Ava's POV

The room felt alive with renewed energy as Orion's pen scrawled furiously across the page. His excitement was contagious, igniting a glimmer of hope where despair had settled only moments before.

"What is it?" I pressed, stepping closer to peer over his shoulder.

He turned to face us, his grin wide but his voice steady, "I've been racking my brain about that night, about every detail. The shirt I wore is the key."

Rose tilted her head. "The shirt? How does that help?"

Orion nodded, pacing now as his mind raced. "Yes. Think about it. The video that Chloe used to frame me shows a man wearing a blue shirt. But I distinctly remember wearing a gray shirt that night."

The room went still. I felt the gravity of his words settle in. Rose leaned forward, her brow furrowed. "If we can prove that detail-"

"Then we prove the video was staged," I interrupted, my voice shaking with realization. "Orion, where is the shirt?"

He froze mid-step, his face lighting up. "It's here. In this penthouse."

Rose raised an eyebrow. "You're sure about that, Mr Miller?"

"Absolutely," he replied, a growing urgency in his tone. "This penthouse was where I stayed before I had to fake my death. I remember it clearly-an old acquaintance teased me about it being my 'last day as a playboy of the century.' That night, Chloe and I left in a rush, but I had changed into fresh clothes before we went. If the shirt wasn't taken, it should still be here."

We exchanged a glance, and without another word, Orion bolted toward the stairs. The rest of us scrambled after him, following his determined stride to the second floor. He threw open a door at the end of the hallway, revealing a bedroom shrouded in time, untouched and eerily preserved.

The air in the room was stale, and dust clung to every surface. Orion moved with purpose, yanking open drawers and rifling through old belongings. The rest of us joined the search, overturning pillows, shaking out garments, and opening every storage compartment we could find.

Minutes felt like hours as we searched in near silence, the tension mounting with every passing second. My pulse pounded in my ears as I pulled open yet another drawer, only to find it empty. Frustration bubbled up in my chest, and I fought the urge to scream.

"Why is it this difficult to find a gray shirt with old blood stains on it!" I yelled in frustration.

Then, as a response, a triumphant voice cut through my frustrated question. "I got it!" Rose called, holding up a gray shirt stained with faded, rust-colored patches.

Orion rushed to her side, taking the shirt into his hands. His face was a mix of relief and vindication. "This is it," he breathed, turning the shirt over to examine the stains. "This is what I wore that night."

"But the man in the video-" Rose began.

"-wore a blue shirt," Orion finished, his eyes narrowing. "This proves the video was recreated."

A chill ran down my spine as I watched his expression shift, his gaze distant as if recalling something elusive. "There's something familiar about the figure in the video," he murmured, almost to himself. "Something I can't quite put my finger on..."

"Orion," I said softly, placing a hand on his arm. "We will figure that out later, but for now, let me handle this."

He blinked, snapping out of his thoughts, and nodded reluctantly. "Alright Mrs Miller. Take the lead."

---

Back in the living room, I dialed Chloe's number, my hands steady despite the storm raging in my mind. The line barely rang twice before her grating voice came through. When she answered, her voice was as venomous as I expected.

"Well, well, well," Chloe sneered, her tone dripping with venom. "Look who's calling. Have you finally decided to beg for mercy? Or are you here to admit that you'll never have what it takes to keep Orion? Honestly, Ava, it's getting embarrassing at this point."

I laughed-loud, sharp, and unhinged enough that even Orion glanced at me with concern.

"You've got quite the imagination, Chloe," I said, my tone icy. "But let's get one thing straight: the only thing embarrassing here is your pathetic attempt to stage a scandal."

Chloe's laughter echoed through the line, but it lacked conviction. "Oh, please. You're bluffing, Ava. I've already won. The world saw the video. It's over."

"Won?" I repeated, letting out a scoff. "You couldn't win a game of checkers against a toddler, Chloe. The only thing you've managed to prove is how desperate and delusional you are. You faked a video and thought no one would notice? How quaint."

Her voice faltered for a moment. "You're grasping at straws," she snapped, but the edge in her voice betrayed her unease.

"Am I?" I said, leaning forward as if she could feel the intensity of my glare through the phone.

"Because I'm holding the shirt Orion wore that night. You remember the gray one, don't you? It's stained with rusted blood-his blood. And the man in your video? He's wearing a blue shirt. Do you see where I'm going with this, Chloe?"

Silence.

I pressed on, my voice growing sharper. "But that's not all. You were sloppy, Chloe. If you're going to fabricate evidence, at least try to be smart about it. The timestamps on your video don't align. And here's the best part-I have footage from one particular crazy day in the mansion. Did you really think I wouldn't have cameras installed in my own home?"

"You're lying," she hissed, but her voice trembled.

"Am I?" I said, chuckling darkly. "Tell me, Chloe, how well do you think your fabricated video will hold up when I release the real footage to the press? How do you think the media will react when they see you for the fraud you are?"

Chloe's breathing grew heavier, her composure slipping. "You don't have anything," she spat. "You're bluffing."

I leaned back, smirking as I let the silence stretch. "Try me," I said finally. "You have twenty minutes, Chloe. Go live and admit the video was a fake, or I'll release everything. And trust me, sweetheart, you don't want to see what happens when I play my cards."

"Or else what?" she demanded, her voice rising in desperation. "Or else," I said, my tone dangerously calm, "I'll make sure you never show your face in this city again. I'll burn everything you've built to the ground. You'll be nothing but a cautionary tale about what happens when you cross the wrong woman."

Chloe hesitated, and for a moment, I thought she might cave. But then she snapped back, her tone sharp and defiant. "You're full of it, Ava. You don't have the guts."

I chuckled, low and menacing. "You really don't know me at all, do you? Tick tock, Chloe. Twenty minutes. The clock starts now."

With that, I hung up, tossing my phone onto the table. The room was silent, everyone staring at me like I'd grown a second head.

"What?" I said, shrugging my shoulders. "She pushed me."

Orion let out a low laugh, and soon the others joined in, the tension in the room easing slightly. But I couldn't ignore the question in Rose's eyes as she spoke.

"So, Mrs. Miller," she said, her voice teasing but curious. "What exactly do you have on Chloe? What's this footage you're talking about?"

I smiled darkly, leaning back in my chair. "Nothing," I said simply.

Rose's jaw dropped, and Orion looked at me in disbelief.

"Surprise," I said with a wicked grin.