Can’t Win Me Back by Ginger Sue

In Solana City, Tatiana stood alone outside the East Solana Police Bureau. She gritted her teeth and walked in.
"Are you here to make a report, miss?" asked a female officer.
Tatiana nodded vigorously. She asked softly, "May I know if Cyrus... I mean, Chief Cyrus is around?"
Cyrus had been busy for two days and two nights. He was sleeping soundly in the lounge room at the time.
The moment he found out that Tatiana was there to see him, he leaped to his feet and went out to meet her.
In the office, Tatiana and Cyrus sat facing each other. She interlocked her fingers and rubbed them together until her knuckles
turned red.
Cyrus studied her carefully. He asked in a concerned voice, "You showed up unannounced. Did something happen, Taty?"
Tatiana was tender-hearted and timid. She had always been overshadowed by Alyssa ever since she was a child.
Despite being half-siblings, Cyrus was never biased. He always treated her the same as Alyssa. Each time he went on a work
trip and came back with presents, he would give the same to both Alyssa and Tatiana.
As they grew older, they didn't get together as often. Plus, Tatiana was shyer and more introverted. Unlike Alyssa, she wouldn't
initiate contact with her brothers. Thus, it might appear that they weren't close.
Even so, both Alyssa and Tatiana were his sisters. He paid equal attention to both of them.
After being silent for a moment, Tatiana looked up slowly. She looked into Cyrus' eyes and said, "Cyrus, as a victim myself, I
want to come forward and testify that David assaulted me."

Cyrus widened his eyes. "What did you say, Taty?"
"I want to file charges against David for sexual assault." Tatiana's heart wrenched as she spoke.
Cyrus pursed his lips. He was a skillful criminal investigator.
He was a strong-minded professional investigator who was able to handle psychological stress. But when his family member
became the victim of a crime, he couldn't be more cautious. That said, he did wish that he could get rid of the monster, David!
"Taty, did you tell Lyla that you were coming here? How about Lyse? Does she know?"
Tatiana shook her head. In a soft voice, she replied, "If I told them, do you think I would be able to come here, Cyrus? Truth be
told, I went to see Lyse and Jasper last night. I shared my thoughts with them, and they were strongly against it."
Cyrus blinked. He said in a low voice, "They didn't allow you to do this because they were afraid that you'd be hurt. You are also
my sister. I treat you exactly the same as the way they do. Do you think that I would agree to this?"
"I know that you will."
Tatiana's eyes glowed. Her eyes were full of determination and faith in him. She continued, "That's because you are a cop. You
will be impartial, and you will not take sides.
"I know that you will do whatever you need to in order to arrest criminals. You will seek justice for the victims!"
Cyrus's heart raced, and his body temperature rose.
Though, quickly enough, his calm rationality took over. He let out a sigh of frustration. "From the bottom of my heart, I feel proud
of you for being brave enough to stand up against evil.

"But it has been some time since the incident happened to you. The chain of custody may already have been broken. On top of
that, what David did to you was only an assault attempt. He did not actually violate you physically. It is quite unlikely for him to be
sentenced."
Tatiana knitted her brows tightly together. She held her breath.
"I have worked on a few sexual assault cases in the past. It is indeed quite difficult to gather evidence when the victim and
suspect have a complicated relationship."
Cyrus was filled with hatred. Through clenched teeth, he continued, "Furthermore, the Schmidts pressured the victims. The other
victims are not willing to tell the truth. This way, we have no choice but to be reactive!
"I'm not trying to discourage you, Taty. But, even if you were to step forward, it would not make much impact on this case. If
mishandled, you might even bring trouble upon yourself.
"I'm guessing that Lyse and Jasper had the same concerns, which was why they tried to stop you. So, you shouldn't blame them.
They were just trying to protect you the best they can."
There was a deafening silence in the office.
Then, Tatiana questioned with an anxious look in her eyes. "If so, what do we have to do in order to strike David with a heavy
blow? Don't tell me that there's nothing that we can do!"
"I will send some officers to go and have a chat with the victims and their families tomorrow. I will tell them that the police force
will do all we can to ensure their safety. We will not publicize the entire investigation process. But first, let me take your
statement."
Just as Cyrus was about to rise to his feet, Tatiana grabbed him by the arm. "Then... Then what would be our chances of
success?
"Yesterday, Lyse and Jasper have already gone to try and meet with two of them. However, they didn't have much success. Even
miracle workers like Lyse and Jasper weren't able to convince them. Would you and your people really be able to?"
Cyrus knew that Tatiana wasn't coming from a place where she doubted the police's capabilities. She was simply rambling as
she was burning with anxiousness.

He wasn't someone who would speak empty words just to appease others. Thus, he could only answer her frankly, "To be
honest, I'm not very confident. But I know that we won't have a chance of success if we don't try at all.
"Also, there's another problem. Even though this news is about to die down, the Schmidts are still manipulating the comments
and posts online. So, it hasn't gotten the attention of the media and the public.
"This would also discourage the victims from stepping forward. If we can stir up public opinion, it would also give the victims
some encouragement. At the same time, we could put a massive pressure on the Schmidts."
"Stir up public opinion?" Tatiana widened her eyes in astonishment.
"There are many things that aren't as simple as they seem, Taty."
Cyrus gave her a pat on her shoulder. He looked at her with a gaze filled with heartache. "Despite you being Winston's daughter,
those weasels in the Schmidt family still tried to harm you. Other women are just at the mercy of these powerful plutocrats.
"Go home after I take your statement. I'll keep you posted."