Chapter 75
Chapter 75
Lila
Victoria's voice, sharp with irritation and panic. I glanced at Sofia, whose eyes went wide. Without a word, Sofia gently pushed my wheelchair closer, making sure the wheels didn't make a sound.
"I'm sorry, Vic, I'm so sorry." Vanessa's voice was thick with tears. "It's just... this is so much bigger than I thought. All these people, all these cameras... I only tripped her a little, just like you asked, I didn't think she'd actually get hurt badly enough to—"
"Keep your voice down." Victoria's hiss was venomous. "The last thing we need is someone overhearing. And stop talking about what I 'asked' you to do. As far as anyone knows, it was an accident—you were clumsy, you didn't watch where you were going. That's the story. Do you understand?"
Sofia's hand found mine, squeezing tight. We were hearing confirmation that the assault had been planned, orchestrated, deliberately executed.
"I can't do this," Vanessa whimpered. "I can't go up there and lie to all those people when we both know I tripped her on purpose because you said she needed to be taken down a peg—"
"Shut up." Victoria's voice cracked with panic. "Just shut up, Vanessa. You're going to do exactly what we agreed. You're going to read your statement about how sorry you are for your carelessness, and you're going to sell it. Because if you don't, if you even hint that this was anything other than an accident, my father will destroy your family. Destroy them."
The threat hung in the air, ugly and unmistakable. Sofia's grip tightened to the point of pain.
"But what about me?" Vanessa's voice turned desperate. "I'm the one taking all the blame. You get to play innocent bystander while I'm painted as the clumsy idiot. How is that fair?"
"Fair?" Victoria laughed bitterly. "Nothing about this is fair. Fair would have been that little gold-digger knowing her place instead of somehow trapping Elias Voss into marriage. But we don't live in a fair world—we live in a world where sometimes people make sacrifices for the greater good."
"The greater good," Vanessa repeated, dripping with resentment. "You mean for your engagement to Leo, for your precious alliance. My reputation gets destroyed, but at least Victoria gets her billionaire husband."
"Oh, please. Your reputation will be fine. It won't be long before everyone forgets about it. And in case you've forgotten, my father is paying your family five hundred thousand dollars for your cooperation. I'd say you're being adequately compensated for temporary embarrassment."
Five hundred thousand dollars. They'd put a price tag on the lie.
"The money doesn't change that you're throwing me under the bus," Vanessa said bitterly. "That this was your idea. You wanted to humiliate her, you couldn't stand seeing her with Leo—"
"Enough," Victoria interrupted sharply. "What I wanted is irrelevant. What matters is getting through the next hour without saying something that destroys both our families' reputations. So here's what's happening: you're going to fix your makeup and pull yourself together. Then we're going to deliver our statements exactly as rehearsed. And if you deviate from the script by even a single word, I will make sure your family not only doesn't see a penny of that money, but that my father uses every connection to ensure your parents' business collapses within a year. Am I clear?"
Silence, heavy with threat. When Vanessa finally spoke, her voice was small. "Crystal clear."
"Good. Now fix your face. We go on in ten minutes, and I need you looking contrite, not like you've been sobbing."
Heels clicked away. For a long moment, only silence. Then Vanessa's voice again—but this time cold, calculating, edged with fury.
"Enjoy your moment of victory, Victoria Ashford. Enjoy thinking you've successfully pinned everything on me. But once I have that money deposited, once the contracts are signed... we'll see who has the last laugh. We'll see who ends up looking like the fool when I'm done with you."
The venom was startling—a complete transformation from her apologetic persona. This was the real Vanessa Clark, a resentful accomplice already planning revenge.
Footsteps moved away. I remained frozen, mind reeling.
Sofia turned to me, eyes wide. "Oh my God. Did you hear all of that?"
I nodded slowly. "They're not friends. They're not even allies. Just two people trapped in a mutually beneficial arrangement they both resent, held together by money and threats."
"Plastic sisters," Sofia said with contempt. "Fake friendship, fake loyalty, everything built on transactions instead of anything real." She squeezed my hand. "But you know what this means? When they deliver their carefully rehearsed apologies, we'll know it's all a lie. We'll know the truth."
I took a shaky breath, feeling something shift—a final letting go of any hope for genuine closure. "You're right. At least now I know exactly what to expect. No illusions, no disappointment. Just a performance, a transaction, a box to check."
Sofia's expression softened. "I'm sorry, Lila. I know you probably hoped for something more real."
I shook my head, surprised to find relief rather than disappointment. "Actually, in a strange way, this is better. Now I can sit through their statements without wasting energy hoping for sincerity."
I took Sofia's hands. "And more importantly, it reminds me what actually matters. Not their fake apologies, but the real relationships I have—with you, with Elias, with people who actually care about me."
Sofia's eyes grew bright, and she pulled me into a fierce hug. "God, Lila, you're amazing. Most people would be furious or devastated, but you're handling this with so much grace."
I hugged back. "I learned from watching you and your father. You both navigate this world with clear eyes, understanding people's motives without letting it make you cynical. That's what I want."
We pulled apart, and Sofia immediately checked my hair and makeup. "Well, your mascara is still perfect, which is more than I can say for Vanessa. Come on, let's head back. I want to watch this performance with fresh eyes now that we know exactly what we're dealing with."