CHAPTER SIXTEEN
723 Words
The Game Begins
Elsa sat in the backseat of the car, her fingers trembling as she flipped through the file. Her pulse quickened as she took in the contents—photographs of Liam’s personal assistant, Mr. Carter, alongside a man whose face was obscured, but the snake tattoo on his neck was unmistakable. Another image showed the same man trailing her father, his presence too intentional to be mere coincidence.
Her stomach churned as she found a flash drive tucked into the file. With a deep breath, she pulled out her laptop and inserted the drive. A video loaded instantly.
Elsa’s breath hitched as she watched the footage—a man in a black cap, his face partially hidden, following her father at a distance. The grainy CCTV clip showed him slipping into Mr. Johnson’s car just moments before the fatal accident.
Her vision blurred with tears as the realization hit her like a freight train. This was proof—proof that her father’s death wasn’t an accident. But it wasn’t enough to convict Liam. If she wanted justice, she needed more.
She clenched her fists, her determination hardening. If I can’t find proof, I’ll make him confess.
A dangerous plan began to form in her mind. If she could get Liam to trust her—truly trust her—she could draw the truth from his own lips. And to do that, she had to make him fall in love with her.
She wiped away her tears and composed herself. This wasn’t about emotions anymore. This was a game, and she had to play it strategically.
At the Forbes estate, Liam sat in his dimly lit study, swirling a glass of whiskey in his hand. Mr. Carter entered, holding a thick file. His expression was grave.
“Boss, there’s something you need to see,” he said, placing the file in front of Liam.
Liam leaned forward, flipping through the pages with narrowed eyes. The more he read, the deeper his frown became.
“You’re telling me there’s more to Johnson’s death than we thought?” he asked, his voice low and controlled.
“Yes, sir. Mr. Johnson quit smoking years ago. Yet, the official report claims he died due to smoking while driving—with his wife in the car. That alone is suspicious. But there’s more.”
Liam turned the page and froze. A picture of a man with a snake tattoo stared back at him.
“Is this…?” Liam’s voice trailed off.
“Yes, sir,” Mr. Carter confirmed. “Gary was spotted at the wedding. I remember seeing him that day. After you fired him for theft, he kept coming back, begging you to take him back. I assumed he was just causing trouble, as usual. But now, it seems he had a different agenda.”
Liam flipped through more images, his jaw tightening. One picture showed Gary entering Mr. Johnson’s car.
Carter continued, his voice steady. “Sir, all CCTV footage from that night was deleted, but I was able to recover one clip.”
He pressed play on a tablet, and Liam watched intently. The footage was grainy, but it was clear enough—Gary stepped out of Johnson’s car holding a small keg.
Liam’s fingers tightened around his glass. “Could this be…?”
“Gasoline,” Mr. Carter confirmed. “We believe it was used to start the fire.” He flipped to another page. “And look at this—Mr. and Mrs. Johnson didn’t seem to be in their right minds when they got into the car. We suspect they were drugged. Look at how they stagger, barely able to walk. And Gary was the one helping them into the vehicle.”
Liam exhaled sharply. The implications were unsettling.
Mr. Carter hesitated before adding, “Boss, someone planned this. And I don’t think it was just you who had a problem with the Johnsons.”
Liam’s expression darkened. For years, he had believed the deaths were the result of his own calculated move. But now, doubt crept in. Had someone else been pulling the strings all along?
As he sat in silence, piecing everything together, Elsa was formulating her own plan.
Both of them were now playing a dangerous game.
And neither of them realized just how deadly it would become.
- Writer
