Chapter 3

For the next month, I didn’t leave my apartment.

Every day, I watched the news, observing Serena’s meticulous steps as she claimed ‘The Cage’ as her own.

She gave a deeply intimate interview on the country’s most prestigious talk show.

On the program, she tearfully recounted her “creative journey” with me.

“This screenplay, it was truly something Ava and I conceived together. Many late nights, we’d be curled up on the sofa, snacking and chatting. I’d throw out an idea, she’d expand on it, then I’d build on that… Now, she’s gone, and I’m left to raise our shared child alone.”

The host, visibly moved, offered her a tissue.

“What was the hardest part of the creative process for you?”

“The loneliness,”

Serena dabbed at her eyes.

“Before, when I hit a wall, I could just turn and see her. Now, I can only hold her photo and imagine her still beside me.”

After that episode aired, Serena’s social media followers skyrocketed by five million.

She became synonymous with “talent, beauty, and profound devotion.”

The production team for ‘The Cage’ was officially established.

The lead actress was Serena herself.

The director was Director Thompson, renowned in the industry for his commercial blockbusters.

Everything proceeded smoothly.

I watched Serena’s triumphant smile on my laptop screen during the kick-off ceremony, then closed the browser.

The time was right.

I made a phone call.

It rang for a long time before someone picked up.

“Hello? Who’s this?”

A young, wary male voice answered.

“Is this Director Liam Reed?” I asked.

“Who are you? Why are you calling my private number?”

His voice was impatient.

“I have a screenplay here I’d like you to take a look at.”

“A screenplay?”

He scoffed.

“I’m busy right now. Don’t bother me.”

He sounded like he was about to hang up.

“A screenplay about plagiarism and betrayal.”

I said slowly.

“The protagonist is an unknown young director whose idea is stolen by a popular actress, and he’s then blacklisted by the entire industry. What do you think of that story?”

The other end of the line went instantly silent.

Several seconds passed before Liam’s voice returned, carrying a barely perceptible tremor.

“Who are you?”

Liam Reed.

A truly talented emerging director.

He had been Serena’s college classmate and had openly pursued her.

A year ago, a short film he directed even picked up a minor international award.

Upon returning home, Serena had approached him, expressing interest in collaboration.

Liam, deeply touched, had unreservedly shared a screenplay concept he’d been developing for a long time.

But Serena immediately took his concept and used it for a web series she was starring in.

The web series became a massive hit.

Serena’s career advanced significantly.

When Liam confronted her, she slandered him, accusing him of riding her coattails.

She then used her connections to ensure Liam couldn’t get any work in the industry.

No one in the industry knew about these details.

I had my private detective dig them up.

Serena had climbed over too many bodies to reach the top, and she’d left too many fingerprints.

“My identity isn’t important,”

I said into the phone.

“What *is* important is that I want to give you a chance to reclaim what’s rightfully yours.”

We met in a secluded coffee shop.

Liam looked far more haggard than his actual age.

Heavy dark circles under his eyes, messy hair, and an expression filled with wariness and distrust.

“How do you know all this?”

He stared intently at me.

I didn’t answer. Instead, I pushed a brown envelope across the table.

“This is the original screenplay for ‘The Cage.’ Take a look.”

He paused, then suspiciously opened the envelope and pulled out the script.

After only a few pages, his expression shifted.

From shock, to anger, then to disbelief.

“This… this can’t be…”

He looked up at me, his voice trembling.

“I saw the synopsis Serena released, and it’s completely different in its details from this… This version… it’s far superior to hers!”

“Because this is the original,” I said. “Written by Ava Hayes.”

“Then Serena’s version is…”

“What do you think?” I countered.

Liam wasn’t stupid.

He understood instantly.

“She… she even dared to steal Ava Hayes’s work?!”

“What wouldn’t she dare?”

I said flatly.

“Dead people can’t speak.”

Liam’s breathing grew heavy.

The script in his hands was clutched tightly.

Betrayed by the person he trusted most, stripped of his most important creation.

He understood that feeling better than anyone.

“Why are you looking for me?”

He asked, two sparks igniting in his eyes.

“What do you want me to do?”

“It’s simple.”

I leaned slightly forward, looking into his eyes.

“I want you to use this original screenplay to enter the ‘Emerging Talent Director Program’ hosted by the Maxwell Group.”

Julian Maxwell’s company had recently launched a competition.

Its purpose was to discover promising new directors and invest in their projects.

This was Liam’s only chance.

And the first step in my plan.

“Using Ava’s screenplay?”

Liam frowned.

“What does that make me? A thief too?”

“No,” I shook my head. “The copyright for this screenplay is legally mine.”

I pulled another document from my bag and slid it across to him.

It was a copyright transfer agreement, bearing Ava Hayes’s handwritten signature.

Of course, it was forged.

But it was convincing enough for others to believe it was real.

The beneficiary line bore my new name.

Lynn Miller.

Liam stared at the contract, utterly stunned.

“You… what’s your connection to Ava Hayes?”

“An old acquaintance,” I gave him a vague answer.

“You just need to decide whether to do it or not.”

I stood up.

“If you do, you’ll not only get a chance to create a great work but also personally bring Serena Thorne down. If you don’t, you’ll stay cooped up in your rented apartment, watching the person who stole your hard work bask in glory.”

I placed the choice in his hands.

But I knew how he would choose.

For a genius pushed to the brink, nothing was more tempting than revenge.