Broken Handcuffs [III]

xv.: Confront Leah as the Mastermind

( This was the most picked option from the branching chapter xiv. This and all following chapters are treated as book canon. This will not be an alternate reality. Let's go! )

I hope you guys understand that picking an option can leave possible important information out of the storyline that could be in the other!
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Nicole was taking in the information herself and was piecing it together with her own memories of Leah. The others were in silence, AJ looking at Nikki waiting to get her decision on what they were going to do. It would be a very pivotal point in her life, in her relationships. On one hand, here April is with a golden ticket— her innocence proven by ousting Carmella as the true mastermind with evidence that it had been years in the making (but is her own memory concrete to be evidence?). On the other hand was Leah, she apologized for everything earlier and chalked it up to protecting her reputation backstage. She claimed that AJ blackmailed her with the information she had on her affair with Stephanie McMahon.

Why would Leah lie about it? It didn't seem like a lie.

"Nicole, I see the wheels turning. What are you thinking? Surely you're not about to let Leah off free." AJ warns. "That woman is a silver-tongued devil. She twists words for her own benefit, just ask Brianna." And she did have a point about that. Brie was convinced to turn on Nicole due to Leah's prodding. "We shouldn't hesitate on this. Let's go now." Before you think on it and let her go.

This whole time Nicole was silent. She was silent while she listened to AJ prepare the table for her. Leah was there, the perfect villain that almost committed the perfect crime but she left one thing out— the smoking gun covered in her fingerprints, and that was April. She could call Vince right now and have police surround Leah at her home. She could do that, but her dormant rage is rearing it's head and Nicole would rather interrogate Leah herself.

I kissed her, I actually considered being in a relationship with her! I let her get in my head!

"All this time, she's just been playing me?" Nikki says before she gets up, grabbing a jacket and her car keys. "I'm going to get her. Who's coming?" AJ jumped up almost immediately. Lexi and Mercedes got up too, agreeing that they were gonna trail her and AJ.
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"What all are we going to do when we get to— how do you know where she lives anyway?" April looks over at Nicole. The Bella had fallen into that silent spell again, knuckles white from gripping the wheel and her jaw clenched shut. "Nicole?"

"We— we had... something for a little while." She's cryptic with her answer but AJ doesn't like what she hears. Something? What does that mean? She said it was nothing when we talked. There was a nagging feeling in AJ's head telling her to question it further, to press that topic a little more but she could imagine what Nicole was going through about to confront her true attacker.

"Just... don't let what you both had affect your decision in the long run. She could bat those brown eyes all she wants— just make sure you don't buy it."

"I know, April."

"I'm just saying," AJ shrugs and looks out of the window instead, "you and Leah had to have been fucking for you to lie to me about it later." She's slick when she says it with a yawn trailing behind it but Nicole heard it anyway. "Something."

"Okay, right now isn't the best time to be having this kind of conversation," Nikki gestures between the both of them with her free hand while driving. "Besides, it wasn't really something," The Bella sighs, "it was none of your business."

April's head snaps back at the barb, "Are you going to fuck her in front of me or tell this bitch off for attacking you and making me go to the mental hospital? I can never tell which one since you're so keen on defending whatever you two have."