REVENGE: THE ULTIMATE PLANNING ch10

(Sometimes the most dangerous move is knowing when to play weak.)

...

[Scene: Lucien’s penthouse – Morning. Sleek, minimal, glass walls reflecting cold sunlight.]

(Aeryn storms in, face dark, letter in hand. Lucien lounges on a couch, sipping espresso. Calm. Too calm.)

aeryn sulvian (mc)(RO)

(voice sharp): You knew. You knew he was married to Elior before the wedding

LUCIEN

(smirking, unfazed): Oh darling. You say that like it matters now. Dead lovers make for tragic backstories, not court cases.

aeryn sulvian (mc)(RO)

Slamming the paper down): You let him rot in that house. You watched him break. All for your cousin’s damn image?

LUCIEN

(sipping): No. I did it for control. Vaelran couldn’t have handled the scandal. And Caelan… he was never strong enough to handle freedom.

(Aeryn lunges forward, fists clenched—but stops himself just inches away.)

LUCIEN

(low): Tsk tsk. I thought you wanted revenge. Not prison.

aeryn sulvian (mc)(RO)

(calm now, too calm): You’re right. Prison’s too kind.

(Turns on heel and storms out—but his mind’s buzzing.)

...

[Scene: Aeryn’s room – Later that night. He takes Caelan’s letter again, sits at the desk. Starts scanning the walls. The ceiling.]

(His eyes narrow. A tiny glint in the bookshelf corner. Then another, in the light fixture. His skin chills.)

aeryn sulvian (mc)(RO)

(muttering): Cameras.

(He opens his laptop. Checks for signals. Static interference. More dots light up—CCTV feeds. Multiple. Hidden in plain sight.)

aeryn sulvian (mc)(RO)

(realization dawning): He’s been watching me. Every move. Every tear. Every lie.

(Flashback hits—Vaelran’s smirks. His cryptic texts. His perfect timing.)

aeryn sulvian (mc)(RO)

(quietly, voice flat): You already know what I’m doing.

aeryn sulvian (mc)(RO)

(He slams the laptop shut. Breathes deep. The storm inside simmers. Then—he stands. Walks to the window. Calm returns. Controlled. Strategic.)

aeryn sulvian (mc)(RO)

(softly): Then I’ll stop doing.

.. .

[Scene: Next morning – Breakfast hall. Vaelran at the head of the table, reading the news. Aeryn enters, dressed sharp, composed.]

aeryn sulvian (mc)(RO)

(neutral): I thought about what you said.

vaelran

Smiling without looking up): Oh? Decided to stop chasing ghosts?

aeryn sulvian (mc)(RO)

(with a small smile): Yes. You were right. Caelan is gone. I need to stop living in the past.

vaelran

(Vaelran finally looks at him. Curious. Searching.)

vaelran

And what now?

aeryn sulvian (mc)(RO)

Now… I’ll play my part.

[Cut to: Aeryn’s room – Night. He writes in a small notebook, no tech, nothing digital. He hides it behind a loose brick in the wall.]

aeryn sulvian (mc)(RO)

(voiceover): You think I’ve given up. Good. That’s exactly what I want.