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24 | Vincent Kovak

"𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧, 𝐢 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐭 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧..."

𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞

It is funny on how she acts exactly like her.

Talks like her.

Looks like her.

I remember Clara telling me that her sister passed away, and yet here she is standing right in front of me. A smile across her face as she chooses a new wedding ring, this is only to make her not think I'm onto her. I don't want her getting a whiff of any bad ideas I have going on inside my head.

Only to the fact that this woman is a liar.

So it makes me think, why is she lying? Where is my fucking wife? And then, it came to mind.

"This ring is nicer, right Vincent?"

Playing the part of the unsuspecting husband, I nodded in agreement, prompting the jewelry attendants to discreetly exit the office. The imposter raised her eyebrows in confusion, her charade slipping for a moment.

"Vincent? Is everything alright?" She inquired, a note of concern creeping into her voice.

"One thing in this world I hate more...are liars," I whispered, rising from the plush leather chair. Moving towards the corner of the office, I seized an expensive bottle of whiskey, its amber contents glinting in the ambient light. The liquid cascaded into a glass already cradling two ice cubes, the distinctive clink resonating through the room.

"Vincent—"

"And after years of carefully crafting an image, demonstrating the consequences for those who dare to cross me," I continued, taking a deliberate sip of the whiskey, "people still find ways to exploit my vulnerabilities."

The weight of betrayal and deceit hung in the air as I contemplated the unraveling web of lies around me. The amber liquid burned on its journey down my throat, fuelling the fire of determination within me.

"I had enough of this."

She froze as Niko materialised in the doorway, a formidable silhouette casting a foreboding shadow over her deceitful charade. She stumbled backward, her eyes darting desperately between Niko and me, an unspoken plea etched on her face. I remained seated, a controlled rage simmering beneath the surface as I watched the unfolding drama.

Niko, unyielding and stoic, took a measured step forward, effectively blocking any means of escape. The air thickened with tension, the unspoken threat palpable as the room became a crucible of conflicting emotions.

"And yet you did exactly that," I declared, a bitterness tainting my words. "You infiltrated my life, preying on my vulnerabilities. So, I ask, where the fuck is my wife?"

She swallowed hard, visibly grappling with the weight of her actions. "Vincent, please understand, I had no choice. He made me do it," she stammered, a hint of desperation creeping into her voice.

"He?"

"My father...he trained me for the last twelve years to act exactly like my sister-I-I had no choice but to comply!"

"Your father?" I repeated, a skeptical furrow creasing my brow. The web of deceit seemed to extend far beyond what I had initially perceived.

"Yes my father, Clara. The whole idea was to get close to you, wait for her to get pregnant, and then, well... end you. But Clara, she couldn't go through with it. She loved you, and that didn't sit well with my father. He got pissed and freaked out."