During the final working week of December, Leila and Davina return to Temptation’s security office, where Leila reveals she knows about the club’s single hidden camera. The security operator confirms the camera covers Boudoir 3, a room Eddie uses to secretly watch sexual encounters. He pulls up footage from September 6, the day of the murder.

After fast-forwarding through the night’s activity, Leila spots Jack entering the room at 11:24 am, followed by a second man whose face remains off-camera throughout. Jack is identifiable as he moves to the center of the room, his dark hair and sleeve tattoos visible; only the second man’s legs are seen. The recorded conversation reveals Jack pressuring the other man to kill someone that day, giving him until noon as a deadline. The man resists, citing his upcoming university enrollment and his fear of a life sentence. Jack responds by revealing he possesses a video of the man and threatens to release it if he does not comply. The other man refuses and storms out. Crucially, the unidentified man’s voice is enough for Leila to make a positive identification. She recognizes the upper-class accent as Quinn Smythe’s.

Witness X explains “Rule #7: Beware the Talented Student” (185) before describing a past relationship with a girl she met at boarding school. She was drawn to this charismatic and rebellious student, seeing a kindred spirit, and taught her girl “the rules” of manipulation. The two formed a partnership, escalating their destructive games at university by causing rifts in social circles and seducing unavailable men for the feeling of power it gave them. Witness X reveals that their behavior was driven by deep self-loathing stemming from childhood abuse. Their bond was strengthened by shared trauma, as the other girl also had a toxic relationship with her father. Witness X confesses that she took things too far and did something terrible to her friend. Having created a “monster” who now knows all the rules, she lives in fear that their former protégée will eventually come for revenge.

Leila and Davina agree the security footage of Quinn is inadmissible in court, as accusing him of his father’s murder without proof would look desperate. Leila decides to pressure the prosecution. She calls Julian and requests Quinn Smythe’s witness statement, revealing that the defense knows Quinn was one of the last people to see his father alive.

Later, Leila meets an influencer, Serene Kirkbride, for a podcast interview. During the Q&A, a follower named Liza asks a pointed question about professional integrity and a barrister’s relationship with their head of chambers. Leila learns the follower’s username is “@JustAnotherDumbBlonde.” She concludes that her old friend is back to destroy her and is now somehow connected to Jack’s trial.

Just before the holiday break, Julian ambushes Leila with new evidence, a tactic designed to put her at a disadvantage. He provides CCTV footage showing Jack visiting a beauty salon without his phone hours before the murder. He also gives her a statement from Quinn Smythe, who claims Jack had been harassing him for weeks. This statement reveals that Quinn’s father, Anton, confronted Jack at his flat on the day of the murder, establishing a powerful motive for the prosecution.

Julian taunts Leila, admitting her own line of questioning led him to this discovery. He also has CCTV footage of Anton visiting a distressed Quinn at work, which supports the new timeline. Angered by his condescending attitude and strategic timing, Leila formally requests to call Quinn as a witness to cross-examine him. She then shocks Julian by announcing that Jack will testify at trial, despite having given her no instructions on what he might say. Left furious by Julian’s ruthlessness, Leila realizes he will stop at nothing to win the case.

After viewing CCTV footage of Jack visiting a salon called Electric Dreams on the day of the murder, Leila recognizes it as belonging to Daniella Sorrington, the wife of powerful criminal Eddie Sorrington. Concerned about Eddie’s potential involvement, Leila brings Davina to the salon to investigate before the Christmas holiday. Daniella greets them, vouching for Jack as a close family friend who helps her when Eddie is away. Leila persuades Daniella to show them the salon’s security footage from the day of the incident. The video shows an agitated Jack trying to speak privately with an impatient Eddie. However, the moment Jack sees Daniella appear in an office doorway, he immediately stops talking, backs away, and leaves the salon.

Upset by Julian’s gloating, Leila avoids going home and instead drives to visit her mother-in-law Audrey. Upon arrival, she is startled to find Julian’s ex-wife, Sienna, leaving the house. Leila confronts her, and Sienna reveals she visits Audrey periodically out of affection, pointing out that Julian has neglected his mother for months. Sienna makes veiled warnings about Julian’s unchanging nature and implies people are scared of him, offering Leila her support. Leila decides to keep the encounter a secret from Julian.

