"Business Card"
The party guard, tall and intimidating, demanded the identification proving Alice and Lucy's invitation.
"Here it is."
Alice handed over the document, and Lucy did the same.
"Hm... alright, ladies. Welcome to the party."
He turned around and allowed them in. As soon as they stepped through the door, the strong smell of wine filled their noses. Covering hers, Lucy muttered:
"Shit, these rich people really love wine."
"You can tell how much they love it."
Alice subtly nodded toward the guests, who chatted while sipping the liquid. Their beautiful smiles hid an unmistakable falseness.
"Where's Lhariane supposed to be? Shouldn't she be here?"
"Let's wait, Lucy."
The blonde sat down on a couch, and Lucy settled beside her, biting her lip in boredom.
"What's the plan?"
"We need to find evidence that incriminates Lhariane as a false accuser. We can't fail, or Vector might face something worse than life in prison."
"I can't even imagine what it's like for him..."
Lucy sighed, melancholy, but soon regained her resolve.
"We'll wait for the perfect moment, Alice."
***
Meanwhile, at the apartment...
"Stop biting me, you repulsive little creature!"
Skyler was wrestling with Flowey, who clung to him and bit him with her gums. He spun her around in his arms until she got dizzy and passed out.
"I win, you brat."
He held her close against his chest as the small child, asleep, sought warmth.
His attention soon turned to the women. He watched their actions closely, trying to understand the mission through the audio feed.
Suddenly, the apartment door began to bang violently.
"We know you're in there, Skyler Fogue! You can't hide forever!"
The angry voice echoed. Covering the child's ears, Skyler ran to the bedroom, placed her in the crib, and gently stroked her head.
"Well, little one, looks like my debt collectors came to visit. I'll try not to make any noise. Be a good girl, alright?"
The door burst open. Skyler grabbed his cane and hid in the bathroom. The men stormed the apartment, searching for him. When they reached Flowey's room, they found her asleep.
Before they could react, their bodies grew heavy and fell to the floor.
Skyler stood behind them, touching their heads with the staff.
"Well, I love this little beauty... now I'll have to deal with these bodies."
He sighed.
***
When the writer entered, pretending to be shaken, everyone stood up and applauded.
She greeted them with a gentle smile and said it was just a small event, nothing that deserved so much attention.
The other women exchanged glances and discreetly rolled their eyes.
Approaching, Alice introduced herself:
"Good evening, I'm Fernanda Lawn, a local researcher. May I try to understand what happened to you?"
Lhariane placed a hand on her chest and replied in an uneasy voice:
"You know, dear, this is a complicated subject for me. But I'll try to explain. It was a vulnerable moment, that feeling of being unprotected, you know? That sense that nothing can be done. Today I thank God that man will never leave prison again."
Alice pressed the clipboard against her chest. The description was so carefully crafted it sounded almost disrespectful to what she herself had lived through, something real that had left irreversible scars.
"Thank you for the research, miss."
Lucy, seeing her friend walk away with a somber expression, approached Lhariane and introduced herself as well:
"Good evening, Miss Lhariane. I'm Becca. You seem exhausted. I'm the massage therapist hired to help you ease the pain. May I accompany you to your room?"
With a softer expression, the writer nodded:
"Of course, I accept."
Guided by Lucy, they both left the hall. Alice followed discreetly through the shadows, tracking their steps.
Lhariane's guards walked beside them, alert to any suspicious movement.
When they reached the room, the two men stood in front of the door.
Inside, the writer leaned against the bed and spoke kindly:
"Allow me to uncover myself to make your job easier, alright?"
"Of course, feel free..."
When Lucy turned around, she saw the woman already bare from the waist up. Surprised, she tried to compose herself while examining the supposed injuries.
Looking closer, she noticed bruises on the wrists and bite marks on the chest, but they looked far too recent.
"Did she hurt herself to keep the accusation credible?"
Lucy's fists tightened.
"That bitch..."
Controlling her tone, she asked:
"Thank you for having the courage to expose yourself. May I begin?"
"Of course. It's still hard for me to feel safe about this. Thank you for being so kind."
'Yes, you'll see my kindness soon enough,' Lucy thought, positioning herself beside the bed and placing her hands on the writer's back.
Her skin was soft yet tense, almost too much. As Lucy massaged the injured spots, Lhariane's muscles contracted, and a soft moan escaped her lips. Even furious, Lucy couldn't deny the woman was an excellent actress.
From the shadows of the room, a horned figure approached and, in a swift strike, hurled her fan toward Lhariane.
Lucy tried to stop it, but it was too late.
The doors burst open, and the guards began shooting toward the moving shadow.
With the gunfire, the party descended into chaos. Guests ran in panic, doors were locked, and fear spread everywhere. Some hid, others tried to defend themselves with glasses and silverware.
The horned woman spun her fan and decapitated the guards. The blades attached to its tips began firing in every direction.
Lucy took cover behind a piece of furniture. Alice, who had entered at the last moment, was hit in the right arm and fell to her knees before the writer's body.
With half her head severed, Lhariane Des Montes lay dead.
The lights went out, and the door slammed shut, pushed by the wind. The lamp fell, and silence filled the room.
From the darkness, a proud voice echoed:
"I guess you two came here with the same goal as I did, didn't you?"