REBORN My Second Life I Became The Villianess (Nyxara) novel Chapter 72

Dad paused his lighter-flipping routine, his gaze snapping up to meet mine. "Keep it clean. No flashy messes. Just let her hang herself with her own rope."

"Already handled," I said, setting my mug down on the wood with a quiet clink. "Dario is going to start laying out the bait this afternoon. Just a few lingering glances when nobody else is paying attention. Nysa will do the rest of the work in her own head."

Elena gave a soft, disapproving click of her tongue from across the table. "Honestly, giving that woman any attention at all sounds exhausting. I would rather deal with a flat tire." she said.

"It is exhausting," I agreed, a wicked little smirk tugging at my lips. "That is why we let her do all the heavy lifting. She wants to believe she is irresistible and clever. We are just going to validate every single toxic delusion she has until she walks right into the trap."

Grandmother nodded slowly, taking a sip of her tea. "A woman who lives by her own lies is the easiest person to steer off a cliff. You just point her toward the edge and let her pride do the walking." she said.

Grandfather grunted in agreement, leaning back in his chair. "Just make sure she hits the ground hard. No half measures."

"There won't be any half measures Grandfather," Dario said, his tone dropping into a cold tone of absolute certainty "She thinks she can play smart. By the time she realizes she was just a pawn in a game she never understood, there won't be anything left to salvage." he said.

I turned my head slightly, looking up at him. He knew the assignment, he knew what Nysa had put me through, and he was more than ready to play his part to perfection.

"When does phase one start?" I asked him quietly.

"Lunch," he replied, a dark amusement flashing in his eyes. "There's a charity luncheon downtown today. Nysa is going to be there, trying to work the room and pretend her life isn't falling apart at the seams. I'll drop by for twenty minutes. Just long enough to make eye contact from across the room, give her a half-smile, and leave before she can corner me." he said.

I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing. "Oh, she is going to obsess over that for the rest of the week." I said with a smile.

"She'll call within an hour," Dario predicted easily. "Or send a text pretending it's about some mutual business connection. Either way, she will take the bait." he said.

Elena motioned to one of the servers to drop a fresh pastry onto a plate in front of me whether I wanted it or not. "Eat something, you look like you're plotting a murder."

"I am, basically," I said sweetly, picking up a fork.

"Just make sure you finish it before you leave the house," Elena sighed, turning back to chat with her husband. "I don't want any dramatic phone calls interrupting my afternoon."

"No promises," I teased.

The morning dragged on in that comfortable, chaotic way family breakfasts always did while the staff cleared away the silver and refilled the empty carafes. But beneath the casual chatter, the real work was waiting. Every single person in this room knew what was at stake.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify