Page 60 of Burning Your Lies

I push my chair so his face isn’t blocked by my screen. “Hypothetically, if I wanted to check if a diamond was genuine, how would I do that?”

He lifts his head at the mention of a diamond. “Have you acquired a diamond you believe to be fake?”

“Maybe. The seller is quite the liar.”

He scoffs at me. “Seller? If youstealan item, does the owner count as a seller?”

“If you kill your mother and turn her into a diamond, does that count as jewellery or a memorial?” I smile at him. “All hypothetical, of course.”

“Of course.” He calmly goes back to his work. The only sign of his frustration is the soft sigh he lets out. “Get your work done, Miss Hayes.”

“Why aren’t you freaking out?” I ask, unable to take his composure any longer. “I won on Saturday. Why haven’t you sent Rowan after me again? I mean, you already paid him to scare me.”

His hands clasp together in front of him on his desk. He looks at me. “I paid him to kill you. I don’t make empty threats. Idon’t scare people. I kill them, as you kindly reminded me on the weekend.”

“Why aren’t you doing that, then? Why are you hiding the anger I know you’re feeling at losing?”

He smiles. “We’re playing poker, Miss Hayes. Don’t tell me you’ve never heard of a poker face? I’ve been playing right into your hand, but that stops now. And you should know by now Ialwayshave an ace up my sleeve. I have not lost, Savannah. I’ve only just begun to play.”

Mia looks at me with worry. “What happened to taking it slow with her?”

Xavier’s words from two days ago haven’t left my mind. The threat it carried has me in a chokehold. He’s been too calm, too composed. Xavier is acting as if none of this is happening and history has taught me that means he has something in the works.

“We don’t have the time. We need to get her to go to the police and reopen her sister’s file. If I have to drag her there myself, I will.”

Mia frowns. “Does Huxley know about this?”

Choosing to ignore her question, I say, “The longer we sit on this, the more time he gets to figure it all out.” I check the time again. “Where the fuck is she?”

“Chill,” she hisses. “Are you okay?”

I can’t explain it, but there’s a tingling down my spine. “With the diamond in play, he’s going to come at me with everything. We don’t have the time for Scottie to become besties with you.”

“But Huxley said—”

My narrowed eyes stop her from speaking. “This isn’t Huxley’s game. It’smine.If I say we’re doing this, then that’s the new plan.”

Mia’s eyes soften with worry. “We’re on your team, Sav. Huxley and Jordan are following the money trail now that we know Xavier set up an account in Bali. That will lead us to the fake Elliot, and they will force him to come forward and admit that Xavier paid him to play a dead man.”

My nails dig into my thighs. “We can’t bet on that. Do you think Xavier it sat at home playing tea party games with Elise? No. He’s sat there studying the cards. He’s forming a game plan. He’s making a list of cleanup. I won’t give him the time to bury the truth again. All he has to do is kill fake Elliot and our proof is gone.”

She slowly nods her head and accepts defeat. “I hope you know what you’re doing because that’s her. Go easy on her. She’s done everything she can to move past this.” Mia waves at the petite woman.

Scottie slides into the seat opposite us. Her wary eyes don’t move from my face until she addresses Mia. “Hi.”

“Hey. This is my friend Savannah.”

“It’s nice to meet you.”

Her eyebrows pull together. “This is going to sound bizarre, but you look so familiar.”

Mia cowers into her seat as she lets me take the rein on this conversation. She shoots Scottie an apologetic smile and I feel a small sting of betrayal.

“You might have seen me in the papers being linked to Xavier Rivers.” I grab her hand when she tries to leave the booth. “Please hear me out.”

Her tearful eyes land on Mia. “Hesent you? Is that why you became my friend?”

Mia pleads on our behalf. “We’re not here for him. We’re here for Caitlyn. Just sit with us for five minutes and let us explain.”

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