Chapter 53: Lethal Stalemate
Mika felt Charlotte’s arms loosen as she pulled back from the hug, a thoughtful frown settling on her features. She stared down for a second, clearly chewing on something in her mind, then slowly looked up at him, eyes narrowed with a strange seriousness.
"At first..." She said. "I thought Mama was being too harsh. Like...too cruel. I mean, who just pushes a kid off a sword and lets him fall like that?" She paused dramatically, and Mika gave her a look like he knew where this was going. "But now that I think about it..."
She slowly pointed a finger right at his chest, expression grave. "The real one at fault wasn’t her."
Mika blinked. "Huh?"
She jabbed his chest with her finger. "It was you."
He stared at her, his mouth parting slightly in disbelief before saying in disbelief,
"How in the world is this my fault?! I was thrown off a sword against my will! If anyone needs jail time, it’s her!"
He pointed back at Yelena, while she just tilted her head like she was used to this sort of accusation and chose not to react.
But Charlotte only shook her head, unfazed.
"It’s not about who threw who. Or what happened." She leaned closer, tapping his chest again, firmer this time. "It’s about trust. About how much you trusted her."
Mika furrowed his brows. "What are you talking about?"
"Think about it, Mika...She’s been your guardian your whole life." Charlotte interrupted gently, her tone strangely warm now. "She’s the one who raised you. And you should’ve known her. Known her better than anyone."