Joker in the Pack (Romantic Suspense, Completed, Watty Winner)

The air in Edward's apartment was thick with tension, not just from the glitter dust settling on his pristine cream-and-grey lounge, but from the precarious perch Olivia held on the ladder. "Would you hurry up?" she whispered, her voice tight with a mixture of fear and exhilaration.

Maddie, her lifelong conspirator, balanced expertly atop the ladder, a tube of pink glitter held aloft like a victorious banner. "Why are you whispering, Liv? He's not here." She leaned, and the ladder wobbled, sending a fresh wave of panic through Olivia.

"But he'll be back any minute!" Olivia clung tighter, her knuckles white. The thought of Edward discovering their handiwork—a rainbow explosion destined for his ceiling fan—sent a shiver down her spine. The memory of his infidelity, of finding him with his PA on the very dining table Olivia had helped him choose, fueled her resolve.

After depositing the last of the glitter, Maddie clambered down, a mischievous grin plastered across her face. "Grab that screwdriver, would you? We don't want to give the game away by leaving evidence behind." Olivia nodded, stuffing the tool into her pocket, and together they carried the ladder to Edward's garage. One last look at his gleaming new Mercedes, a car they'd chosen together, twisted a fresh knot in her stomach.

"Ready to go?" Maddie's voice pulled her from her thoughts. "Yes. Yes, I am." Out of her old life and into the new. They giggled like schoolgirls as they ran towards the Tube station, but on the train, a wave of guilt washed over Olivia. "Do you think the hair remover was a bit much?" she murmured, thinking of the concoction they'd replaced his conditioner with. Maddie's filthy laugh echoed in the quiet carriage. "No, I bloody don't. She was wearing your Jimmy Choos when you caught them, remember?"