Jennifer Langston had always known how to smile with her fangs hidden.
She was the kind of woman who could ruin a reputation over brunch and never chip a nail. Steven's older sister, polished to perfection and venomous to the core. She had always disliked Helen—too independent, too "ordinary," too unwilling to be molded into the trophy wife Steven deserved.
But now?
Now, Helen was a threat.
A woman scorned by Steven—and worse, in love with Sebastian Whitaker. That made her dangerous.
Jennifer lit a cigarette on the balcony of her penthouse suite, watching the city pulse beneath her like a living, breathing thing. "Time to burn her bridges," she muttered, dialing the first number in her list of targets.
Vivian, Anita, and Isabella had been Helen's friends for years. They'd shared wine nights, vacationed together, cried over failed fertility treatments and celebrated job promotions. But even strong friendships have fractures—and Jennifer knew exactly where to press.
Vivian, the most loyal, was the hardest to crack. Jennifer met her at a gallery opening, uninvited but effortlessly welcomed.
"I heard about Helen's divorce," Jennifer said softly, clinking glasses with her. "Such a shame. I just hope she's safe."
Vivian blinked. "Safe?.
Jennifer hesitated, perfectly timed. "You don't know about Sebastian?"
"What about him?"
Jennifer smiled sadly. "Let's just say… there's a reason the Whitaker name doesn't appear on any charity galas anymore. Money laundering. Shell companies. A woman went missing after accusing the family of embezzlement. Sebastian was never charged, of course. His lawyers made sure of that."
Vivian's lips parted, unsure.
Jennifer's final blow: "Don't say anything to Helen yet. I don't want to scare her. Just… keep an eye on her, okay?"
Vivian nodded slowly. The seed had been planted.
Anita was easier.
Jennifer invited her for coffee. Expensive, discreet, exclusive.
"Anita, sweet girl. I've always liked you. That's why I wanted to talk to you first."
Anita leaned forward, intrigued. Jennifer leaned in too.
"Sebastian has a son. With another woman. Illegitimate. Hidden. That one-night stand with Helen?" Jennifer sighed. "She wasn't the first, darling. Just the most naïve."
Anita gasped. "Helen doesn't know?"
Jennifer smiled. "Wouldn't you want to know if your best friend was walking into a trap?"
---
Isabella didn't need manipulation. She just needed validation. She had always resented how close Helen was with Vivian and Anita. Jennifer stoked that flame.
"You're the only one who can really reach Helen," Jennifer purred. "You're not under her spell. I know she trusts you the most."
Isabella straightened, proud. "I've always had her best interests at heart."
"Good," Jennifer said, her voice silk. "Because what I'm about to give you… you'll need to see it to believe it."
A flash drive.
On it: cherry-picked files, fake news reports, and edited footage showing Sebastian in meetings with known criminals—altered, but convincing.
---
Back in Helen's world…
Things began to shift. Vivian canceled their weekly brunch. Anita left her texts on read. Isabella asked loaded questions like:
"Are you sure Sebastian isn't using you?"
"You've known him for what, two months?"
"What if Steven was right about him?"
Helen tried to shrug it off—but doubt crept in. Every look from her friends now felt different. Measured. Distant.
And then Vivian showed her the flash drive.
"What is this?" Helen asked, staring at the screen as Sebastian's face flickered across it—surrounded by men in suits, passing briefcases in shadowy corners.
Vivian swallowed. "Jennifer gave it to me. Said you'd want to know."
Helen's heart hammered. She knew manipulation when she saw it. But this? This felt like war.
"She's lying," Helen whispered. "She's twisting everything."
But her voice wavered.
---
That night, Helen confronted Sebastian.
He stood on the patio, staring out at the waves crashing against the rocks.
"Is any of it true?" she asked quietly.
He didn't turn around.
"It depends which part you mean."
Silence
"I haven't done anything illegal," he said. "But I've walked too close to men who have. My family... they built their empire on secrets. I've spent years trying to untangle myself from it."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I didn't want to lose you."
Tears burned in her eyes.
And in that moment, she realized something terrifying.
Jennifer wasn't trying to hurt her.
Jennifer was trying to isolate her.And it was working.
Helen's phone buzzed. A new message.
Unknown Number: You think you can outplay us? The game hasn't even started. Check your front door.
She ran to the door
A box sat there, wrapped in black ribbon.
Inside?A photo of Sebastian.Holding a baby.Not hers.
On the back, scrawled in blood-red ink:
"He already chose. You're just next."