Chapter 56 The First Crack
Sabrina lounged in an exclusive VIP booth, whiskey in hand, her manicured nails tapping lazily against the glass. Across from her, Chase sat back, one arm draped over the backrest, his gaze locked onto her like he was trying to dissect a puzzle.
"I did my research," he said, voice low and measured. "You're Emilia's cousin."
Sabrina smirked, swirling her drink. "And here I thought that was old news."
Chase leaned forward, elbows on the table. "Then explain something to me. Why the hell are you best friends with Hallie Rogers?"
The smirk vanished. The air shifted.
Sabrina's fingers tightened around her glass, the playful gleam in her eyes replaced with something cold, sharp. "Best friends?" she echoed, voice dripping with amusement. "Is that what people think?"
Chase just waited.
She exhaled, setting her drink down with a quiet clink. "You want the truth?" A slow, eerie smile curved her lips. "I'm going to destroy Hallie Rogers. And you? You're going to help me."
Chase arched a brow. "And why would I do that?"
Sabrina leaned in; her voice smooth as silk but laced with venom. "Because the girl you're so curious about is a two-faced, selfish, manipulative parasite. She ruins everything she touches, and it's about time someone takes out the trash."
Chase didn't flinch, but something flickered behind his eyes—something he was careful to bury.
"Go on," he said, his voice carefully neutral.
She tapped a nail against the table. "Three years ago. My fiancé, Daniel Mercer—you've heard of him?"
Chase frowned. "The actor?"
She nodded, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. "Yes. The up-and-coming golden boy of Hollywood. The love of my life. The man I was planning to marry." Her expression darkened. "Until Hallie Rogers happened."
Silence stretched between them, thick and suffocating.
Sabrina's voice dropped, razor-sharp. "The three of us met on set. She played the sweet, innocent starlet, thrilled to be working with us." A scoff. "But behind the scenes? She was screwing my fiancé."
Chase let out a slow breath.
"I didn't find out the normal way. No, Hallie made sure of that." Sabrina's eyes burned with cold fury. "It was an industry party. Hallie? Wasted. Laughing, stumbling, making a mess of herself—as usual. And then, in front of everyone, she decided to share a little secret." Her smile was all teeth. "That she and Daniel had been sleeping together for months."
Chase's expression remained unreadable, but she saw the way his jaw tightened slightly.
"She was bragging about it. Said it started the moment they met. That she liked the thrill of sneaking around, liked knowing I had no idea. She even laughed; said he told her she was better than me." Sabrina's fingers curled against the table. [This story is exclusively available for free on Wattpad. If you see it anywhere else, it has been stolen.] "And Daniel? He didn't even deny it. Just stood there like a fucking coward."
But even as she spoke, Chase caught something—something just beneath the layers of bitterness and rage. Doubt. A hint of something unresolved. Was it really as simple as she made it seem? Had Hallie truly been a monster, or had Daniel already been looking for a way out?
He could see it now—Sabrina's version of the story had solidified into truth, but truth wasn't always reality.
He exhaled through his nose, looking away for a moment. "I want to help her."
Sabrina let out a quiet chuckle. "And why would you do that?"
"Because you just said she deserves better," he shot back.
They sat in silence for a moment before Chase leaned forward again. "So, what's the play? What happens next?"
Sabrina smirked, reaching for her drink. "Tonight," she said, voice velvety smooth, "Hallie Rogers is going to face the beginning of her end."
Chase exhaled, shaking his head slightly. "Remind me never to get on your bad side."
Sabrina clinked her glass against his, her grin wicked. "Oh, Chase," she purred. "You already are."
Sabrina leaned back, satisfied. The weight of the flash drive in Chase's hand was a promise—a loaded gun, waiting to be fired.
But just as she reached for her glass again, Chase slid something across the table.
A hard drive.
