Ethilia didn't understand why Liana was suddenly glued to the news, but she didn't question it. She simply leaned into her, mumbling, "What are you up..."
Before she could finish, she heard a name from the TV, "Ryan Welson…" the reporter said.
Ethilia's mouth fell open, her eyes widening as if something inside her had been yanked awake. Flashbacks flickered too fast in the back of her head.
She swallowed hard and slowly turned toward the TV, her fingers curling unconsciously against her thigh.
Liana noticed the shift, the stiffness in Ethilia's shoulders, the quickened breaths, and slid an arm around her waist. She leaned in, her lips brushing Ethilia's ear lightly. "Your pre-birthday gift, my love."
Ethilia's eyes widened, a shaky breath slipping out before she managed to focus on the TV again.
The headline read, "Renowned businessman Ryan Welson and his cousin brother Fred Welson found guilty in a recent drug-trafficking case. Early this morning, police recovered solid evidence along with several illegal weapons."
Ethilia slowly licked her lips, grounding herself, and her hand slid over Liana's. The news kept playing, with half of the screen showing a reporter now standing at the crime scene.
"As you can see… we've found multiple pieces of evidence proving these brothers have been involved in illegal businesses for years."
The anchor glanced down at her script and continued, "We also have breaking news that Ryan was involved in the recent r*pe and kidnapping case. We have footage placing him in the area at the exact time."
With that, they played another video. There, the police were dragging Ryan and Fred out of their apartment. Ryan's wife, the same woman he always claimed he adored, stormed out after them. Without hesitation, she slapped him across the face and walked away, leaving their son behind.
Ethilia gasped softly and covered her mouth, her fingers trembling. Beside her, Liana's lips curled in quiet satisfaction.
They could hear the audio of the clip now, which was worse than the footage itself.
Ryan reached for his wife's arm, but she ripped herself out of his hold with a sharp twist and snapped, "I am not raising a piece of someone like you. Send him to your parents, you ****."
Ethilia's jaw dropped; she couldn't believe her own eyes. Not from pity for him, but from the shock of the woman walking away without even glancing at her child.
Her fingers curled against her lips, trying to understand how a mother could sever herself so cleanly.
Beside her, Liana let out a small, satisfied chuckle, which earned her a smack on her hand from Ethilia, "Hey… have some pity…"
"We should never feel pity for evil people." She shrugged lightly and reached for the packet of chips on the table. There wasn't even a flicker of guilt in her eyes, not for what Finley did for her, and definitely not for the parts she herself had played.
The latter woman swallowed hard as she felt a shiver down her spine at the coldness in Liana's voice. She had never seen this kind of nonchalant calm in Liana, especially not about something this cruel.
Her voice came out in a hesitant whisper. "About the boy?"
Liana kept munching her chips, eyes glued to the screen where Ryan's screams echoed through the clip.
"You think he cares about his wife?" she said, sounding almost bored. "He's cheated on her so many times… that so-called 'love' was just a façade so she'd raise his son."
Ethilia inhaled sharply and murmured, "How do you know?"
Leaning closer, Liana whispered darkly, "You think I wasn't planning revenge before you told me what happened?"
A small, humorless smile pulled at her lips. "I was. I just kept telling myself that what he did to his wife wasn't my problem… even though I wanted to expose him."
She bit the inside of her cheek and sank back against the couch with a soft exhale. "I just didn't want to interfere in someone's life that deeply…"
The words made Ethilia's brow furrow, and she turned fully toward her. "That's selfish, Liana…"
Liana didn't even argue. She popped another chip into her mouth and nodded. "I know. That's why I sent evidence of his cheating to his wife months ago. But that woman was too scared of losing their precious reputation."
She placed the chip packet gently on Ethilia's lap, while the latter woman barely reacted. Each new detail felt heavier than the last, and these were more traumatizing to her.
"He… didn't care for his own wife and son?" she whispered.
Wiping her hands on a tissue, Liana stood up and stretched her arms, "Umm… no. He just wanted a part of himself in this world. He never showed care for either of them. And his son..."
she clicked her tongue, "that boy was more of a brat than you can imagine. Because he saw his father as his idol."
Liana noticed the way she was trying to digest everything, eyes slightly unfocused, like she'd been dropped into cold water in the winter.
"But looks like she finally understood her 'husband' loved neither her nor their son," Liana continued, "So she didn't hold back this time. And she chose herself too…"
Almost without realizing it, Ethilia picked up a chip too, but instead of eating it, she curled her fingers around it, squeezing it into crumbs as she stared at Liana. "How do you know all this?"
Liana walked to the dining table, which could be seen from the living room, and grabbed her water bottle.
"What do you think of me, huh?" She took a slow sip. "My dad is one of the well-known businessmen. I'm an idol myself. My best friends are idols and a detective. And my fans…"
A smirk curved her lips. "They're in every field. They'll send me hidden footage or information just for a single glance. Or a VIP concert ticket."
Feeling her heart racing, Ethilia pressed a hand against her chest, trying to steady herself. "God, you're scaring me…"
Liana set the bottle down and walked toward her. Her expression was unreadable until she reached the couch. Then she dropped onto the cushion beside Ethilia with a soft thump.
A cruel smirk curved her lips, failing to reach her eyes, but revealing just how dangerous she could be once triggered.
"I don't feel sad hurting the ones who hurt you," she said quietly. "And when I become the villain…"
Her gaze held Ethilia's, and her eyes softened, shifting into something warm and protective, "They better know not to stand in my way."
Ethilia swallowed, but she didn't feel afraid. Not of Liana. This side of her was still nothing compared to what she had suffered.
She leaned into Liana and placed her head on her chest, "Even the devil takes notes from you… but I'm sure you didn't do this alone."
Liana giggled and pressed her lips against Ethilia's temple, "I just sent all the details I had to Finley. She used her influence to… maybe create some cases too?"
Ethilia looked up with a small smile as realization hit her, and she let out a chuckle, "That means… those cases aren't real?"
Liana ran her fingers through Ethilia's hair, whispering against her forehead. "Some are true, but not all of them... and that's the point. It'll hurt them more. Suffering for something they didn't even do."
Just then, the TV switched to the court area. Fred's girlfriend stood with a lawyer, papers clutched in her hands. The cameras zoomed in as she flung the documents at Fred.
"I want all the money you took from my dad's company in the name of your business. Now." Her arms crossed defiantly. Fred tried to reach her hand, but she kicked him squarely in the stomach.
"I'm a damn athlete, and you dared to mess with me?" she snapped, pointing a finger. "Now you'll see how many charges I'm filing against you."
Police quickly surrounded them, pulling her away from Fred and clearing the area. They shoved the cameras aside so the reporters couldn't hear the rest.
Liana laughed, a sound void of happiness but full of dark satisfaction. "That kick… wow. Perfect."
Ethilia rolled her eyes and pinched Liana's cheeks. "You are evil."
Liana pouted and shrugged lazily. "I am… but only for those who dare hurt someone… someone who belongs to me."
Ethilia leaned forward, "And what makes you think I belong to you?" She challenged.