Chapter 74 Chapter 74

Chapter 74 Chapter 74
\[ SOFIA’S POV \]

I turned, my hand already hovering over the clutch where my gun lay hidden. Sitting there, legs crossed with an air of cold confidence, was Sandy.

The air in the VIP suite suddenly felt thin. Sandy wasn’t just anyone; she was the daughter of the Morettis’ lead lawyer. She knew where the bodies were buried because her father was the one who made the legal paperwork disappear.

"This must be a trap," I snapped, my eyes darting to the corners of the room, looking for a camera, a wire, or a hidden Mira waiting to pounce. "What’s the meaning of this, Sandy? Since when do the Moretti lap dogs invite me for drinks?"

Sandy didn't blink. She just tilted her head, a mocking glint in her eyes. "Don’t tell me you’re scared of the bitch, Sofia Russo."

"I’m not scared of anyone," I hissed, stepping further into the room to mask my shaking hands. "I just want to know the game you’re playing."

Sandy stood up slowly, her silk dress rustling in the quiet room. She walked toward me with the predatory grace of someone who had spent her life watching monsters. She stopped just inches from me, the scent of her expensive perfume clashing with the smell of my own adrenaline.

"The door is open, Sofia. You can choose to leave this battle; I can fight it myself," she said, her voice dropping to a low, dangerous hum. "Leave if you don’t want to know the location of your sister or get the reputation of the Russo name back."

My heart skipped. What does she  mean about Iris’s location? Isn't she with Salvatore at the fortress?

"Iris is not at the Moretti fortress as I’m speaking with you," Sandy said, answering the question before I could even finish thinking about it. "I know a lot of the Moretti secrets, as well as their hidden locations. Work with me, and we can bring them down together."

I narrowed my eyes, searching her face for a lie. If Iris wasn't at the main estate, then Salvatore was hiding her—or she was running again. But trusting a Moretti insider was like hugging a snake.

"How do I know you’re not playing games with me?" I challenged. "Why would you betray the people who pay your father's bills?"

Sandy didn't answer with words. Instead, she took another step closer, her gaze dropping. Her hand reached out, firm and deliberate, and squeezed my breast.

I froze, my breath hitching in my throat. I raised a brow, my confusion momentarily overriding my rage. "What the hell are you doing?"

Sandy didn't pull away. Her smirk widened, looking more like a jagged scar than a smile. "I’m checking to see if your heart's still beating, Sofia. Or if you've turned into a hollow doll like everyone says."

She leaned into my ear, her breath hot against my skin. "I'm not playing games. I want what you want. I want them destroyed, and I want to be the one who watches the light go out of Salvatore’s eyes. Do we have a deal, or are you going to keep acting like a scared little girl?"

I stood there, my breath hitching as Sandy’s hand remained firm, her eyes locked onto mine with a terrifyingly clear intent. She wasn't just looking for an ally; she was looking for a blood bond.

"I need your word to know we’re on the same page, Sandy," I said, my voice dropping to a low, jagged whisper. I needed to know she was as dirty as I was.

"How about we fuck the same dick and put it on camera?" I suggested, the idea forming in the heat of the moment. "We can invite a gigolo in. He takes turns with us, and we both film it. You have a piece of the video, and I have mine. That way, we hold each other’s secrets. If one of us talks, we both burn."

The room went silent for a heartbeat. Then, a slow, dark smile spread across Sandy’s face. She didn't flinch. She didn't look disgusted. She looked... hungry. That was when I knew she wasn't faking. This wasn't a legal play or a Moretti setup. This was a woman who had crossed the line into the same darkness I lived in.

"A mutual suicide pact," Sandy murmured, finally pulling her hand away but staying close enough that I could feel the heat radiating off her. "I like how your mind works, Sofia. It’s much sharper than the 'innocent' act you put on for the cameras."

"Then you need to do something for me," I said, stepping back to regain my composure.

Sandy leaned against the edge of the mahogany table, smoothing her dress. "You want me to help you delete your secrets with Mira."

I froze. The air left my lungs as if she had punched me. My mind raced back to the failed raid, the thirty dead men, and the hidden assassins Mira had wiped out. No one was supposed to know about that.

"How do you know about that?" I asked, my voice tight. I tried to hide the fact that I was completely blindsided, but the way my hand gripped my clutch gave me away.

Sandy laughed, a dry, melodic sound. "My father is their lawyer, Sofia. Do you know how much digital 'trash' I have to help him sweep under the rug? I saw the ping from the warehouse servers when your little ghosts tried to break in. I saw Mira's reply. I know exactly what’s on that drive."

She walked over to the bar and poured two fingers of amber liquid into a glass, handing it to me.

"Mira thinks she’s the only one who can play with fire," Sandy said, her eyes flashing. "But she’s sloppy. She keeps the master file on a private cloud she thinks is unhackable. I’ve already breached the outer layer. I just need your help to get the physical bypass key from inside the Moretti estate."

I took a long sip of the drink, the burn of the alcohol matching the fire in my gut. "And in exchange?"

"In exchange," Sandy whispered, leaning in close again, "we find Iris. We take her to the location I’ve scouted. And you can be the one to show Salvatore exactly what happens when he chooses the wrong sister."