Lila's shoulders shook violently, her breathing ragged and desperate, every gasp sounding like it might be her last.
She looked like a woman shattered. Destroyed. Violated.
The perfect victim.
And somewhere behind those tears, in the cold, calculating part of her mind that never stopped analyzing, never stopped performing...
She could almost feel Sophia smiling through the cameras, pleased with how perfectly she was playing her part.
Perfect. Keep going. Make him believe.
Her sobs intensified, loud and raw and utterly convincing.
She didn't dare look at Alex.
Didn't dare see his face.
Because, right now, she couldn't afford to think about anything else... not guilt, not hesitation, just Mike and the part she had to play.
***
For a moment, the room held its breath. Mike stood frozen in the doorway, face drained of color, eyes locked on Lila's sobbing form collapsed on the floor.
