Chapter 51 The broken piece
LILA'S POV
Idiots.
Pathetic loser's calling me a monster. Dragging my name like a horrible villain. I bet they are on the search for me.
I paced across the narrow apartment I’d been hiding in since dawn, nails dug into my palm as I replayed the trial coverage. And then I remembered her.
Vanessa.
One video , one stupid, stupid video ,and suddenly I went from invisible mastermind to public enemy. Everywhere I looked, news channels replayed my voice, my laughter, my plan. They dragged my name across screens.
I still remember how she said it that day on the trail which was live on different channels.
"I recorded that myself… I planted the CCTV…"
My jaw clenched so hard it hurt,
She betrayed me.
She was the one person I thought would never turn.
And now?
She was in custody.
Held by the court for questioning, awaiting further directives.
Another plan struck my mind.
A perfect opportunity.
I muted the TV and leaned against the counter, breathing out slowly. Anger was useless. Panic was for fools. What I needed was clarity , and the right weapon.
And how to use it wisely.
Vanessa wasn’t bold. She always pretended to be in control.She’d never been. I molded her, crafted her into something useful, something obedient. She followed because she feared me, admired me, needed me. Fear doesn’t evaporate in a courtroom. Not overnight.
She was shaken, fragile, terrified…
Exactly the kind of mind I could bend again.
I grabbed my tablet and pulled up old contacts, one of the anonymous numbers I used before. A man who owed me a favor, someone who handled messages that “couldn’t” be traced. I typed quickly.
>“Find out where they’re holding her.
I need details. Quickly.”
Five minutes later, my phone buzzed.
> “Temporary court holding facility. She’s isolated. Access limited. But messages… possible.”
I smiled.
Perfect place.
She was alone. Scared. Questioning everything.
People like her always look backward and forward in desperation.
And desperation makes people obedient.
I sat, crossing my legs, and opened a fresh encrypted chat.
Time to break her down.
I typed slowly, purposefully:
LILA:
You thought they’d protect you?
You thought they’d let you walk free?
I sent.
Three minutes of silence.
Then a typing bubble.
VANESSA:
Lila??
How did you get this number??
I smirked.
LILA:
You made a mistake.
But I’m willing to help you… if you listen.
I imagined her curled on a metal bench, with the orange wear,her hands shaking, realizing she’d thrown herself to the wolves.
Then she replied.
VANESSA:
I don’t want to be part of this anymore.
They said I might face charges.
I’m scared.
Good.
Fear is a leash.
LILA:
Of course you’re scared.
Because you’re alone now.
And those people you “helped”?
They won’t save you.
I waited.
VANESSA:
I… I did what was right.
You wanted to ruin me too.
There it was, the little spark of defiance she thought she still had.
I needed to crush that.
My fingers moved faster this time.
LILA:
Right?
You betrayed me.
You exposed yourself.
And do you think Damian or Aria will protect you after that?
Don't day dream,no ones coming to save you.
You’re disposable to them.
This time, the pause was longer.
I could almost hear her breathing quicken.
Then…
VANESSA:
What do you want?
Victory tasted sweet.
I stood up and paced slowly, savoring the moment. My mind worked quickly, assembling my new plans like puzzle pieces falling into place. Vanessa was held in custody. That meant limited contact, controlled environment, but also predictability.
If I could instill her with fear, guilt, and doubt… she’d crumble.
I typed again.
LILA:
I want to help you survive this.
But you owe me.
And you will fix your mistake.
VANESSA:
What mistake?
How naïve. I laughed.
LILA:
You exposed too much.
You gave them leverage.
But you can still take it back.
No typing bubble.
She was thinking.
Then finally.
VANESSA:
How?
I leaned back in my chair, tapping a finger against my thigh.
That was the million-dollar question.
How could she still be useful?
The truth was simple: Vanessa had access to things.
Documents. Information. Knowledge of my methods.
And soon she would be questioned properly, investigated, picked apart.
If she broke entirely, she could destroy everything.
But if I could twist her, guide her, reshape her again…
She could become my weapon from inside.
Maybe even redirect suspicion.
Maybe even bury a piece of evidence.
Maybe even frame someone new.
Her fear could fuel my comeback.
I needed her fragile.
I needed her desperate.
I typed:
LILA:
They’re going to interrogate you tomorrow.
And they will try to pin the whole thing on you.
Unless you turn the story…
in our favor.
Five seconds. Ten. Twenty.
Then…
VANESSA:
What do you mean?
Hook, line, sinker.
LILA:
You’ll say someone coerced you.
Manipulated you.
Forced you to record the video…
and plant the CCTV.
VANESSA:
Who??
You’re the one who..
I cut her off quickly.
LILA:
Think, Vanessa.
If you say it was me, you’ll go down too.
But if you redirect it…
If you give them another name…
someone believable…
someone already tangled in guilt and suspicion…
I paused deliberately.
LILA:
…they’ll protect you instead of punishing you.
My phone buzzed instantly.
VANESSA:
You mean blame someone else?
Who??
I closed my eyes, letting the possibilities settle.
So many names.
So many targets.
Aria.
Damian.
Victor.
But the most believable scapegoat was someone who mattered.
Someone who would cause maximum destruction.
I typed slowly:
LILA:
Leave that to me.
I’ll tell you who… and what to say.
For now, do EXACTLY as I tell you.
And you’ll walk out free.
We will settle our indifference
A final message blinked in.
> VANESSA:
…okay.
Just don’t leave me.
Don’t worry, Vanessa.
I’ll never leave you.
Not until I’ve used every last piece of you.
Tomorrow, she would lie.
Tomorrow, she would deliver the crack I needed.
And after that?
Aria.
Damian.
Anyone who stood in my way.
They would crumble.
One by one.
Because I wasn’t done.
Not even close.
I remembered something juicy.
I typed quickly.
Lila:
I remember the story you told me of them both. The reason behind their marriage, revenge. I'll try to say that in court. I'll come even If I'll be held. I'll help free you.