"Elvin Foster," Detective Simmons said, pulling out a chair. "You have caused a huge ss today."
El tried to look brave, but his hands were shaking. "I want a lawyer."
Simmons leaned forward. The bright overhead light reflected off his cold, hard eyes.
"A lawyer? Sure, Elvin. We can call one. But right now, you are going to tell everything I need to know. Who hired you?"
"I’m not talking without a lawyer," El snapped, leaning back on his chair.
Simmons laughed, but it wasn’t a kind sound. "I don’t think you realize that you have pissed off the wrong people, Elvin Foster. The people you lied against, have very long reach."
The door opened again and a massive, buff man walked in. He didn’t look like a cop. He was wearing an apron and carrying a small leather bag. When he opened it, the sound of tal clinking filled the quiet room.
El started to shiver. "Wait... what is he doing? What are those?"
The man didn’t say a word. He slowly pulled out a pair of heavy tal pliers and tested them, the tal snapping shut with a sharp clack.
"Wait! Okay, wait!" El scread, shrinking back into his chair. "I’ll tell you everything! Just keep him away from ! I’ll talk!"
Simmons raised his hand, and the big man stopped moving. The room went dead silent.
"What was that?" Simmons asked softly.
"I said I’ll talk," El whispered, his face pale with terror. "Just get him out of here. I’ll tell you who paid ."
"Start from the beginning."
"I get a call, but it’s a private number. They ask to pretend to be the girl’s lover. They were going to pay a million dollars. It’s a lot of money, you know."
Simmons leaned in, his eyes narrowed.
"A million dollars is a lot of money for a simple lie, Elvin. Who was on the other end of that phone?"
El swallowed hard, his throat feeling dry. "I don’t know for sure. The voice was scrambled. I don’t know anything about no photos. I only did what they asked to do... Can I get so water."
Simmons didn’t move. He just stared at him.
"You’ll get water, when I get the truth," he said. "You’re telling you were willing to destroy a woman’s image for a million dollars, but you didn’t even try to find out who was signing the check?"
El licked his dry lips. "I told you! It was a scrambled voice. They called. They gave orders. And the money hit my account. That’s how these things work! I didn’t ask no questions."
Simmons didn’t look impressed. He leaned back in his chair, his face hard.
"So basically, you dug a pit, and buried yourself."
"Look, they threatened ok!" El cried. "They said they were going to cut up in pieces if I didn’t do what they wanted. I didn’t have no choice!"
"There’s always a choice. You chose the million dollars," Simmons countered coldly.
He stood up and stepped closer to the table, looming over the trembling man.
"Where is your phone?"
El blinked, his breath coming in short, ragged gasps. "I... I threw it away."
Simmons slamd his hand on the table, making Elvin jump.
"Don’t lie to . Or I am going to bring the man with the tools back in here. And he doesn’t have much patience."
"No-no-no-no!" Elvin stamred, his face turning a sickly shade of gray. "It’s at my Aunt Elsie’s! I left it there when I left her house."
Simmons narrowed his eyes, his expression unreadable. "Does your Aunt Elsie know what you did? Did she help you hide the evidence of a million-dollar cri?"
"No! Please!" Elvin cried, tears actually starting to well up in his eyes. "She’s like 90 years old. she doesn’t know anything. She thinks I’m just a good nephew visiting for tea. Leave her out of this!"
Simmons stood up slowly, looking down at the broken man. "A
Give the address. Now."
El rattled off the address of a small, quiet house on the outskirts of the city. He looked completely defeated, his head hanging low.
I should have listened to John. He thought.
Simmons signaled the officer at the door. "Go to the address. Find the phone. And be casual about it, we don’t need to give Aunt Elsie a heart attack today."
He turned back to Elvin one last ti.
"If that phone isn’t exactly where you said it is, Elvin, I’m letting the big guy back in. And he’s starting with your fingernails."
By nightfall, videos of Elvin’s public apology were circulating all over social dia.
His voice cracked as he confessed to the fabrication, admitting that every word out of his mouth had been a paid lie.
The internet, which had been so quick to tear Lyvana’s reputation apart, was now ablaze with a different kind of fire. The tide had turned, and the public’s thirst for a villain had shifted from the "cheating woman" to the "paid liar."
At the police station, the atmosphere was far less celebratory.
"Nothing?" Simmons barked, staring at the lead forensic tech.
"Nothing, sir," the tech replied, rubbing his bloodshot eyes. "The million-dollar transfer was routed through a dozen shell companies in three different offshore tax havens. The scrambled calls used a military-grade encryption bounce.
Whoever set this up didn’t just have money; they had professional-grade digital security. The trail ends in a digital black hole."
Simmons cursed under his breath
....
Julian stood in white sweatpants in his penthouse, sipping a cup of coffee.
Lily stood beside him speaking personally to the commissioner, who was briefing her about the investigations so far.
"Alright, Commissioner. I understand," Lily said into the phone. "Of course."
She listened for another mont.
"The public apology will do. The boss is very grateful. Just make sure the official report emphasizes the fabrication. He want Lyvana’s na completely untainted by morning."
Julian didn’t turn around when Lily hung up the phone. Lily cleared her throat, tucking her phone into her pocket.
"The Commissioner says the digital trail is a dead end, sir. They’ve confird the offshore accounts were scrubbed within minutes of the transfer. Professional work."
Julian took a slow sip of his coffee.
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