Jillian exchanged glances with Dante and Leo. This was unexpected, and possibly dangerous. But something in her gut told her that walking away now would mean missing a crucial piece of the puzzle.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped closer. "I'm listening."
The two old women exchanged glances before the first one motioned for Jillian, Dante, and Leo to sit on the cracked wooden bench beside them. The air felt heavier now, thick with something unspoken.
"You think this fight is just about revenge, about taking Victor down," the second woman said, her voice edged with something like pity. "But you don't see the whole picture yet."
Jillian frowned. "Then show me."
The first woman sighed. "Victor is dangerous, but he's not the true mastermind. He's just a piece in a larger scheme—one that has been moving in the shadows for decades."
Dante crossed his arms. "And you two just happen to know all this?"
"We were once close to the people who built this empire," the first woman admitted. "We watched as they turned men like Victor into weapons. And we watched as those weapons destroyed lives."
Jillian's stomach twisted. "So why are you telling me this now?"
The second woman leaned forward, her eyes locking onto Jillian's. "Because you might be the only one who can break the cycle. But if you charge in without knowing who you're really up against, you'll end up like everyone else who tried before you—dead or forgotten."
Leo exhaled sharply. "So what do we do?"
The first woman reached into her coat and pulled out a small, folded piece of paper. "There's a name on this. Someone in the countryside who knows Victor's weakest link. Find them before Victor realizes you're looking."
Jillian hesitated before taking the paper. The name written inside sent a shock through her. It wasn't just any name—it was someone she thought she'd never have to see again.
Her grip tightened. "Why them?"
The second woman smirked. "Because sometimes, the people we least expect are the ones holding the secrets we need."
Jillian felt her heartbeat quicken. This wasn't just about Victor anymore—this was about something much bigger. And if she was going to win, she had to play smarter than ever before.
She stood, shoving the paper into her pocket. "Then it's time we pay them a visit."
Jillian's breath caught in her throat as she stared at the name written on the paper. Camilla Robbinson.
Her hands clenched into fists, the weight of the past crashing down on her like a tidal wave. Of all the names she could have seen, why hers? The woman who had stolen everything from her, who had manipulated her father, destroyed her family, and erased her existence from the Smith household—how could she be Victor's weakest link?
Dante noticed the change in her expression. "Who is it?"
Jillian hesitated, her throat dry. "Camilla."
Leo stiffened. "That Camilla?"
The second old woman smirked. "You look surprised."
Jillian's heart pounded. "She has Victor's weakness?"
The first woman nodded. "More than that—she's been holding onto something he desperately wants. But she's not as untouchable as she thinks."
Jillian could barely wrap her mind around it. Camilla had always been the predator, the one in control. The thought that she was vulnerable, that she was hiding something from Victor Holloway, made her blood run cold.
Dante crossed his arms. "If Camilla has what we need, that means she's either working with Victor or she's afraid of him."
Leo scoffed. "Either way, she's not gonna hand it over willingly."
Jillian exhaled sharply, trying to steady her thoughts. Camilla had already taken everything from her—her home, her father's trust, her place in the Smith family. Now, she might hold the key to taking down the most dangerous man in the countryside.
And that meant only one thing.
Jillian straightened, her gaze hard as steel. "Then we make her talk."
Dante leaned back against the warehouse wall, arms crossed. "That depends. Do we want to scare her, trick her, or break her?"
Leo smirked. "I vote for breaking her."
Jillian, still gripping the paper with Camilla's name, shook her head. "Camilla is too smart for that. If we push too hard, she'll shut down and make sure we never find out what she knows."
Dante rubbed his chin. "Then we need leverage. Something that'll make her feel like she has no choice but to talk."
Jillian took a deep breath, her mind racing. "Camilla built her life on power and control. If we take that away, even just a little, she'll start to panic."
Leo raised an eyebrow. "And how do we do that?"
Jillian's lips curled into a determined smirk. "We make Victor turn against her."
The room went silent.
Dante's expression darkened. "You want to make Victor Holloway—the man who just burned down your grandmother's house—turn on Camilla?"
Jillian nodded. "Victor is dangerous, but he's paranoid. If we can make him believe that Camilla has been keeping secrets from him, that she's betraying him, he'll do our job for us."
Leo grinned. "I like this plan already."
Dante exhaled, thinking it over. "So we plant doubt in Victor's mind. But how?"
Jillian's eyes gleamed with determination. "We forge a betrayal. A letter, a conversation he 'wasn't supposed to hear,' something that makes him believe Camilla is working against him."
Dante nodded slowly. "If we do it right, he won't stop until he squeezes every secret out of her himself."
Leo chuckled. "And all we have to do is sit back and listen."
Jillian's grip on the paper tightened. Camilla had spent years destroying her life. Now, it was time to return the favor.
Dante cracked his knuckles, glancing at Jillian. "Alright, I like the plan, but we need to be careful. If we make one wrong move, Victor could figure out it's a setup, and then we're all dead."
Jillian nodded. "That's why it has to be flawless. Camilla has been lying and manipulating people for years—if we play this right, Victor won't even question it."
Leo leaned forward, grinning. "So, what's the setup? A fake letter? A leaked conversation?"
Jillian thought for a moment. "A conversation would be harder to trace. If we forge a letter, Victor might demand proof. But if he overhears something himself, he'll believe it without question."
Dante smirked. "Then we need a voice. Someone who can sound like Camilla."
Leo's grin widened. "I know a guy."
Jillian raised an eyebrow. "You always know a guy."
Leo shrugged. "What can I say? I make friends in low places."
Dante exhaled. "Alright, get your guy. We'll script out exactly what needs to be said. Something that makes it sound like Camilla has been playing Victor for a fool."
Jillian's eyes gleamed. "And once Victor thinks Camilla's betraying him, he'll tear her world apart himself."
Leo chuckled. "Hope she enjoys the taste of her own medicine."
Jillian didn't smile. Camilla had ruined her life. Now, it was her turn to feel what it was like to lose everything.
Leo wasted no time contacting his "guy," a man named Felix—an expert in voice mimicry and deception. They arranged to meet in a run-down bar on the outskirts of town, a place where deals were made in whispers and trust was worth less than a cheap drink.
Felix leaned back in his chair, swirling a glass of whiskey as he listened to their plan. "You want me to sound like Camilla Robinson and feed Victor Holloway some poison, huh?" His lips curled into a smirk. "That's bold."
Jillian crossed her arms. "Can you do it or not?"
Felix chuckled, setting his drink down. "Oh, I can do it. The real question is—what exactly do you want Victor to hear?"
Dante slid a small recorder across the table. "We need a conversation. Something that sounds like Camilla is planning to turn on Victor, maybe even sell him out to a bigger player."
Leo added, "And make it sound like she's been laughing behind his back for a long time. Victor hates feeling like a fool."