NOVEL WEB Chapter 15: Liam's Lie Exposed (2)
Rina's mother had been growing paler with each revelation. Now she sank into her chair, one hand pressed to her heart. "Beta," she whispered to her daughter, "all those times you said he was so generous, so kind... and today he nearly had you arrested... all those times you let him..." She couldn't finish the sentence.
Rina's face burned with shame and anger as memories flooded back—Liam's increasingly bold touches, his assumption that her gratitude made her available to him, the way he'd acted like she owed him something. And now, the terrifying realization that he'd given her a toy filled with drugs that could have destroyed her life.
"You touched me," she said quietly, her voice thick with revulsion. "You put your hands on me because you thought I owed you something for a kindness you never showed. And when that wasn't enough, you tried to have me arrested. What was your plan? To swoop in and 'save' me? Make me even more grateful?"
"Rina, no, it wasn't like that—"
"GET OUT!" The roar came from Rina's father, a man who had spent his life surrounded by books and quiet scholarship. The sudden explosion of paternal rage made everyone in the room flinch. "GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!"
Liam took a stumbling step backward, his face a mask of desperate panic. "Please, just let me explain—"
"There's nothing to explain," Vincent said quietly. "You're a liar and a manipulator who preys on good people's kindness, and apparently a criminal who plants drugs on innocent young women. The only question is what other deceptions you've built your life on."
🔔 System Notification
▶ Liam LP: -150 (Social Death + Criminal Implications) Vincent LP: +150
▶ Rina Favorability Toward Liam: -50 (Total: 10)
▶ Vincent VP: +300 (Complete Narrative Control + Hero Status)
Liam cast one last desperate look at Rina, but she had turned away, her shoulders shaking with suppressed tears of rage and humiliation.
With no other choice, he stumbled toward the door, his confident facade crumbling completely. "This isn't over," he muttered, though whether to Vincent or to himself was unclear. His eyes were red and face full of hatred.
"Yes," Vincent said with quiet finality, "it is."
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After Liam's footsteps faded into the night, the kitchen remained silent except for the gentle bubbling of the forgotten shahi paneer. Vincent moved with quiet efficiency, turning off the burner and setting the pot aside.
"I'm so sorry," he said softly to the family. "I never imagined that coming here would expose something like this. If I had known he was the one who gave you that toy, who put you in such danger..."
"Don't apologize," Rina's father said firmly, though his voice still trembled with anger. "You saved our daughter twice—once from false imprisonment, and now from a deceiver and criminal. We're grateful."
Rina finally looked up, her eyes red-rimmed but clear. "All this time, I thought... I let him... And today, if you hadn't been there when the police found those drugs..." She shuddered, unable to finish.
Vincent approached her carefully, his movements slow and non-threatening. "What he did wasn't your fault. You responded with gratitude to what you believed was kindness, and you had no way of knowing about the drugs. That speaks well of your character, not poorly."
"But I should have known," she whispered. "I should have seen through it."
"Skilled liars and criminals are good at what they do," Vincent replied gently. "Don't blame yourself for having a trusting heart. The fault lies entirely with him."
He paused, then continued with quiet sincerity. "Though I hope this experience won't make you afraid to trust again when someone worthy comes along."
🔔 System Notification
▶ Rina Favorability Toward Vincent: +30 (Double Savior Status)
▶ Liam LP: -100 Vincent LP: +100
▶ Adding the previously accumulated favorability (Total- 81)
▶ Vincent VP: +200 (Positioned as Future Romantic Option)
System, are you being serious? Even if I still feel young on the inside, the idea of romancing a girl just a year older than my son feels wildly inappropriate. Sure, in a world where cultivation extends lifespan and age gaps blur into irrelevance, such things are more accepted—but still. I'd much rather avoid getting involved with someone so young.
Rina's mother had been watching this exchange with growing understanding. "You're Vincent Cornelius," she said suddenly. "The Vincent Cornelius. From Cornelius Holdings."
Vincent's smile was modest but didn't deny it. "Guilty as charged. Though I hope that won't change how you see me. I came here as a friend, not as a businessman."
"But why?" Rina asked, confusion replacing some of her earlier distress. "Why would someone like you care about our little library? Why did you help me today with the police?"
Vincent's expression grew thoughtful. "Because places like your library are the heart of what makes a community worth protecting. And people like your family are the ones who keep that heart beating." He met her eyes directly. "As for today—I couldn't stand by and watch an innocent person be destroyed by someone else's cruelty. Wealth and power are meaningless if they're not used to preserve what's truly valuable."
The words were perfectly chosen—noble without being pretentious, powerful without being intimidating. They painted Vincent as a man who used his advantages for good, the antithesis of everything Liam had revealed himself to be.
"Thank you," Rina said quietly. "For everything. For saving the library, for saving me from prison, for... for showing me the truth."
Vincent's smile was warm, genuine in a way that made her heart flutter despite everything that had happened. "You don't need to thank me, Rina. Just... be careful who you trust in the future. You deserve so much better than someone who would deceive you and put you in danger."
As he prepared to leave, Vincent paused at the doorway. "I hope I can visit again soon. Under happier circumstances."
"You're always welcome here," Rina's father said firmly. "Always."
Vincent's smile widened. "I'm glad to hear it. Take care of yourselves. And Rina?" He met her eyes one last time. "Don't let this experience dim your light. The right person will appreciate your trust and never abuse it."
Then he was gone, leaving behind the lingering scent of expensive cologne and the seeds of something that might, in time, grow into something beautiful.
[Task Completed]
Objective: Pull Rina Away from Protagonist
Offer emotional protection, visibility, or opportunity.
Reward: VP +150 | LP +25 | Liam LP -25
🔔 System Summary
Vincent LP: ▲ +425 (Total: 680) Vincent VP: +850 (Total: 1330)
Liam LP: ▼ -425 (Total: 320)
Rina Favorability: Vincent= 81 Liam= 10
Narrative Control: 76%
********
Outside in the narrow street, Vincent's convoy waited with professional patience. As he settled into the back seat of his sedan, Vincent allowed himself a moment of pure satisfaction. The system summary in front of him was a proof that evening had exceeded even his most optimistic projections.
Liam wasn't just defeated—he was utterly destroyed, his credibility shattered beyond repair, his relationship with Rina not just severed but poisoned with disgust and betrayal. The drug planting scheme had went spectacularly, turning Rina's gratitude toward Vincent into something deeper and more permanent. The Mehra family now saw Vincent as their savior and protector multiple times over, while viewing Liam as a predator and criminal who had manipulated and endangered their daughter.
More importantly, Rina herself had witnessed the stark contrast between Vincent's honest protection and Liam's web of lies and criminal actions. The seeds of trust, gratitude, and something deeper he didn't really want had been planted in fertile soil tonight.
"Phase one complete," he murmured to himself as the car pulled away from the modest neighborhood. "Now for the more... interesting phase."