Simon seemed irritated, grabbing my throat with his hands. “Shut up! Are you even worthy of mentioning her name?!”
I tilted my head and forced out a smile, squeezing out a hoarse “How pitiful.”
For a moment, I thought I was going to die, but then Simon suddenly let go and smiled at me—a chilling, eerie smile. “Zara, don’t you want to know who Scarlett killed?”
I paused, then asked, “Who?” Simon laughed. “Aren’t you surprised that no one contacted you after you were released? Zara, who is more pitiful between us?”
My mind went blank. Simon leaned close and whispered, “It’s the beggar who used to pick up garbage at our school’s gate. Zara, you knew him, right?”
My thoughts froze and I grabbed Simon’s arm. “Say it again? Who did she kill? Who?” Simon laughed mockingly. “It doesn’t matter how many times I say it.”
“The homeless man had died. You’re the only one with a deep connection to him. Why did you have to go to jail? Because you’re the only one who cares about him, so you would probably collect evidence, but what if you don’t have time to search?”
I was stunned. Everything was calculated. Simon continued, “You’re smart, high school and college tuition were free, you could definitely find out if you wanted to, but time will consume more than you think.”
Then, he reached into my purse. I tried to stop him, but he was quicker. “A recorder? Zara, is this your little trick?” I said nothing as I watched him break the recorder in half.
Simon’s eyes gleamed with a cruel satisfaction as he tossed the broken pieces to the ground. “You really thought you could trap me, didn’t you? How naive.”
I glared at him, my heart pounding with a mix of fear and fury. “You won’t get away with this, Simon. You and Scarlett will pay for what you’ve done.”
Simon leaned closer, his breath hot against my ear. “No, Zara. You’re the one who will pay if you don’t play along. You’ve already seen what we’re capable of. Do you really want to test us again?”
His words hung heavy in the air, a suffocating threat that made my skin crawl. I had underestimated Simon’s ruthlessness and now I realized just how deep his manipulations went. But I also knew I couldn’t let fear control me. I had to find a way to outsmart him, to bring him and Scarlett to justice.