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SEVENS

Lana stirred up her plate that contained birchermuesli* restlessly.

Not because it tastes bad. Lana could see the granules of various kinds of delicious berries there. And the granules are intact, Lana usually cuts the berries into small pieces to make them more efficient. Surely this birchermuesli tastes better than he used to eat.

Lana is agitated at not wanting to ask Luke for anything. She's been helping him a lot, and Lana doesn't want to ask for more.

But Lana can't stay in that room.

He will not be able to sleep with the terror creatures who sing death songs poignantly.

Lana was so grateful, last night Luke didn't ask much, as he begged her to take him away from the room.

Luke had no comment this morning. He just woke Lana up, then told her to get ready, because there would be police coming to take her testimony.

Lana, who was half dazed from waking up, obeyed Luke's words.

She was bathing and preparing in her own room, she had even changed her clothes with a new one that had been hanging neatly in that haunted room as well. According to Lukas, Darla prepared the shirt for him.

Luke still completes all that by inviting him to enjoy breakfast together. Lana really feels like shit when she asks for something else after all that.

They had breakfast in a small gazebo next to the pool. The swimming pool was located just outside the haunted room and also the room he was sleeping in. Both rooms are in one building.

Lana looked at three similar buildings that were located somewhat far apart. Lana imagined, it was another room, which also provided facilities similar to the one she occupied.

Of course Lana knew, there were still other rooms besides her that she saw. But the other room is located in the main building which is at the foot of the hill. There Lukas offers rooms with cheaper classes.

Lana really understands why the price of rooms at this resort is expensive.

Everything he saw to date, not only reflected luxury, but also the best service. Lukas manages the Merian Resort skillfully.

And now he was enjoying all the first-class facilities for free. It's not that Lana is ungrateful, but that she'd rather sleep on the sidewalk than the room she's in now.

"You want another menu?"

Luke distracts him from the ipad in hand. Look at Lana's plate that's still half full.

"Oh. No, it's delicious. I don't need anything else"

This meal was already a hundred times better than all the breakfast he had ever eaten.

"Police will arrive at around 10:00. And Joan called earlier, she was coming after lunch" said Luke, drinking his coffee until the toilet.

Lana nodded, she did not like having to deal with the police. But this is necessary, there's no way he's letting Petra run around. Lana will feel very guilty if in the future there are more victims like her, if she let Petra free.

"All right, I gotta work. You can enjoy all the facilities in this building. But don't go near other buildings" Lukas said.

Lana still lowered her head, nodding once more. Until he heard Luke's impatient speech.

"What's wrong?" Lana slightly raised her head.

"Step your head! Why do you always duck? It's just right you don't recognize me. If someone asks you to talk, you should look him in the face" Lukas said.

She didn't say it with anger or a high tone, but Lana knew she was upset.

Hearing that, Lana straightened her head and looked at Luke better.

He always lowered his head to make people stay away from him. And for Luke it had no effect. He's done all the things Lana couldn't figure out.

For a moment Lana was stunned, she only realized Luke-----

How interesting!!

Luke was taller than him, and stout. Her hair was very pale blonde, it looked a little dark at the root, so the pale blonde color came from the hair paint,

His face was firm, with a slight dark color of neatly shaved former sideburns. And his eyes were deep blue, coated by glossy black-handled reading glasses.

Lukas embodies the image of a young successful entrepreneur perfectly. Moreover, he was wearing a suit to work. Lana admitted, she felt stupid to miss all those things.

For a moment, no one spoke, they just looked at each other. Luke himself looks satisfied, because it managed to make Lana see it directly.

"I have to go" Luke said, taking off his glasses and putting them in a suit, where they usually were, and standing.

"Ow. you look much better with the glasses." That remark was a reflex that Lana immediately regretted.

Honest opinion, because according to Lana, Luke's blue eyes look more beautiful when he uses glasses. But at least Lana said that sentence in English, not German.

Luke stopped his movements and looked at Lana with a smile.

"Really?- I'll remember that".

Luke chimed Lana's speech with perfect English, even without an accent.

With a smile widened from seeing Lana's shocked face, Luke passed towards his office.

Lana could barely hold back her curse.

He understands!

He should not have underestimated Luke. He is a reliable businessman with colleagues from other countries, it is only natural if he mastered English.

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Luke stood on the edge of the fence while glancing at the clock that was coiling in his hand with a wrinkled face.

He hates it when someone is late. But late is Neff's middle name.

Exasperatedly he pulled a cigarette out of the suit and lit it.  Accompanied by a thick puff of smoke, Luke tried to organize his chaotic mind.

Part of this is his work rhythm destroyed.

Luke leaves some details of the report that should have been completed, forgetting his promise with the supplier, he even omits the Darla report documents, so he has to reprint it. And of course Darla does it while nagging short lengths.

Lana....Lana and Lana.

That was all that filled his mind.

Millions of questions about him controlled his entire brain. How's things going? Has he calmed down? Is she crying again? Such thoughts kept turning in turns in his mind.

And of course the fact that he really enjoyed breakfast with her, made Luke wonderfully astonished.

