Chapter 67: Sofia

I’m sitting at my desk, poking at a bowl of noodles while mindlessly flipping through my notes. My brain is all over the place, struggling to focus. Leo’s in the office working, Nate’s in the shower, and Danny—well, Danny knocked out on the couch for a nap not too long ago. The house feels quiet, almost too quiet, and I catch myself listening for any sound that might break the stillness.

Suddenly, the front door creaks open. The sound startles me, and I freeze, my chopsticks suspended mid-air. My heart races for a moment as I think of all the possibilities, but then I hear footsteps—familiar ones.

I quickly stand, peeking out from my room, and there he is—Riley.

I don’t think; I just react. Before I know it, I’m running down the hallway, heart pounding for a completely different reason. I leap into his arms, wrapping both my legs and arms around him, holding him tight.

“Riley!” I breathe out, burying my face into his neck. “What are you doing here? I thought you weren’t coming back until tomorrow.”

He chuckles, his arms wrapping securely around me, holding me like it’s the most natural thing in the world. “Couldn’t stay away,” he murmurs, his voice rumbling against my cheek. “Had to see you sooner and deal with your crazy self.”

I pull back just enough to look at him, my hands resting on his shoulders. His face is soft but his eyes, they’re filled with something deeper. Relief? Longing? Whatever it is, it’s enough to make me smile, feeling butterflies in my stomach.

“Crazy self?” I laugh softly, playfully hitting his shoulder. “You’re the one who’s crazy for coming back early.”

He grins, but there’s that intensity in his eyes again. “What can I say? You drive me crazy, Sofia. Couldn’t wait another day.”

I feel my cheeks heat up as I press a kiss to his cheek. “I missed you too.”

Riley holds me for a moment longer, then tilts my chin up gently with his hand, his thumb brushing softly over my lips. The way he looks at me makes my heart race, and before I can even say anything, his lips are on mine—soft, slow, and full of emotion. It’s not rushed or heated, but instead, a kiss that says so much without needing words. I feel my whole body melt into him, my arms wrapping around his neck as I pull him closer, deepening the kiss.

He pulls back slightly, his forehead resting against mine, our breaths mingling as we stay close. “I needed that,” he whispers, his voice low and rough, sending a shiver down my spine.

“Me too,” I admit softly, my fingers playing with the short hair at the nape of his neck.

Just as we’re about to get lost in each other again, the sound of footsteps interrupts us. I pull away quickly, but Riley doesn’t seem to care. He’s still grinning as Nate, Danny, and Leo walk in.

Leo gives Riley a quick hug, slapping him on the back. “Good to see you back, man,” he says with a smirk, glancing at me knowingly.

Nate props a fist against Riley’s shoulder, and Danny grins before plopping down on the couch. “Couldn't wait till tomorrow, uh.”

“Changed my mind,” Riley says, sitting beside me on the couch, his arm casually draped around my shoulders as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.

Leo disappears for a second and comes back with my half-finished noodles from the desk, handing them to me with a smile. “Here. You forgot these.”

“Thanks,” I say, taking the bowl from him and feeling strangely comforted by how normal this moment feels—like I have a little family now.

Once we’re all seated, Riley’s expression turns more serious. “Okay, let’s talk more about your plan, Sofia,” he says, glancing at me with concern but also determination. “What will you say to your parents?”

I pause for a moment, thinking it through before I start explaining. “I’ll walk in and apologize. I’ll act like I ran away because I was scared, and that I regret it. I’ll beg them to take me back, and I’ll try to play the perfect daughter again. If I do that, they’ll stop suspecting that you guys had anything to do with it.”

The guys are all listening intently, their faces serious.

“Once I’m back in their good graces,” I continue, “I’ll try to get information about Moretti—any kind of proof that ties them to him. I need to gather enough evidence that we can hand it over to the police and make sure they’re arrested.”

Nate nods, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. “There's no way the police will arrest Moretti, he's too powerful. But if your parents are involved with him, then we can at least get them behind bars.”

“You're right,” I say, feeling a bit nervous but knowing that it’s the only way to stop them.

Riley’s arm tightens around my shoulders. “We’ll need to be ready for anything. How many teams are we talking about?”

Leo pulls out his phone, already thinking logistically. “We’ll need at least two teams. One for the front and one for the back. I’d say we have them positioned nearby but not too close, so no one gets suspicious.”

“And what about the timing?” Danny asks, his fingers tapping restlessly against his thigh. “When do we go in?”

“We’ll give Sofia enough time to get what she needs,” Nate says, glancing at me. “But we can’t wait too long. If she's in there too long, things could get ugly fast.”

I nod, feeling a knot in my stomach. “I’ll try to be quick, but I don’t know how much time I’ll need.”

Riley looks at me, his jaw tense. “Just remember—if anything feels wrong, you get out. We’ll have people in place, ready to pull you out of there if necessary.”

I take a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. “I trust you guys.”

“We’ve got you, Sofia,” Leo says softly, his hand resting on my knee. “But are you sure you want to do this? It’s a lot of risk.”

I meet his gaze, my voice steady. “I want to stop them. I need to.”

The guys exchange a look, and I can tell they’re all worried. But they nod, agreeing that this plan—while risky—might be our best chance.

“Alright,” Danny says, standing up and clapping his hands together. “Let’s figure out the exact details. When we go in, how long we wait, and where everyone will be.”

For the next half hour, we go over the logistics, talking about every little detail and making sure the plan is solid. It feels surreal, like I’m planning a heist or something out of a movie. But this is my life now. And I have to do this if I want to stop them.