Chapter 3 - The Trap Is Set
By Sunday afternoon, Maya was awake, lucid, and fueled by a cold anger that mirrored her father's. We sat in my living room, the blinds drawn tight.
"I want them in jail," Maya said, her voice raspy but firm. "But I want them humiliated first."
Victor nodded in approval. "Tomorrow, you were supposed to leave for your honeymoon in Paris. Instead, Liam is going to come here. He’s tracked your phone to this apartment."
"How do you know?" I asked.
"Because I turned her phone on for exactly three minutes," Victor said. "He’s desperate. Without Maya's signature, Beatrice loses her house on Tuesday. They will try to play the concerned family. We let them in. We record everything."
At exactly 4:00 PM, a sharp knock echoed through the apartment.
Victor slipped into the guest bedroom, leaving the door cracked just a fraction of an inch. Maya sat on the couch, wearing a high-necked sweater to hide the bandages, her bruised face turned away from the door.
I opened it.
Liam stood there, holding a massive bouquet of red roses, looking like a Ralph Lauren model. Behind him stood Beatrice, clutching a designer handbag, wearing a look of rehearsed maternal concern.
"Evelyn," Liam breathed, pushing past me into the apartment. "Maya!"
He rushed to the couch, dropping to his knees. "Baby, I was so worried! Why did you run away?"
May you like
Maya slowly turned her head. When Liam saw the purple swelling on her cheek and her split lip, he didn't gasp. He didn't look surprised. He just looked annoyed.
"Liam," Maya said softly. "Why did you let her do this to me?"
