Chapter 13: Silver lining

‎Scarlett's POV

‎

There was a lot of crucial information omitted from my target's profile. Who would have thought that a girl simply being seen around him would trigger a complete public disaster?

‎

‎And now, thanks to a second blog post, he actually thought I had set him up. His solution? He wanted us to play a couple.

‎

‎"I ...." I opened my mouth to protest before I could even form a proper defense in my head, but no words came out. The words died somewhere between my brain and my tongue, leaving only the dry taste of panic in my mouth.And then, right in the middle of my rising panic, it hit me.

‎

‎There was light at the end of every tunnel. The light at the end of this insane situation was that playing his girlfriend gave me direct, unquestioned access to my target. No more sneaking around perimeter fences. No more waiting for isolated moments.

‎

‎"Okay. I'll do it," I had accepted, swallowing my hesitation. The words scraped against my throat like sandpaper.He handed me his phone, to put my digits in, told him my name, and walked straight out the door.

‎

‎When I finally got back to my dorm room, I stopped short. A guy I had never seen before was sitting casually on Mia's side of the bed. The room still smelled like her vanilla perfume, but underneath it was something else—something masculine, like soap and worn cotton. I stood in the doorway, confused, my eyes darting around the room looking for my roommate.

‎

‎Before I could say anything, the bathroom door opened and Mia walked in, holding a towel.

‎

‎"You're here!" Mia said, a relieved smile on her face.

‎

‎The guy turned to look at me, leaning back against Mia's pillows. "Hi," he said. His voice was low and easy, evidence that he'd already made himself at home.

‎

‎"That's Damien," Mia introduced, grinning from ear to ear. I immediately put two and two together—this was the guy she had hooked up with last night.

‎

‎"Hi," I murmured, my hand raising in an involuntary little wave. My fingers felt clumsy and awkward, like they belonged to someone else.

‎

‎"This is Lettie," Mia added, pointing toward me.

‎

‎Damien nodded politely, but a flicker of deep confusion passed over his face as he repeated the name under his breath. "Lettie."

‎

‎"Scarlett," I clarified, helping him connect the dots.

‎

‎His confusion vanished instantly. His eyes went slightly wide as realization hit him, clearly recognizing my face from the viral blog posts he had undoubtedly seen all over campus this morning.

‎

‎"Nice to meet you," he said, stepping back slightly.

‎

‎Mia grabbed her bag from the chair. "I'm heading out. I promise I won't be late," she said, giving me a quick hug. Her arms were warm and quick, gone before I could fully return the gesture.I was already sitting down on my own bed by then, still exhausted from the morning's chaos. She stepped out into the hallway, and Damien followed close behind, shutting the door. The click of the latch echoed in the sudden quiet.

‎

‎Once I was alone, I fell back onto my mattress, staring up at the ceiling. My mind raced as I tried to map out how to maximize this forced proximity. Being his 'girlfriend' meant I would be in his house, around his routine, and within striking distance. I just needed to play the role well enough to catch him off guard and finish this task once and for all.

‎

‎Then, the heavy buzz of my burner phone vibrated against my desk.The sound was dull and insistent.

‎

‎My stomach dropped. I sat up immediately, snatched the phone from the drawer, and flipped it open. The plastic casing was cold against my palm.

‎

‎"Finish off in 3 days."

‎

‎A cold sweat broke out on the back of my neck. It trickled down my spine, slow and deliberate, like a finger tracing my vertebrae.Three days was impossible. If I rushed it now, under the heavy spotlight currently shining on both of us, I was guaranteed another failed attempt. And another failure meant risking my life and leaving my family at the mercy of their debt.

‎

‎"I have a plan, I need longer time," I texted back, my fingers trembling slightly over the keypad.The buttons were small and stiff, and I hit the wrong letter twice before getting it right.

‎

‎I held my breath, staring at the screen. Three small dots appeared almost instantly, signaling that they were typing. My heart thundered against my ribs in sync with the pulsing indicator. The glow of the screen was too bright in the dim room, casting blue shadows across my trembling hands.

‎

‎"How long?"

‎

‎I stood up and began pacing the small floor space between our beds. I typed "1 week", then immediately backspaced and cleared it. The click of the delete key was sharp and final. I thought about typing "1 month", but I knew they wouldn't grant me that kind of leeway. I needed to ask for a timeline they could afford to give me, but one that actually gave me enough room to carry out the kill cleanly. I needed a balance.

‎

‎Two weeks. I should be able to figure out his vulnerabilities and finish everything in two weeks, and two weeks was short enough for them to accept.

‎

‎"Two weeks," I typed, hitting send before I could overthink it and lose my nerve. My thumb hovered over the screen for a heartbeat too long.

‎

‎The three dots popped up almost instantly on the screen.

‎

‎"Be done in 2 weeks. No excuses."

‎