I didn’t have time to waste. The letter had been burning a hole in my mind since I found it, and every word pointed to Tessa. The pieces were starting to fit together in a way I didn’t want to believe, but I had to know the truth.
I caught up with her after school, just as she was about to head to her car.
“Tessa,” I called, my voice sharper than I intended.
She turned, her perfectly arched eyebrows raising slightly. “What’s with the tone, Lila? Have you finally decided to stop playing detective?”
I held up the folded letter, my hand shaking slightly. “Why didn’t you tell me about this?”
Her smirk faltered, her eyes flicking to the letter in my hand. “What is that?”
“Don’t play dumb,” I snapped. “You know exactly what this is. Your dad was involved in some kind of deal with Victor, and it had something to do with Evelyn. So, tell me the truth, Tessa. What’s really going on?”
Tessa hesitated, her usual confidence replaced by something I couldn’t quite place. Guilt? Fear?
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said finally, her voice lacking conviction.
“Stop lying!” I yelled, my frustration boiling over. “I’m sick of the games, Tessa. I know you’ve been working with Victor. Just admit it.”
Her face paled, and she crossed her arms defensively. “You don’t understand, Lila.”
“Then make me understand!” I demanded. “Because right now, it looks like you’ve been spying on me this whole time.”
Tessa’s jaw tightened, and for a moment, I thought she might deny it again. But then she let out a heavy sigh, her shoulders slumping.
“Fine,” she said quietly. “You’re right. I’ve been working with Victor.”
I stared at her, disbelief washing over me. “Why?”
Her eyes darted around the parking lot before she leaned closer, lowering her voice. “I didn’t have a choice. He promised he wouldn’t hurt you if I kept an eye on you.”
I felt like the ground had been ripped out from under me. “So, what? You’ve been spying on me for him? Reporting back everything I do?”
Tessa didn’t respond immediately, and that silence was answer enough.
“I can’t believe this,” I said, taking a step back. “I trusted you, Tessa.”
She rolled her eyes, her defensive walls snapping back into place. “Oh, don’t act so innocent, Lila. You’re not some helpless victim in all of this. You’ve been sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong since the day you showed up.”
“That doesn’t excuse what you’ve done!” I shot back.
Tessa threw her hands up, exasperated. “You don’t get it, do you? Victor thinks you’re dangerous. He thinks you’re a threat because of the way you’ve gotten under their skin. You make them weak, Lila. And he can’t have that.”
Her words sent a chill down my spine. “What does that even mean? How am I a threat?”
Tessa hesitated again, her gaze dropping to the ground. “You influence them. You make them question things they’ve never questioned before. Victor sees that as a problem. And he doesn’t like problems.”
My heart raced as her words sank in. Victor wasn’t just trying to protect the brothers—he was trying to control them. And I was in the way.
“Tessa,” I said, my voice trembling. “What else have you done for him?”
She shook her head, her expression tight. “You don’t want to know.”
“Try me,” I challenged.
Tessa looked at me for a long moment before sighing again. “I’ve been keeping tabs on you, making sure you don’t get too close to the truth. That’s it. I haven’t done anything to hurt you, Lila.”
“Yet,” I muttered, stepping back again. “But you were going to, weren’t you? If Victor asked you to, you’d do it.”
Her silence was deafening.
I turned and walked away, my mind spinning with everything she’d just admitted. I couldn’t believe I’d trusted her, even for a second.
Later that night, I sat on my bed, replaying the conversation over and over in my head. I felt like I was being suffocated by all the lies and manipulation surrounding me.
As I leaned back against my pillows, something caught my eye—a small red light blinking from the corner of my room.
I froze, my heart pounding as I slowly got up and walked toward it.
It was a small device, barely noticeable, tucked into the corner of the bookshelf. A recorder.
My hands trembled as I picked it up, the reality of the situation hitting me like a freight train. Victor had been listening to my private conversations, watching my every move.