Chapter 80: Threads of Deception

The room felt oppressively small with Peter standing in it, a towering figure that seemed to cast shadows despite the light from the tall windows. The air between them was thick with the weight of unspoken words and lingering resentment. Jake’s mind raced, spinning with fragments of past moments, forgotten conversations, and now the crushing uncertainty that threatened to engulf him. Each piece of the puzzle felt like it was slipping out of his grasp as Peter and Adrian faced him, each of them locked in their own spiraling web of lies.
For a moment, no one spoke. Adrian stood to the side, his eyes darting between Peter and Jake, his body rigid, defensive. Peter, on the other hand, remained eerily calm, the storm in his eyes an unspoken threat. The atmosphere in the room was suffocating.
“You can’t just show up and drop cryptic warnings,” Jake said, his voice sharper than he’d intended, but he couldn’t help it. His emotions were raw, fraying at the edges as the weight of the past few weeks settled in. “If you know something, spill it. Stop playing games.”
Peter’s face remained impassive, his gaze not wavering. “Jake, you’ve always been impatient. You never liked to hear things in pieces. But that’s how this works. That’s how they work. If I give you the whole truth now, you won’t be able to handle it. You won’t see the full picture.”
Jake’s chest tightened at Peter’s words, a suffocating sense of dread creeping over him. “I’m not some pawn in your game, Peter. I’ve been patient enough. If you’re going to tell me something, now’s the time.”
Peter stepped closer, his voice lowering to a whisper, though the words were laced with a weight that made the hairs on the back of Jake’s neck stand up. “If you know who’s behind this, you wouldn’t be so eager to hear it. I’m not sure you’re ready for the truth.”
The tension in the room deepened, and Jake’s fists clenched at his sides. “Ready or not, I need to hear it. Because right now, all I see is betrayal, manipulation, and lies. And I’m sick of it.”
Adrian, who had been standing quietly, shifted uncomfortably at the harshness in Jake’s tone. He stepped forward, trying to break the tension. “Come on, Jake. Peter’s just trying to protect us. If there’s something going on, we need to know, but pushing him isn’t going to help.”
Jake shot Adrian a look of disbelief, his gaze hardening. “Protect us? This is about you, isn’t it? You’re both tangled up in this web of lies, and you think I don’t see it?” The words slipped out before Jake could stop them, a mixture of frustration and bitterness. “Don’t act like you’re the innocent one here, Adrian.”
Adrian’s face flushed with anger, and for a moment, Jake thought he might snap. But instead, Adrian’s expression softened, and his voice dropped to a low, almost regretful tone. “I’m not innocent, Jake. None of us are. But that doesn’t change the fact that we’re in this together now. We can’t fix anything if we keep pointing fingers.”
Peter watched the exchange with a hint of amusement in his eyes, though the faintest shadow of something else lingered beneath the surface. “Adrian’s right. You want the truth? The truth is... complicated. It’s not just about who’s guilty and who’s innocent. It’s about who’s been manipulating us all from the shadows.”
Jake narrowed his eyes, his heart beginning to pound. “Who?” The question came out more desperately than he’d intended. “Who’s been pulling the strings?”
Peter took a deep breath, his gaze shifting toward the floor as if contemplating how much to reveal. “It’s someone from my past. Someone I thought I’d left behind. A rival from the art world. They were brilliant, ruthless... and they don’t forget a slight.”
Jake felt a chill run down his spine as the pieces started to fall into place. “Wait a second, are you saying all of this—the texts, the threats—it’s been because of something from your past?” His voice cracked slightly. “Something I have no part in?”
Peter looked up then, his eyes dark, regret mingling with guilt. “Yes. But you are part of it now, Jake. Because they’ve made you their target. I don’t know why, but I’m beginning to think it’s because they’re trying to destroy everything I’ve built—everything we’ve built.”
Adrian’s expression shifted. “Who are you talking about? We need names, Peter. If we’re going to get to the bottom of this, we need to know exactly who we’re dealing with.”
Peter’s jaw tightened. “Her name is Vanessa. Vanessa Hayes. She was... everything I thought I wanted once. She was ambitious, sharp, and very much in control of everything she did. But when I chose to leave her, to focus on my career... on us, I suppose...” His voice trailed off, his gaze distant, like he was reliving a memory he couldn’t escape. “She took it personally. And she’s been plotting ever since.”
Jake felt a surge of anger at the mention of Vanessa’s name, the anger mixing with disbelief. “So it’s her? She’s the one behind all of this? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” His voice cracked as he took a step back, his thoughts spinning out of control. “Why keep this from me? This whole thing could’ve been avoided.”
Peter shook his head slowly. “I didn’t want you involved in this, Jake. I thought it was over. I thought it was behind me. But now... now I realize it’s only just begun.”
Adrian took a step back, his arms crossed, a skeptical look on his face. “So, what now? What’s our move? Just sit here and wait for her to make her next move?”
Peter’s eyes darkened. “No. We prepare. And we move quickly. Vanessa won’t stop until she’s taken everything from me. From us.”
Jake’s mind raced as the weight of Peter’s words settled in. He had always suspected something bigger was at play, but now the truth was undeniable: they were all caught in a game that was being manipulated by a woman from Peter’s past. A woman who had no qualms about using them, playing them like pawns, to get what she wanted.
“I need to know everything,” Jake said, his voice steady despite the turmoil within him. “Every detail. I’m not going to sit idly by while someone manipulates us.”
Peter looked at him, a faint smile playing on his lips. “You’re more like me than you realize.”
Jake gave him a hard look. “Don’t flatter yourself. Just tell me what’s next.”
Peter stepped closer, his voice low and serious. “We wait for her to make her move. We’ll know when she does. She’s never been subtle. And when she strikes, we’ll be ready.”
Before Jake could respond, his phone buzzed on the table. He picked it up, his eyes narrowing as he saw the message flashing on the screen. It was an unknown number. He tapped it open, his heartbeat quickening as he read the message:
You’ve trusted the wrong people, Jake. The next move is mine.
Jake’s grip tightened around the phone as his eyes scanned the message again. This time, the dread was unmistakable. He looked up at Peter and Adrian, his face pale. “She knows. She’s closer than we thought.”
Adrian looked over his shoulder, his posture stiffening as he scanned the room. “What do we do now?”
Peter turned to Jake, his face grim. “We do exactly what she expects us to do. We act as if we have no idea what’s coming.” He paused, then added, “And when the time is right, we turn the tables.”
Before anyone could say anything more, a sharp knock echoed through the door. The three of them froze, eyes wide. It was the last thing any of them expected at that moment. Who could it be? And why now?
Jake approached the door cautiously, his heart racing as the knock sounded again, louder this time. When he opened it, there was no one there—only a small black envelope lying on the floor, sealed with red wax.
His breath hitched as he bent down to pick it up. The weight of the letter felt ominous in his hands. He broke the seal with shaking fingers and opened the envelope. Inside was a single sheet of paper, the message scrawled across it in jagged handwriting:
Loyalty has a price, and betrayal demands payment. The clock is ticking.
The words sank in like a stone, heavy and cold.
Peter moved to Jake’s side, his face paling as he read the note. “It’s begun,” he muttered.
Adrian turned toward them, his voice filled with urgency. “What do we do now?”
Jake’s hand clenched around the letter. “We’re not safe. Not anymore.”
The clock was ticking, and the game was about to change in ways none of them could predict.