CHAPTER 32: A FAVOR

Silence filled the room after Xavier's words. The small USB drive was still there, sitting between them like an undetonated bomb. Semiel held it between his fingers, but his attention remained fixed on Xavier.

—What do you mean this isn't free? —Saval asked, frowning.

Xavier took another sip of his coffee before responding calmly. —It means I want a favor in return.

Santiago scoffed, crossing his arms. —A favor? That sounds vague.

Xavier smirked. —Because it is. I'm not going to tell you what it is just yet. But at some point, I'll come to collect.

Semiel and Saval exchanged glances. Neither of them fully trusted Xavier, but they were cornered. If the evidence he had was real, it could be the key to dismantling Antonella's lies.

—And what guarantees that your favor won't get us into more trouble? —Semiel asked.

Xavier leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table and intertwining his fingers. —Nothing. Just my word. You'll have to trust me, guys.

—That's not very reassuring —Santiago muttered.

Xavier shrugged. —You don't have to accept it. You can get up and walk away right now. Let her finish tearing you apart. It's your choice. I'm just offering a deal.

The weight of his words settled over them like a suffocating pressure. Finally, Saval took a deep breath and slowly nodded.

—Fine. We accept.

Semiel closed his eyes for a moment before slipping the USB into his pocket. Santiago, though still doubtful, didn't argue. They had no other option.

—Smart choice —Xavier said with a half-smile—. I'll see you soon.

...

When they arrived at Saval's place, the tension hadn't subsided. Semiel plugged the USB into Saval's laptop, and they opened the files. There were several videos and audio recordings, all with cryptic names.

Santiago leaned closer to the screen. —Let's see what we've got.

The first video was from the café's security cameras. Antonella was sitting with someone, but the quality wasn't clear enough to make out the other person's face.

—Damn it —Saval muttered—. Can we zoom in?

Semiel tried adjusting the resolution, but the recording didn't improve much. However, they did notice one crucial detail—Antonella sliding a USB drive over to the other person.

—There it is —Santiago whispered—. That's when she hands over the edited file.

They kept going through the audio files. Some were fragments of conversations where Antonella's voice could be heard discussing the details of the manipulated video.

—This is enough to prove she altered it —Saval said—. If we release this, we might make people start questioning her.

—We've finally got her. It's time to strike back —Santiago said, his voice filled with determination.

But just as they started to feel a sense of relief, the laptop chimed with a new notification. A social media post. Antonella had uploaded something new.

Semiel's stomach dropped as he read the headline.

—She's coming after Santiago now.

They opened the post. Antonella had shared supposed messages from Santiago, manipulated to make it look like he had threatened someone. The comment section was already exploding with outrage.

—Where the hell did she get this? There shouldn't be anything left —Santiago asked, his voice tense.

Saval's expression darkened. —She edited it. Just like the video.

But that didn't matter. People were already believing it.

—We need to move fast —Semiel said—. If we don't refute this soon, Santiago is done for.

Santiago ran a hand down his face, taking a deep breath. —This isn't going to stop, is it?

No one answered, because deep down, they all knew the truth.

Antonella wouldn't stop. Not until she had destroyed them completely.

And time was running out.

...

Night fell, but none of the three could think clearly. The new accusation against Santiago was a devastating blow. With each passing minute, Antonella's post was gaining more traction. People were already demanding explanations, flooding the comments with calls for Santiago to respond.

—We can't let this keep spreading unchecked —Semiel said, drumming his fingers on the table—. If we respond quickly, we can fight back.

—How? —Santiago asked, frustration thick in his voice—. Even if we say it's fake, people have already made up their minds. That's how this works. She controls the narrative.

Saval rubbed the back of his neck, trying to organize his thoughts. Then, he turned back to the screen and scrolled through the files on the USB drive once more.

—We don't need to convince everyone. Just enough people. If we prove that Antonella lied about the video, everything else she's said will be called into question.

Santiago exhaled slowly, trying to steady himself. —So what's your plan?

—We release part of the evidence —Saval said, pointing at the screen—. Something that makes her look like a liar without showing all our cards.

Semiel nodded. —If we post the footage where she hands over the USB, at the very least, we prove she had something to hide.

Santiago still looked skeptical, but desperation outweighed his doubt. —Fine. Let's do it.

...

Hours later, the video was uploaded. It didn't take long to stir controversy. Some people defended Antonella, claiming it didn't prove anything. Others, however, began to question her.

But Antonella was quick to respond. In less than thirty minutes, she posted a story on her social media with a clear message.

—"Desperate people create desperate lies. But the truth always wins. 😉"

The battle wasn't over.

It was only just beginning.