Her sharp gaze flicked to his. Her fingers hovered over the device, but she didn't pick it up. Instead, she arched a perfectly shaped brow. "And what's this?"
Chase tilted his head slightly, a slow smirk tugging at his lips. "A little something to help take Hallie down for good."
Suspicion laced her voice. "What's on it?"
Chase shrugged, too casual. "A recorded phone call."
She tapped a nail against the table, watching him carefully. "Between whom?"
His smirk deepened. "Hallie and a relative. One who apparently knows way too much."
Sabrina inhaled slowly, finally closing her fingers around the hard drive. It was heavier than her flash drive—metaphorically and physically. "And what exactly does this recording say?"
Chase's smirk never wavered. "Wouldn't you like to find out?"
Sabrina exhaled sharply, shaking her head. "Cute. Real cute." But there was a flicker of something in her eyes—anticipation.
Chase stretched his arms behind his head. "Let's just say it reveals all of Hallie's schemes. Every lie. Every manipulation. Every person she's burned to get where she is." His voice dropped slightly; amusement laced with something darker. "The things she thought would never come back to haunt her. They're about to."
Sabrina studied him. Was he bluffing? No. The easy confidence in his posture, the way he held himself—he knew he had something real.
She let out a slow, wicked smile. "And you just happened to have this?"
Chase exhaled through his nose. "Hallie screws people over like it's a sport. You think I'm the only one who has dirt on her?" He tapped the hard drive once. "Let's just say someone was feeling generous."
Sabrina hummed, pressing the drive between her fingers. "How do I know this isn't bullshit?"
Chase chuckled. "You don't." He gestured at the drive. "But I do know you're dying to hear it."
He wasn't wrong.
Sabrina exhaled through her nose, setting the drive aside. "Alright," she said smoothly. "When's all this happening?"
Chase leaned in slightly, waiting.
Sabrina's lips curved into a slow, satisfied smirk.
"Tonight."
And just like that, the game was set.
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Meanwhile, across town, Emilia sank deeper into the plush recliner, the scent of lavender and eucalyptus filling the air. Beside her, Roxanne let out a sigh, rolling her shoulders as the tension drained from her body.
"This," Roxanne murmured, adjusting the warm towel around her neck, "is exactly what I needed."
Emilia smiled, shifting slightly to let the heated chair work its magic on her muscles. "Henry really pulled through with this one."
The door to the private spa lounge swung open, and a familiar voice rang out. "I hope I'm not too late to crash this party."
Lily strolled in, her hair slightly damp from what was clearly an overindulgent shower, a complimentary glass of champagne in hand. "I saw the invite and thought—why not?"
Emilia chuckled as Lily settled into the chair next to her, sighing dramatically. The conversation turned lighthearted, Roxanne casually bringing up her upcoming film schedule while Lily made wildly exaggerated predictions about who in Hollywood would be in a scandal next. The warmth of the spa, the laughter, and the sense of normalcy made Emilia momentarily forget the chaos of her life outside these walls.
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Meanwhile, across the city, in the dim glow of a single desk lamp, a figure hunched over a worn wooden table. The steady scrape of a sharpening stone against steel filled the silent room, rhythmic, deliberate. The scent of oil and metal hung thick in the air, mingling with the faint mustiness of old wood.
The figure adjusted the hood of their sweatshirt and turned their attention to a corkboard riddled with photographs. At the center, a glossy picture of Emilia was pinned in place. Two small punctures marred the image—marks left by thrown darts.
A gloved hand reached forward, brushing over the photograph before plucking another dart from the table.
The wood of the chair creaked softly as the figure leaned back, rolling the dart between their fingers, then pulling back their arm. They held still for a moment, savoring the anticipation, the tension in the air.
Then, with slow, deliberate precision, they let it fly.
The dart struck cleanly between Emilia's eyes, embedding itself into the board with a quiet thud.
The figure exhaled slowly, staring at the picture for a moment longer before whispering under their breath.
"Soon."