeling sleepy. He questioned without revealing his emotions, "Who are you?" She was definitely not an assistant general secretary.

Anya: "..."

She didn't read the depth, she smiled playfully and tried to tease him without knowing she was going to regret it instantly, "Your wife. Why? Did you forget?"

'Wife!!' He pushed her against the wall in the passageway. His left-hand fingers tenderly yet firmly held her chin and lifted her head enough to make her look into his eyes.

What the hell was she thinking while saying it? Anya felt her heart was going to jump out of her throat. The smile slowly vanished looking at his intense gaze. She realized why he asked who she was. He wanted to know how she knew about the criminal law of the country.

'What should I lie?... I just tried to scare them? Uttered those numbers randomly?' She thought it would be best, thinking he might not know about the criminal code.

"Al…" She froze when his finger traced her lower lip line. She felt her entire body jolt awake at his tender touch that was torturously slow. Her heart started beating unusually and anxiously fast. Her fingers shook and her body involuntarily reacted to that unknown feeling, she pressed her palms on his chest and pushed him away. Her face graced deep frowns and her breathing hitched.

But what Alvin noticed was her fear. The same fear that made her quiver when he had unknowingly pinned her against the bedpost. She could get angry or blush in shyness but fear? It also reminded him how she reacted when she was falling into the bathtub in her villa and he unintendedly held her at the wrong place. Alvin couldn't quite understand her reaction.

He didn't bring it up. He shrugged his shoulders and stepped away to cool her. He didn't mean to test her, he wanted to show her, she shouldn't tease him when she couldn't pretend like his wife.

"I see, my wife doesn't like her husband's touch."

Anya: "..."

She clenched her teeth. Couldn't he keep his tease verbal? Her heart was still racing nervously. She clenched her fist and punched him in the stomach as hard as she could.

Although Alvin tried to escape, her fist still got a firm landing on his abs and he bit back his groan. This feisty woman was stronger than her looks. Suddenly his eyes playfully glinted and groaned. He held the wall and pretended to be in unbearable pain.

Anya, who was shaking her hand to reflex pain, turned around and was immediately worried, seeing him holding his stomach and balancing with the wall. 

'Did I hit that hard? '

She went back to him, "Are you…" She paused, identifying he was acting when his body was relaxed instead of tensed due to pain. 

Does she look like a gullible girl who will fall into such little traps?

She lifted her knee and he skipped away causing her to burst into laughter by finding his actions cute. She knew he wasn't defending because it would hurt her. "If you don't know how to act, don't do it."

She isn't only strong, but also smart too. He failed to make her serve him as a little obedient wife. However, he felt the pain was worth it to see her laugh heartily, forgetting the fear.

Since she eased up, he chose to return to the main topic, "How do you know penal codes of the crime system?"

Anya was already prepared to lie, shrugged her shoulders, "I just bluffed." She entered inside their cabin and he closed the door behind her. 

Alvin watched her fetch an ice pack. She was handing him over when he pointed out that she didn't bluff, "Another lie." Rather, she was so accurate.

Anya watched the man sitting on the armchair, crossed his legs, and intently gazed at her, "I have read the law books" Because he wanted to make sure which actions in the antique dealing were legal and what wasn't legal. "Surprisingly, seven years of imprisonment turned out to be a perfect count."

Anya tried her best to be unreactive. If she says she had studied too, won't that mean she lied at first? What was the need to lie then? 

'Why did he study law books? Crazy man.' Anya grumbled to herself without understanding how he catches her lying every time.

Alvin silently watched her when she was cluelessly looking at him. She was a terrible liar from the past. Her body language suddenly changes and her voice stiffens or turns too sweet to believe.. The more she tries to act normal, she just reveals she was trying to hide.