Threads of a Trap
353 Words
The café was dimly lit, tucked away in the corner of the city, the kind of place where secrets could live without prying eyes. He sat across from Clara, his jaw tight, his fingers drumming against the table as though impatience itself had taken root in his bones.
Clara leaned back, crossing her legs with deliberate grace. Her red lips curled into a sly smile. “You look like a man who just lost his crown. And now you want me to help you take it back?”
His eyes burned into hers. “Not just take it back. Destroy, the one who stole it.”
Clara chuckled, swirling the wine in her glass. “You mean your father.” She said it like a joke, but her eyes glittered with hunger. “You really want to outmatch him for a girl? Isn’t that a bit… twisted?”
He leaned forward, lowering his voice. “Twisted is exactly what this game needs.”
For the first time, Clara’s smile faltered, but only for a second. She was addicted to danger, and he knew it.
“What’s the plan then?” she asked.
He smirked. “We start small. Lies. Whispers. Seeds of doubt. She thinks my father is some noble protector? Fine. We’ll peel that illusion away piece by piece. We’ll make her wonder if he’s using her. Make her question if he sees her as anything more than a trophy. Once her trust cracks…” He leaned back, eyes dark with satisfaction. “…that’s when I’ll strike.”
Clara tilted her head, amused. “You’re darker than I remember. I like it.”
“Good,” he said flatly. “Because I’m going to need you to be ruthless. If you can’t do that, walk away now.”
Clara licked her lips, leaning forward. “Oh, I can be ruthless. But don’t think I’m doing this just for you, darling. I want her broken, too.”
They clinked their glasses together, sealing a pact born from venom.
Neither of them noticed the man sitting three tables away, hidden in the shadows, listening.
- Writer
