Page 346 of Faking the Goal

Kentaro stares at him.

"So you want everyone to believe we broke up."

"For a short time."

Matthews nods.

"Charlie has spent months watching your relationship. If he finds out that you have broken up, he may believe he's finally gotten what he wanted."

"And then what?" Kentaro asks, his voice tight.

"Then we wait for him to make a mistake."

"How?"

Detective Matthews' gaze shifts to me, and when he speaks again, his tone is noticeably gentler.

"Miss Lewis... what I'm about to suggest is entirely your decision. If you're uncomfortable with it, we won't do it."

I feel Kentaro's hand tighten around mine.

"What is it?"

"I'd like you to contact Conrad after you're discharged from the hospital."

The room falls silent.

"You'll call him," Matthews continues, "and you'll make him believe the relationship between you and Mr. Azuma is over."

Kentaro's jaw clenches.

"You don't have to convince him with some elaborate story. In fact, the less you say, the better. People like Charlie fill in the blanks themselves. All you need to do is let him believe you're vulnerable again."

He pauses before continuing.

"You've told us Conrad has always presented himself as someone you could rely on. Someone who protected you. If Charlie and Conrad are the same person, that's not a coincidence. He deliberately built your trust over the past year."

A chill settles in my chest.

"So..." I whisper. "You want me to lean into that."

Matthews nods.

"I want you to make him believe you're reaching out because you have no one else."

His eyes meet mine.

"If our profile of Charlie is accurate, he's been waiting for exactly that opportunity. The moment he believes Kentaro is no longer in the picture and you've turned to him instead, he'll become overconfident."

"He'll think he won," Kentaro mutters.

"Exactly."

Matthews nods once.

"And overconfidence makes people careless. He'll try to get closer to you. He may contact you more frequently. He may ask to meet. And if he believes he finally has your trust completely, he may reveal his true identity to you."

"And that's when you move in?"