His expression changed. The kindness disappeared, replaced by cold fury.
"I don't think you understand. You have no choice."
“On the contrary,” I said. And then I did the only thing I could think of. Something crazy, irrational, and completely unexpected.
I took a deep breath and screamed.
“FIRE! FIRE! EVERYONE OUT!”
My scream shattered the reverent silence of the library. For a second, everything froze. Then chaos ensued. The few people in the reading room jumped to their feet, screaming, and pushing toward the exit. The fire siren went off, filling the air with a deafening howl.
The man looked at me with disbelieving, furious eyes. He was used to people obeying, to being paralyzed by fear. He hadn't expected this. He hesitated for a moment, torn between wanting to grab me and needing to escape before the guards arrived.
I seized the moment. I grabbed the heaviest volume I saw on a cart next to me—some kind of encyclopedia—and with all my strength I threw it at his leg. He yelped in pain and staggered, dropping the folder.
I dove in, grabbed it, and ran. Not to the main exit, where all the panic was, but to the emergency exit at the end of the corridor. I pushed open the metal door and found myself in a narrow, dirty alley behind the library. Without stopping, I kept running, not knowing where, driven only by adrenaline and the instinct for survival.
I had escaped. But I knew it was only a temporary victory. Now they knew I had the folder. And they knew I wouldn't give up easily. The game had become much more dangerous.
Chapter 9
I ran until my lungs burned. I didn’t dare look back. Panting and heart pounding, I ducked into the first entrance of a random apartment building and slid down the stairs. I was shaking uncontrollably. The folder was pressed to my chest—my trophy and my curse.
The scene in the library replayed in my head. I couldn't believe I had done it. I, Anna, who was afraid to speak in front of a large audience, had caused a mass panic and hit an armed man with a book. Somewhere deep inside, I discovered a power I didn't know I possessed.
But what now? I couldn't go back to Stoyanov's office. She must have been watched already. I couldn't call Maria. My phone was definitely being tracked. I was alone, without money, as my wallet had been left in my bag in the cafe, and I was being followed.
I needed help. But from whom? Maria's words echoed in my head: "Don't trust anyone." And yet... there was one person. The only person who was outside Petar's world, outside of dirty business and corruption. My best friend from university, Desislava.
Desislava was my complete opposite. While I was calm and cautious, she was impulsive, bold and slightly cynical. She worked as an investigative journalist for a small but independent online media outlet. She dealt with exactly these kinds of stories – corruption, abuse of power. She hated people like Ivaylo and, unfortunately, like Petar.
