Chapter 177

Chapter 177
Renée's POV

After running through a plan with the reasonable detectives, I was finally seated across from Sabrina. The actual devil.
She was shocked to see me at first but got over it really quickly, immediately playing the pity game.

“Sister, you have to believe me, I didn't do anything wrong. It was all Gregory…” Blah blah blah.
Sister? The audacity.
She just kept on talking non stop.

“I believe you” I said blankly, cutting her off and she paused, blinking in shock, before quickly shrugging it off.

“You do?” She asked and I nodded.
It was time to see the better actress.

“I'm here to help you” I explained as I leaned in.

“But you have to-” I paused mid sentence before looking at the corners of the room, staring straight at the camera and the voice recording button on the table.

I looked back at her.
“You have to tell me what really happened” I said and tears streamed down her face again.

“I have” she said, sniffing through fake tears.

I sighed and shook my head.
“No, Sabrina. I know you're lying. I can't help you unless you tell me the actual truth.” I said, a worried look on my face.

“I don't -” she started but I cut her off.

“Look” I said as I pointed towards the cameras that each had a tiny red light.
She followed my hand and when I was sure she was looking, I signalled the detectives outside to turn it off. They did and the red light went off.

That was when the plan was set in motion. I was going to trick her into confessing. So, the cameras didn't actually go off, just the red lights did, to trick her into believing she wasn't being watched.

“We're not being watched again, you can tell me now” I said but she eyed me warily, before glancing to the button on the table.

My mouth formed an ‘oh’.
Of course I knew about it but I needed to “make a mistake” to make her think I was really just trying to help.

I signalled them to turn it off.
They did.
It didn't matter anyway, because I was wearing a recorder.
It was all part of the plan.

She still looked skeptical. Naturally.
She was way too smart to just believe whatever I said.

“Now, we really are alone. No one can hear us” I said and she frowned slightly, looking around the room.

She didn't believe me.

“Why would you want to help me? You hate me, don't you?” She said, with her head hung over, still playing the victim part.

I almost rolled my eyes. Almost.

I leaned back on the chair, letting out a sigh.
“You're right, I do. But I have a greater enemy. And we happen to share that enemy.” I said, a creepy smile crawling onto my face.

“Who?” she asked and I shrugged.

“Gregory, who else.” I said, my entire face morphing into a frown.
I didn't feel anything for the bastard but I needed to convince her I did.

“I want that asshole gone” I said and she cocked her head to the side, still skeptical.
Her eyes scanned the room and I scoffed.

“You really think I would talk about this with them listening? It'll literally be me covering up the tracks of the true suspect” I stated and she seemed to lower her guard.

Just a little nudge and she'll be completely sold.

“Then, how did you get them to turn it all off?” She asked, looking around the room, referring to the cameras and recorders.

I flashed my ring at her.
“It turns out I'm engaged to a certain powerful person,” I said with a smirk.
I almost laughed at the jealousy that was written all over her face.

Almost there…

She narrowed her eyes at me.

“Fine. Suit yourself, I have nothing to lose anyway” I said as I scraped my chair backwards and got on my feet.

Not part of the plan at all.
But I was convinced it would work.

Come on, come on.

I was literally two feet away from the door when she finally spoke.

“Wait” she said and a fulfilling smile laced my lips.
Yes yes yes.

I turned around and she sighed.

“What do you have in mind?” She asked and I smiled before making my way back to her.

“It's quite simple. Frame Gregory for your crime. But I'll need you to come clean first” I said and she raised a brow.

“Why? We can just build on the foundation I created. They already believe my sob story anyway. Goddess, men are so easy.” She said, with a mocking scoff.

I wished I could see the look on Austin's face at that moment.

“Because they don't believe you. Out there, they have solid proof that you're lying. So, it's all pretense. Gregory said he had no idea you murdered anyone and you just came to spend time with him as his girlfriend. His alibi checks out. Yours doesn't.” I said and she groaned in annoyance.

Half lie. His alibi did not check out. Not one bit.

