Chapter 136

Chapter 136
Warning: The following chapter may contain content that some readers may find sensitive. I recommend reading with discretion. It may contain: aggressive language, use of firearms, insinuations of abuse, psychological abuse, death, etc.

Adrian Valehart.
I kept listening to him.
And the more he talked, the stranger everything felt—twisted, off, wrong in every possible way.
My instincts were lighting up like fire.
I could feel the weight of everyone’s eyes on me as the minutes passed, like they were waiting for me to slip, to reveal something, to give them one wrong word they could tear apart.
Luke circled back to the topic of Sofia’s father.
He seemed suspicious—too suspicious.
And that scent… that faint scent drifting through the room…
I knew I wasn’t the only one who sensed it.
He did too.
Of course he did.
“I can imagine how hard it must have been for her,” Luke said, referring to Sofia’s ‘loss.’
“Yes… unfortunately it was a tragedy,” I continued, keeping my voice solid. “Sofia lost things that mattered deeply to her. Her father was the foundation of who she was. And when she found out who was responsible…”
I paused deliberately.
“…she couldn’t handle it. I tried to stop her, but I couldn’t. She went to Hoffman and killed him.”
Silence.
Every conversation in that room stopped instantly.
Luke watched me—eyes sharp, fixed on every micro-reaction in my face.
I could feel his judgment, not overt, but weighing on me.
He was trying to decide whether I was telling the truth…
Or simply seeing how far I’d go with that story.
My fingers brushed my thigh discreetly, feeling the outline of my phone in my pocket.
It was there.
One quick tap and reinforcements would be on their way.
But… should I press it?
I needed to make sure Sofia and Letícia were safe first.
Only then would I let Edgar and the others unleash hell.
Still, the way this conversation was moving…
The scent of Letícia in the air…
I had no doubt they already knew the truth.
The real question was, how much did they know?
Did Janine — Sofia’s grandmother — and the rest of these snakes know Joseph was alive?
No. Impossible.
If they knew, everything tonight would be completely different.
If they knew, it would mean someone talked.
Or Luke had found out through other means.
Which led to an ugly thought:
Was there a traitor on my side?
The idea punched me in the chest.
No.
No, that didn’t make sense.
Everyone who knew the truth were people I trusted—
people who had bled beside me.
Thinking otherwise was insanity.
A short, nearly nervous laugh escaped me as I pushed the thought away.
Luke leaned back in his chair, intertwining his fingers over the untouched plate.
His expression shifted.
“So that’s really all there is to it…” he said slowly.
Something in his tone made my skin crawl.
“Do you know what’s strange, Adrian? Something I noticed?” he continued.
“Sofia doesn’t act like someone who just lost her father.”
“…What?” I asked, keeping my face steady.
He tilted his head, analyzing me as if I were a puzzle.
“She’s a hybrid in awakening. And we all know she’s not… ordinary.”
He smirked.
“A person like that, losing someone she loved that much… wouldn’t look as composed as she does. She’d be out of control. Don’t you think?”
Silence spread across the table again.
I felt hostility simmering beneath every gaze.
Not just Luke’s—everyone’s.
They watched, judged, and measured Sofia without her even being there to defend herself.
I inhaled deeply, feeling my muscles tense, preparing for whatever would come next.
“And what exactly are you trying to say?” I asked, slipping my hand fully into my pocket.
Luke raised his brows, pretending surprise.
“I’m saying you two are hiding something.”
Ah, shit.
So they really did know everything?
My fingers touched the phone.
If I pressed the button now, it would blow everything open.
Reinforcements would storm the property.
Guns drawn.
Screams.
Blood.
And Letícia—
the only human in a house full of wolves—
…she’d die before we even cleared the first hallway.
I needed one more second.
One more—
And then Sofia returned.
She stepped into the room beside her grandmother—
But she was different.
No…
This wasn’t the Sofia who had walked out only minutes earlier.
Then I saw why.
A necklace.
A damn silver necklace locked around her neck.
A collar.
With a clasp on the back—
the kind that needed a key.
Fucking hell.
I’d recognize the gleam of that metal anywhere.
Delicate-looking, old, carefully engraved—
A containment artifact.
An inhibitor.
My mind spun into silent panic.
Shit.
Those bastards had her.
They’d gotten their hands on Sofia.
But how? Why?
Then the reason stepped out from behind her.
Letícia.
She was right there—
Hands bound, eyes terrified.
They had taken Letícia hostage.
My vision burned red.
How?
How had they done this?
These vile pieces of shit—
How dared they—
Without thinking, I pressed the button.
Now.
Get here now, I prayed internally.
Luke’s lips curled when he noticed where my eyes had gone.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” he said casually.
“It belonged to her mother. A family heirloom.”
That sadistic bastard.
He thought I didn’t know what they were doing.
But I knew exactly what these psychopaths were planning.