Lana didn't invite him to chat or anything, she just stirred her food excitedly. But his strange self enjoyed the moment.

She enjoyed how Lana's tanned skin, looked sparkling in the morning sun. She was particularly stunned by Lana's black hair, which fluttered as the autumn wind swept over her.

And Luke regretted when he asked Lana to look at him, because those dark gray eyes seemed to trap him perfectly. He was lazy to end that eye contact.

What the hell am I doing? Lukas sat in annoyance, as of course no one would offer him an answer for free.

"Luke, are you waiting for me?" A familiar voice greeted him from behind.

"And as always you're late, Neff!" dengus Luke's.

Not caring for Luke's grunts, Neff laughed and hugged Luke briefly.  "My mom invited you to dinner today!  Can you come?"

"Your mother must have wanted to extract all the information from me.  Does he know about Lana?" Luke was suspicious.

Neff's mom was the last person you wanted to meet when you wanted to hide something.  The eyes of the eagle rarely miss any details.

Neff shook his head, "But he knows you're involved with something big, he'll peel off everything if you come"

"Say I'm busy!!" It is better to find a safe way than regret.

Neff immediately agreed, he knew very well, if a news was already in his mother's hands, it would only take a few seconds before it spread to all the villagers.

"Lana's case will be easy, won't it? " ask Luke, while opening the door to the cable car that will take them to the exclusive block above.

Lukas built this special cable car to bring guests or employees to the exclusive block, so his guests can taste a little of the scenery they will enjoy after paying dearly.

"I really hope it will. But Petra said that Lana was deliberately teasing him. He also stated, that night, Lana was waiting for him in the male toilet. Petra of course considers all of that as a positive sign to approach her"

"Positive??!!!  You don't see the wound on Lana's face?  If that means a positive sign I will jump out of this window!!"

Luke pointed to the window of the cable car that had moved up.

"There's no need to scold me, I know what he said was rubbish. But I also got a tip that Lana went into the men's room on purpose that night. Many guests saw it. I can't possibly lose that fact"

Neff looked at Luke in surprise, not usually seeing Luke lose control. Luke was the type of person who would only insinuate rather than yell or scold.

"That means Lana's gonna need a lawyer, I'm gonna call Widmer" Lukas pulled the phone from the suit.

The frown on Neff's forehead deepened.

Did Lukas just offer to help hire a lawyer for Lana?  And he called Widmer.

Widmer is an expensive lawyer who has his headquarters in Bern.

Luke used to use them to take care of all things related to the law.

But they are very expensive, and according to Neff's notes, Lana is included in the pro bono**.  He won't be able to pay any lawyers, especially those from Widmer.

And it's impossible that Luke didn't know about this, Neff gave all the info about Lana before he brought her here. He contacted Widmer with the realization that he would pay for all the expenses.

Luke looked at Neff confused, he did not answer because he did not understand the meaning of the question.

"Ah, stop! " Neff flicked his hand. He felt that explaining his question would only be a waste of time.

"What are you disquieting? I haven't seen you suck it in in a long time!"

Neff changed his question while pointing at the second cigarette Luke lit. Neff had memorized Luke's habits.

Luke won't touch a cigarette unless something makes him nervous.

Luke smoked from a young age, but then he easily quit when married. But his habit will recur if he faces a thought-provoking situation. And he would stop easily once his mind was reorganized.

And Neff already saw two cigarettes spent by Luke. That meant that the thing he was thinking about was very serious.

"I'm trying to understand why I'm doing all this"

Luke's voice sounded frustrated, Neff became unable to continue the question.

They have arrived at their destination anyway. Neff preceded the descent, because Luke had to turn off his cigarette before going down. He would not destroy his reputation in front of guests.

In Grindelwald, smoking recklessly is as bad as getting drunk in the morning.

Luke takes Neff to Lana's room, after knocking quietly and hearing Lana's answer, they both enter.

Lana looks nervous, Lukas suspects this is because this is the first time he has dealt with the police.

"Lana, introduce this, is Neff Reiner. He's the cop who's gonna interview you"

Actually Neff can get his men to do this. But for this case a little sensitive, then Lukas asked Neff to do it himself.

But that introduction, got no reply.

Lana who had been sitting down suddenly stood up agitatedly. He looked all over the room with big eyes.

"What's wrong?"

Luke went to Lana. But Lana gets more agitated as Luke approaches.

"Did you bring him here?" ask Lana.

"Who?" Luke asked in confusion.

Lana started to show signs of hysterics like yesterday, her hands were shaking violently, and her body was moving unsettled where she was standing.

"They!"

"Of course not! Why would I bring him here? He'll be in jail once the doctor says he's healthy" Neff said in an amused tone.

Lana's assumption is very unlikely to happen.

But then Neff wiped away the smile on her face, she could see Lana approaching a cry from fear.

"But I smell it. He must be near here. I can smell tobacco. Petra's mouth smelled like this as she kissed-"

Lana didn't continue her words. His hands began to rub his neck and face violently. Lana again tried to remove Petra's trace from her body.

Luke's face immediately pale, aware that Lana's source of anxiety was her.

