A week had passed since Ryder had overheard the fake Victoire quietly complaining about his role. The words of this imposter echoed in his mind, like an obsessive melody. Ryder's doubt was growing, a feeling that something was still being hidden from him. He knew something didn't add up.
That day, while rummaging through an old USB drive he had found at the back of a drawer in his old office, he stumbled upon a video of their group when they were children. Victoire was singing alone, in front of an impromptu audience, wearing a silver necklace with a bright blue stone around his neck.
Ryder paused the video. He zoomed in, his gaze fixed on the necklace.
— "This necklace…" he murmured. "I've seen it on Dylan. I'm sure it's the same one."
The next day, he decided to confront Dylan. He found him alone, sitting on a bench in the villa's garden.
— "Dylan," he said calmly, approaching, "I found an old video of us. Want to see it?"
Dylan looked up, suspicious.
— "What video?"
Ryder pulled out his phone and showed him the clip. Dylan watched the scene, unperturbed.
— "Do you see this necklace?" Ryder asked. "It looks like the one you wear sometimes."
Dylan shrugged.
— "This necklace belonged to my uncle. He gave it to me before he died. Lots of people could have the same one. That boy isn't me."
Ryder narrowed his eyes.
— "Are you sure? Because he looks a lot like you."
Dylan gave a calm smile.
— "It's flattering, but no. It's not me."
That evening, Dylan rushed to Diego, his face serious. They met in the main office.
— "He's getting too close to the truth," Dylan said, placing the video on the screen.
Diego watched the clip carefully.
— "This necklace... your uncle gave it to you, right?"
— "Yes. And now we need to do a video edit to remove my face and replace it with someone else's. We'll muddy the waters."
Diego nodded and contacted a video editing expert. Within hours, a new version of the video was ready. The boy vaguely resembled Dylan, but not too much. Just enough to keep the doubt alive.
The next day, Diego went to see Ryder.
— "Ryder, I heard you were looking into an old video. Here, take a look at this one. It's much clearer."
Ryder watched the edited version. He furrowed his brows.
— "This isn't the one I saw."
— "You probably saw a tampered version. People like to change faces, you know."
Ryder didn't reply. An oppressive silence hung in the air.
That evening, he went to see Andrea and Daniella. The three of them sat around a table in a quiet café.
— "Do you remember the necklace Victoire used to wear when we were kids?" Ryder asked.
— "Of course," Daniella replied. "He loved it."
— "Well, Dylan has the same one. Exactly the same. And I found a video where Victoire is wearing it."
— "Do you think Dylan is Victoire?" Andrea asked, startled.
Ryder nodded.
— "I think he's been lying to us from the start."
But doubt still lingered. Dylan's video edit had blurred the lines. Despite all the clues, the truth seemed to slip between their fingers.
That night, Dylan stared long at his reflection in the mirror. He touched the necklace around his neck. He knew the lie had become too heavy, but he wasn't ready to face the past.
But one thing was certain: the doubt was alive in Ryder's heart. And he wasn't ready to let it go.