CHAPTER 2 – The Performance Begins
CHAPTER 2 – The Performance Begins
"My son..."
Celeste rushed toward Adrian as if he had survived an attack.
"What happened?"
Adrian didn't hesitate.
"She snapped."
He rubbed his wrist dramatically before pointing straight at me.
"I tried to calm her down, and she attacked me."
His performance was almost convincing.
Almost.
One of the lawyers, Martin Vale, looked uncertain.
He noticed the whip.
The handwritten notebook.
The overturned champagne glasses.
The room didn't look like the scene Adrian was describing.
Celeste, however, had already made up her mind.
"I knew she wasn't good enough for this family."
She glared at me with open contempt.
"I warned Adrian that girls from ordinary families become dangerous once they taste real money."
I remained silent.
Adrian mistook my silence for defeat.
He smirked.
"You should apologize now."
Instead, I pointed toward the phone resting on the sofa.
"Play the recording."
The room froze.
Adrian's smile flickered.
"I... deleted it."
"So quickly?"
I tilted my head.
"Interesting."
Martin slowly picked up the phone.
"The recording is still active."
Adrian's face drained of color.
"No..."
Martin pressed stop.
No one spoke.
He didn't play it immediately.
Instead, his attention shifted to the notebook.
"What exactly is this?"
Adrian laughed awkwardly.
"A joke."
Martin opened the first page.
Then the second.
Then the fifth.
His expression hardened with every line.
Mandatory financial control.
Password surrender.
Movement restrictions.
Forced signatures.
Permission to inspect personal messages.
Prepared statements blaming the wife for future injuries.
This wasn't a prank.
It was a blueprint.
Celeste folded her arms.
"Marriage requires structure."
Martin looked at her.
"It requires consent."
She ignored him.
Turning back to me, she smiled coldly.
"You should feel honored."
"Women would compete to marry into this family."
I finally spoke.
"That's because they don't know what happens after the wedding."
Adrian slammed his hand against the table.
"Enough!"
"You think anyone will believe you?"
I slowly lifted my necklace between two fingers.
The tiny diamond caught the chandelier's light.
"This isn't jewelry."
Confusion crossed every face.
"It has been recording since before we entered this room."
Silence.
Adrian stared at the necklace.
"What did you say?"
"The footage is already stored somewhere you'll never reach."
For the first time all evening...
His confidence cracked.
Outside the penthouse windows, thunder rolled over the city.
Inside...
May you like
The performance was over.
The real story had finally begun.
