The apartment had gone quiet after Claire left.
Too quiet.
Only the sound of the shower dripping onto marble tiles filled the heavy silence.
Eve stood frozen near the bathroom sink, arms wrapped tightly around herself as if she could still feel Claire's shocked stare lingering on her skin.
Jane, meanwhile, looked far less disturbed.
She stepped carefully over the scattered clothes on the floor and reached for her black dress, completely unbothered as she slipped it over her damp body.
"Well," Jane muttered calmly, "that was unexpected."
Eve finally snapped out of her trance. "Unexpected?" she whispered harshly. "Jane, Ethan's wife just saw us."
Jane shrugged while fixing her hair in the mirror. "And?"
"And?" Eve stared at her in disbelief. "If she tells Ethan everything, we're finished."
That finally made Jane pause.
Not because of the affair.
Because of the plan.
The carefully constructed manipulation surrounding Ethan...the money, the access, the secrets Eve had spent months gathering while pretending to be the loyal assistant he trusted.
If Ethan became suspicious now, everything could collapse.
Jane's expression slowly darkened with thought.
"Do you think she'll tell him?"
Eve exhaled shakily and sat on the edge of the bathtub. "I don't know. She looked… hurt."
"Hurt women are dangerous."
"She's also humiliated," Eve murmured. "She came here thinking I was sleeping with her husband."
Jane laughed softly. "Instead she found out you prefer women. Honestly? That probably confused her more than anything."
Eve buried her face in her hands.
"This is bad."
Jane watched her quietly for a moment before walking closer. Her fingers tilted Eve's chin upward.
"Maybe not."
Eve frowned. "What does that mean?"
Jane's lips curved slowly.
"She's lonely."
Eve blinked.
Jane continued casually while fastening her earrings, "Come on, Eve. Did you see her face? That woman looks emotionally and sexually starved."
"That doesn't mean...."
"You really think Ethan fucks his wife?" Jane interrupted. "Men like him always keep women like Claire around for appearance. Sweet wife. Perfect image. Empty marriage."
Eve looked uncertain.
Jane smirked knowingly. "And now Claire has seen you. Vulnerable. Beautiful. Forbidden."
"Jane…"
"I'm serious." Jane grabbed her purse from the counter. "Seduce her."
Eve stared at her like she'd lost her mind.
Jane only smiled wider.
"If Claire becomes attached to you, she won't expose you. In fact, she'll protect you."
"That's manipulative."
Jane laughed outright at that.
"Eve, the entire reason you got close to Ethan was manipulation."
Silence.
Eve hated that Jane was right.
"She was staring at you," Jane added softly. "Not with disgust. With shock… and curiosity."
Eve remembered the way Claire had frozen in the doorway.
The way she hadn't looked away.
A strange feeling twisted low in her stomach.
Jane noticed the shift in Eve's expression immediately.
"There it is," she teased. "You're considering it."
Eve looked away.
"That woman is probably starving for affection," Jane continued while walking toward the bedroom door. "And people who are starving do reckless things for the first person who feeds them."
Eve swallowed hard.
"What if she hates me?"
Jane opened the door and glanced back with an amused smile.
"Then make sure she doesn't."
writing{variant="standard" id="48271"}
The apartment had gone quiet after Claire left.
Too quiet.
Only the sound of the shower dripping onto marble tiles filled the heavy silence.
Eve stood frozen near the bathroom sink, arms wrapped tightly around herself as if she could still feel Claire's shocked stare lingering on her skin.
Jane, meanwhile, looked far less disturbed.
She stepped carefully over the scattered clothes on the floor and reached for her black dress, completely unbothered as she slipped it over her damp body.
"Well," Jane muttered calmly, "that was unexpected."
Eve finally snapped out of her trance. "Unexpected?" she whispered harshly. "Jane, Ethan's wife just saw us."
Jane shrugged while fixing her hair in the mirror. "And?"
"And?" Eve stared at her in disbelief. "If she tells Ethan everything, we're finished."
That finally made Jane pause.
Not because of the affair.
Because of the plan.
The carefully constructed manipulation surrounding Ethan—the money, the access, the secrets Eve had spent months gathering while pretending to be the loyal assistant he trusted.
If Ethan became suspicious now, everything could collapse.
Jane's expression slowly darkened with thought.
"Do you think she'll tell him?"
Eve exhaled shakily and sat on the edge of the bathtub. "I don't know. She looked… hurt."
"Hurt women are dangerous."
"She's also humiliated," Eve murmured. "She came here thinking I was sleeping with her husband."
Jane laughed softly. "Instead she found out you prefer women. Honestly? That probably confused her more than anything."
Eve buried her face in her hands.
"This is bad."
Jane watched her quietly for a moment before walking closer. Her fingers tilted Eve's chin upward.
"Maybe not."
Eve frowned. "What does that mean?"
Jane's lips curved slowly.
"She's lonely."
Eve blinked.
Jane continued casually while fastening her earrings, "Come on, Eve. Did you see her face? That woman looks emotionally starved."
"That doesn't mean—"
"You really think Ethan touches his wife?" Jane interrupted. "Men like him always keep women like Claire around for appearance. Sweet wife. Perfect image. Empty marriage."
Eve looked uncertain.
Jane smirked knowingly. "And now Claire has seen you. Vulnerable. Beautiful. Forbidden."
"Jane…"
"I'm serious." Jane grabbed her purse from the counter. "Seduce her."
Eve stared at her like she'd lost her mind.
Jane only smiled wider.
"If Claire becomes attached to you, she won't expose you. In fact, she'll protect you."
"That's manipulative."
Jane laughed outright at that.
"Eve, the entire reason you got close to Ethan was manipulation."
Silence.
Eve hated that Jane was right.
"She was staring at you," Jane added softly. "Not with disgust. With shock… and curiosity."
Eve remembered the way Claire had frozen in the doorway.
The way she hadn't looked away.
A strange feeling twisted low in her stomach.
Jane noticed the shift in Eve's expression immediately.
"There it is," she teased. "You're considering it."
Eve looked away.
"That woman is probably starving for affection," Jane continued while walking toward the bedroom door. "And people who are starving do reckless things for the first person who feeds them."
Eve swallowed hard.
"What if she's not into it??
"Come on eve, the way she looked at us.... I doubt it".
"What if she hates me?"
Jane opened the door and glanced back with an amused smile.
"Then make sure she doesn't."