Page 81 of All The Pretty Little Lies

As my eyes sweep across the room, taking in the clinical surroundings, my gaze lands on the stirrups at the end of the bed. A chill runs down my spine as I imagine Vesper in this very position, vulnerable and exposed. The thought makes my blood boil, but it also sparks an idea.

Without breaking eye contact, I move to the foot of the bed. My hands, steady despite the adrenaline coursing through my veins and reach for his shoelaces. The room falls silent, save forthe ragged breathing of our captive and the soft rustle of fabric as I remove his shoes.

"What…what are you doing?" The man's voice wavers, fear creeping in to replace the anger.

I don't answer. Instead, I position his feet in the cold metal stirrups. I want him to feel exactly what Vesper felt, what all his victims felt.

"How does it feel?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper. "To be on the other side? To be the one exposed, helpless?"

His eyes widen, darting between my face and his positioned body. I can see the realization dawning, followed quickly by terror. "Please," he whimpers, all bravado gone. "I'll tell you anything you want to know. Just...don't do this."

I lean forward, my gaze boring into his. "That's exactly what they said to you, isn't it? All those women you violated. They begged, pleaded. And you ignored them."

The man on the bed begins to tremble, tears welling in his eyes. "I...I had no choice," he stammers. "They would have killed me if I didn't comply."

"There's always a choice," I spit back, my hands clenching into fists. "You chose to hurt innocent women. To steal their futures, their dreams. And for what? Money?"

I reach into my pocket, pulling out my phone. The screen glows to life, casting an eerie blue light across the room. The man's eyes widen as I raise the device, his breath coming in short, panicked gasps.

"Smile for the camera," I growl, snapping a photo of his terrified face. I type out a quick message to Oscar, attaching the photo.

My phone buzzes almost immediately. It's Oz, relaying Vesper's response:

Put a surgical mask on him.

I nod to Alex, who moves to a nearby supply cabinet. He returns with a blue disposable mask, the kind used in countless medical procedures. As he approaches the bed, our captive begins to thrash anew, his eyes wild with fear.

"No, please," he begs, his voice muffled as Alex secures the mask over his mouth and nose. "You don't understand. They'll kill me if they find out I've been compromised."

I ignore his pleas, raising my phone once more, I snap another photo. The second flash seems even brighter in the dim room, casting harsh shadows across the man's masked face. My fingers tremble slightly as I hit 'send'.

The wait for a response feels interminable. I can hear my own heart pounding in my ears, feel the cold sweat beading on my forehead. The man on the bed has gone quiet, his chest rising and falling rapidly beneath his white coat as he awaits his fate.

Finally, my phone buzzes. I open the message with shaking hands, my eyes scanning the words once, twice, three times to be sure.

"It's him," I say, my voice barely above a whisper. "Vesper confirms. He's The Shadow Man."

The room seems to grow colder, the air thick with the weight of this revelation. I look at the man on the bed, seeing him through new eyes. This isn't just some low-level grunt following orders. This is the monster who's been haunting Vesper's nightmares, the one who's caused so much of her pain and suffering.

"You sick fuck," I snarl, leaning in close. The smell of his fear is palpable, a sour stench that turns my stomach. "Do you have any idea what you've done? The lives you've ruined?" Hewhimpers behind the mask, tears streaming down his face. But I feel no pity, only a cold, hard rage that threatens to consume me.

“Please, I am innocent. Just let me go!”

My phone buzzes again, and I see Oscar's name flash on the screen. I answer immediately, my voice low and tight. "Oz?"

"She wants to watch, Z," he says, his tone a mix of concern and something darker. "Vesper...she needs to see this."

I hesitate for a moment, torn between protecting her from this brutality and honoring her wish for closure. But I know Vesper, her strength, her resilience. If this is what she needs, who am I to deny her?

"Alright," I say, my voice barely above a whisper. "Give me a second."

I prop my phone up against a nearby tray of instruments, angling it so the camera captures the full scene. The Shadow Man strapped to the bed, his feet in stirrups, Alex looming over him with cold determination in his eyes. I step back, making sure I'm in frame too.

Oscar's face appears on the screen, and then he's turning the phone to Vesper. The sight of her nearly takes my breath away. Her golden hair is mussed, her green eyes wide and haunted. But there's a fierceness there too, a burning need for justice that makes my heart ache.

"Can you see okay, moya koroleva?" I ask, my voice softening despite the situation.

She nods, her lips pressed into a thin line. "I can see everything," she says, her voice trembling slightly. “Make him pay.” Her voice strengthens at her request. The fire I knew was inside of her showing through knowing that the man who hurt her is at my mercy.

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