Her hand, which wanted to stop Lana rubbing her neck, stopped in the air, aware that their contact would make Lana's situation worse.

Neff who finally understood immediately went forward.

"Lana, listen to me. This scent is not from Petra. Calm yourself. Luke smoked during his trip here. The scent was coming from him" Neff explained everything in a fatherly tone.

Neff became police chief because of his negotiating skills, he bagged a master in the field of psychologists. Experience tells him, Lana is in a state of panic and trauma.

Lana glanced at Neff, her face already somewhat calm. Her eyes, which were looking wildly, began to focus, and now Lana saw Neff and Luke alternating.

"Sorry, I'll change my clothes"

Luke immediately turned around and walked out of Lana's room. Two cigarettes became a nightmare. He threw his pack of cigarettes in the trash, and promised never to touch them again.

Lana who regained her composure, sat down while rubbing her hands. He realized he had just done a stupid deed.

"Lana, do you know who I am?" Neff sat in front of Lana, still in a very soft tone.

According to Neff's diagnosis, Lana had a deep trauma. Petra's words are either nonsense or he is hallucinating.

If Lana teases him, he will not be frightened when he smells tobacco.

Lana answered Neff's question with a nod. Seeing that Lana had calmed down, Neff began to explain what he meant here.

Lana's attitude is very different from the one before, she is calm and looks to think about everything before saying something.

Luke returned to the room, spreading a fresh masculine scent.

He not only changed his clothes, but took a shower and spilled almost half of his cologne onto his body. Eliminate all cigarette odors that may still be left.

Lana looks not disturbed anymore, she continues to listen to Neff's question and answer it.

But once in a while Lana glanced at Luke, as if to affirm that he was really Luke, not Petra. This made Luke even more sorry.

Led by a detailed question by Neff, Lana calmly explains what really happened.

He admitted that he was in the men's toilet, but not for the purpose of Petra's allegations.

Luke listened to him in relief. He never doubted Lana, but Luke was relieved, because what Lana said was very reasonable and easy to prove.

His lawyer will solve the case easily.

Neff said goodbye after finishing the question and answer with Lana. Luke returns to take him down, as the cable car will not work without Merian's cardlock.

After the cable car moved down Neff still continued to look at the building where Lana was.

"What's wrong?" Luke saw the view.

"He's more 'damaged' than he looks, Luke. He answered all my words honestly, but I could see that he was hiding something. I've never met someone so careful about talking. If he wasn't a psychiatrist, I'd think he's a fool, because he's been thinking too long"

And of course Luke knows Lana's not a fool. There is no fool who speaks three languages.

"Trauma caused by the rotten man was very severe. And he still has the balls to say Lana teased him. His sense of humor deserves credit" Lukas said sarcastically.

Luke then recounts the incident when Lana wanted to attack him when he woke up from his stupor, and also how Lana was wailing on the floor last night.

"The incident inflicted a huge, invisible wound on Lana. But there was something else that had happened in his life. His mind is trained to think fast and do the right thing. The events you're telling me indicate he's lost control, like when you walked in. The smell of tobacco triggers his trauma. But Lana quickly overcame everything. He returned as usual in a few minutes. It takes tremendous skill and determination to overcome such trauma. You can't get it from theory"

Luke once again agrees with Neff's thinking, nor did Lana take long to fall asleep last night.

And as a former sufferer of severe insomnia, Lukas was very amazed because Lana could immediately fall asleep after experiencing such a powerful emotional outburst.

"Did Lana need a psychiatrist?" luke asked, remembering his intentions. Neff thought for a moment before answering.

"Lana's smart to hide her emotions, she must regret losing control in front of us earlier. But that means one, his self-defense is weak because of Petra. He terrorizes Lana's mind, more than Lana used to bear. To be safe, Lana has to see a psychiatrist"

"He won't agree, you should have seen how he insisted on going home. He just said after I said you told him to stay"

Luke again recounts Lana's stubborn nature that denied her yesterday.  And how Lana easily smiled while in front of Joan.

"It's exciting! Lana covered all her true nature. He made a fake persona for all of us!!"

Neff suddenly exclaimed in delight, as if he had managed to find something precious.

Luke, who had no knowledge of psychology, translated Neff's words as he could, "You mean he's lying?"

"No, he tried hard to look strong, indifferent, cold and unfriendly. Didn't you see it? His true nature comes out when trauma strikes. He's something else, and I wonder what"

Neff now looks like a little boy who found a frog in the garden and is ready to dissect it for research.

"You're supposed to help Lana deal with depression, Neff. I won't let him be your guinea pig"

Luke was upset to see Neff's attitude.

"Who said I'd help him? I came here as a cop. And why should I ask your permission? He's not one of your properties!"

Neff laughed triumphantly as he said that, with the same tone of satisfaction as he discovered Lana's problem.

And Luke has absolutely no answer to Neff's question.

He had absolutely no right to object to Neff's statement, but why did he feel so angry to hear Neff say all that?

*  Swiss breakfast dish, made from oatmeal and fresh fruits

* Court cases that require free attorney services, because they cannot afford the services of lawyers