My act was so convincing that Damian became a more eager participant in our secret affair than ever before. He thought he had me completely under his spell, a pawn ready to be moved off the board. He spent the next few days telling me a fabricated story about how Lyrien had taken everything from him, from his inheritance to the love of his life. He fed me every juicy detail of Lyrien's life, his shady business deals, his connections to the city's wealthiest and most powerful men, and his cruel, possessive nature. He painted a picture of Lyrien as a ruthless man who would do anything to get what he wanted, a man who saw no one as his equal and everyone as a pawn in his game.
I listened to him patiently, pretending to be heartbroken by every new revelation. I would cry softly, and he would