Inside, Audrey is confused and mistakes Sienna for someone else. However, when Leila asks about Julian, Audrey has a moment of complete lucidity. She warns Leila that Julian cannot be trusted and is threatened by women who can see through him, which is why he avoids his mother and dislikes Leila. The statement is so clear and direct that Leila believes her completely.

Witness X explains Rule #8, “Be Patient.” She believes the most effective revenge involves waiting for the perfect opportunity. She then reflects on her past partner, Declan. After she broke his heart, Declan chose to leave without any drama or further contact. His dignified silence was a more painful form of revenge than any confrontation. In moments of self-loathing, she views his current, happy family life on social media and concludes that her actions inadvertently led to his happiness. Witness X expresses deep shame for the person she once was, believing she has changed for the better. The chapter ends as she questions whether another unnamed woman has also changed, doubting it because that person “learned from the best” (210).

Twenty days before the trial, Leila reflects on the growing distance in her marriage to Julian, which has been consumed by the case. They are sleeping in separate rooms, and their traditional Christmas Eve plans have been abandoned. Leila is left alone when Julian goes for drinks with colleagues. When he returns drunk, they have a major argument about his tactics in the case. Julian admits he’s willing to sacrifice their marriage to win and condescendingly tells Leila that she has no chance of beating him in court. His confidence is so absolute that Leila begins to believe him, feeling defeated.

After a tense and silent Christmas Day, Leila and Julian receive a message in their chambers’ WhatsApp group from their colleague Chester, announcing his wife is pregnant and due in May. While Julian is dismissive, Leila calculates the baby must have been conceived around August. This realization gives her a sudden, unspoken idea and renews her hope and determination to win the case.

Three days before the trial, Leila visits Audrey for their usual Friday get-together. She finds her mother-in-law uncharacteristically cheerful and hears the song “Delilah” playing on a record player on repeat. A confused Audrey cannot explain who put the music on, claiming she was with “Leila” earlier in the day. Panicked by the unsettling music, Leila receives a threatening message on her Chats at the Bar Instagram account from an account named @DntMessWithMe. The message details her recent secret movements with perfect accuracy, including her current location at Audrey’s house, and ends with a death threat. Realizing she is being followed, she finds a small tracking device hidden on her car. Overwhelmed with fear, Leila breaks down and makes a desperate phone call to an unnamed man, asking if she can come over immediately for help.

Witness X recalls how her father taught her to blend in unless she could stand out for the right reasons by being admirable, “likable,” or “relatable.” She recounts how her protegee chose to shine by methodically copying her style, speech, and mannerisms.

Witness X describes Leila Reynolds as a “fake” and believes her carefully constructed persona is starting to crumble. She predicts a “horror show” when Leila’s true self is finally revealed.

Leila visits her senior colleague, Chester, at his home, telling him she feels overwhelmed. Chester reassures her of her capabilities as a barrister. When Leila asks about his wife Demi’s pregnancy, he admits he is uncertain if the baby is his.

Demi arrives home, and Leila notes her red Mini outside, reinforcing her suspicion that Chester’s wife was the intruder outside her house. Deciding she needs to get access to Demi’s phone, Leila devises a ruse. She pretends to be distraught over online threats and claims to have forgotten her own phone, convincing Chester to have Demi lend hers so Leila can show him the messages on Instagram.

Before Demi reluctantly hands over her unlocked phone, she logs out of her Instagram account. However, Leila opens Demi’s WhatsApp instead. In an archived chat, Leila discovers messages revealing Demi is having an affair, that Chester is not the father of her baby, and that the biological father wants nothing to do with them. The chat ends with Demi’s final message to the biological father stating she will handle the situation herself. Leila hands the phone back, feigning that she can’t remember her password. She leaves feeling she has found the important information needed to solve her problems.

Witness X nervously awaits the trial, trusting Jack to protect her but fearing what others might uncover. She recounts how, nearly a year prior, she stormed out of her home after a fight with her husband and went to a club called Innocence to be alone. There, she met Jack, and they began a passionate affair that grew into love.

Witness X confesses she was present in Jack’s apartment on the night of Anton Smythe’s murder. Anton arrived unexpectedly and was shocked to see her there. She recalls the thud of a kettlebell on his skull before his body fell to the floor, though she does not state who struck the blow. The narrator concludes that the jury will be told a palatable, “just” version of events, as the full truth of that night must never come out.