Chapter 38. The Plan

Layla’s fingers danced across the keyboard, a manicured nail tapping rhythmically on the ‘Enter’ key as she refreshed Camila Martinez’s Instagram feed for what must have been the hundredth time that day. The glow from her laptop screen illuminated Layla’s face, casting shadows that deepened the look of cunning in her sharp blue eyes.

“Look at you, Camila,” Layla murmured to herself. “All smiles and subtweets. What’s your game?”

The constant vigil over Camila’s online presence had become an obsession for Layla. She had carefully curated a dossier of Camila’s habits, likes, dislikes -

anything that could give her an edge in their unspoken rivalry. It wasn’t enough to best Camila; Layla felt compelled to obliterate her.

“An inspiration? Please.” Layla scoffed as she scrolled through photos of Camila’s latest design project, a sleek, modern dress inspired by a high-profile model. “As if you’ve ever had an original idea.”

With a click, Layla enlarged one of