“That bastard,” she said as she leaned forward and buried her head in her hands.
By now, the fake tears were long gone. All that replaced it was the real Sabrina I knew. A walking representation of anger

“You don't have much of a choice here, Sabrina. You need to tell me the full story, so we can work around the evidence. I have people here but they need to know what they're working with” I explained and she exhaled.

She bit her lip, clearly reluctant.

I didn't have the patience, so I decided to bite the tiger’s tail.

“They know you hit her head with a hammer. They found the weapon. Wow Sabrina, I didn't know you could be so violent” I said and her eyes widened in shock.

“No, I did not do that. She fell and hit her head on that darned well!” She yelled and I forced myself to suppress the victorious smile that threatened to break loose.

“Are you sure? Don't lie to me. Because they definitely found the weapon. I saw it and it has your prints all over it.” I argued and she shook her head.

“I didn't! Someone is trying to frame me!” She almost yelled and I cocked my head to the side.

I sucked in air through my teeth, a thoughtful gaze in place.
“Maybe it's Gregory? He could have gone back to the scene to plant it or something” I suggested.

Dear goddess. Someone hand me a trophy.

Her face grew red with anger.
“You’re right. That bastard must be the one” she squeezed her fist.

“Look, that bitch deserved to die but I didn't plan to kill her. She acted like she wasn't part of the whole plotting against you thing and was trying to back out from the whole thing. She started avoiding me and it pissed me the hell off. So, I decided to teach her a lesson.” She started and I bit my inner cheeks to keep calm.

Deserved to die?
This audacity of this bitch.

“So, I went into the palace and snuck Gregory in since he was banned. I needed his help. We were just supposed to scare her.” She said and I clenched my fists beneath the table while somehow managing to keep a straight face.

“I wanted somewhere out of sight and the back of the building was perfect. I called her out to have a talk and it turned into an argument because the bitch wouldn't stop talking. Stella never talked back. The audacity she had that day was baffling. She needed to know her place. So I slapped her.” I could see the annoyance in her eyes as she spoke and I'm telling you, this girl was the actual devil.

“But this bitch,” she scoffed, like she was still in disbelief. “She actually hit me back and that was when I saw red. We fought. She kept clawing at my skin, so I pushed her. Just slightly. She basically tripped and hit her head on the well. And she passed out” she said, a pleasurable smile on her face.

I ignored the throb in my chest.
“Where was Gregory in all of this?” I asked casually.

“Hiding. I told him to stay hidden until I gave him the signal to come out. He was supposed to be the one beating her up, not me. But my hands were occupied and I couldn't give him the signal and the stupid boy had no common sense to know he was supposed to come out. It all happened so fast” she said and I nodded in understanding.

Understanding?
My legs were shaking beneath the table.

“What a fool” I said, trying to play along.

“Right? And then when he came out, he actually suggested calling an ambulance. Imagine!” She said it like it was the craziest thing she had ever heard.

Fuck. I wasn't sure how much longer I could hold on.

“But of course, I didn't allow him. She wouldn't have made it either way. So, I made sure she was really dead and he threw her into the well. We cleaned up the bloody scene and that was it.” She shrugged and relaxed her back again.

“I cannot believe that backstabber actually went back to the scene and planted a weapon there.” she said it like that was the most problematic thing out of everything she said.

My palms were fisted so tightly, I was sure my fingernails had pierced my skin.

“She should have just died quietly, without making a fuss. That slut is still stressing me out even after her death” she said and this time, I couldn't even school my expression.

I raised a shocked brow and she shrugged.

“What? It's not like you liked her either. Don't pretend you were besties or something” she said and I stared at her for a while before sighing.

“So, what do you propose we do?” She asked and I ran my hands through my hair.

“Hmmm” I hummed thoughtfully, before leaning in. She reciprocated the act, eager to hear my grand plan.

“I’m going to send you straight to where you belong.” I said and she cocked her head to the side in confusion.
“Prison” I stated and the smug look on her face dropped.