Chapter 142 One Hundred And Forty Two
Sofia had just finished her morning coffee when the knock came.
Sharp.
Deliberate.
Not the polite kind.
Her brows furrowed slightly as she set the cup down on the glass table. She wasn’t expecting anyone.
For a brief moment, she considered ignoring it.
But the knock came again.
Louder this time.
More insistent.
Sofia sighed softly and rose to her feet, smoothing her blouse as she walked toward the door.
“Coming,” she called, irritation already creeping into her tone.
She unlocked the door and pulled it open—
And froze.
Helen stood there.
Uninvited.
Unsmiling.
Eyes blazing with a quiet, controlled fury that immediately set off alarms in Sofia’s mind.
Well.
This was unexpected.
Sofia recovered quickly, her expression shifting into something cooler, more composed.
“Well,” she said lightly, leaning against the doorframe. “This is a surprise.”
Helen didn’t smile.
“Can I come in?”
Sofia tilted her head slightly.
“That depends.”
“On what?”
“On whether you plan to waste my time.”
Helen stepped forward slightly.
“I won’t.”
Something in her tone made Sofia pause.
Then, slowly, she stepped aside.
“Fine.”
Helen walked in without another word.
Her eyes swept over the apartment briefly, taking in the polished furniture, the immaculate arrangement, the calculated elegance of everything.
It fit Sofia perfectly.
Controlled.
Carefully curated.
Just like her.
Sofia closed the door behind her and turned.
“So,” she said, folding her arms. “To what do I owe this early morning visit? How do you even know where I live?”
Helen didn’t sit.
She didn’t relax.
She simply turned to face Sofia directly.
“I know.”
Sofia’s brows lifted slightly.
“Know what?”
Helen held her gaze.
“About the blackmail.”
The word landed cleanly.
Directly.
And for the briefest second—
Sofia’s expression flickered.
It was subtle.
Almost imperceptible.
But Helen saw it.
And that was enough.
Sofia’s lips curved slowly into a faint smile.
“I’m afraid you’ll have to be more specific.”
Helen didn’t move.
“You threatened my husband.”
Silence.
Then—
Sofia laughed.
Soft.
Controlled.
“Your husband?” she repeated. “Why would I do that?”
Helen took a step closer.
“Don’t play games with me.”
“I’m not playing anything.”
“You told him that if he didn’t help you break Kennedy and Antonia apart, you would release pictures and videos from your past affair.”
The room fell quiet.
The kind of quiet that pressed against the walls.
Sofia studied her for a moment.
Then she exhaled slowly.
“Well,” she said calmly, “that’s quite the accusation.”
Helen’s voice hardened.
“It’s the truth.”
Sofia walked past her casually, heading toward the kitchen as if the conversation meant nothing.
“You’re basing this on what? His word?”
Helen turned sharply.
“Yes.”
Sofia picked up her coffee cup again.
“And you believed him?”
Helen didn’t hesitate.
“Yes.”
Sofia took a slow sip.
“That’s unfortunate.”
Helen’s patience snapped.
“Sofia.”
Her voice cut through the room like a blade.
Sofia set the cup down again.
Slowly.
Then she turned.
And this time—
The softness in her expression was gone.
“What exactly do you want, Helen?”
The shift in tone was unmistakable.
Helen stepped closer.
“I want you to stay away from my family.”
Sofia raised an eyebrow.
“Your family?”
“Yes.”
A small smile tugged at Sofia’s lips.
“That might be a problem.”
Helen’s eyes narrowed.
“It won’t be.”
Sofia laughed again.
This time, there was no warmth in it.
“You walked into my home to threaten me?”
Helen didn’t flinch.
“I came here to warn you.”
“About what?”
“That I know exactly what kind of person you are.”
Sofia tilted her head slightly.
“And what kind is that?”
“A manipulator.”
Sofia’s smile didn’t fade.
“A strategist.”
“A blackmailer.”
That word hung heavier.
Sofia’s eyes darkened just slightly.
“Careful,” she said quietly.
Helen didn’t back down.
“You thought you could intimidate Ernest into doing your dirty work.”
Sofia crossed her arms.
“And he told you everything?”
“Yes.”
A brief pause.
Then Sofia nodded slowly.
“Interesting.”
Helen watched her closely.
“You’re not even going to deny it?”
Sofia’s lips curved faintly.
“What’s the point?”
Helen’s chest tightened slightly.
So it was true.
Sofia took a step closer now.
Her voice lower.
Calmer.
“You want honesty?” she said. “Fine.”
Helen held her gaze.
“Yes.”
Sofia shrugged lightly.
“I needed leverage.”
Helen’s jaw clenched.
“So you threatened to destroy my marriage?”
Sofia’s expression didn’t change.
“You should be more concerned about the fact that your husband gave me something to use in the first place.”
Helen’s anger flared instantly.
“That was in the past.”
“Was it?”
“Yes.”
Sofia smiled slightly.
“Then perhaps you should make peace with it.”
Helen stepped closer.
“Don’t twist this.”
“I’m not.”
“You’re trying to control people.”
Sofia’s voice turned cold.
“I’m trying to get what I want.”
“And what you want is Kennedy.”
“Yes.”
Helen let out a sharp breath.
“At any cost?”
Sofia didn’t answer immediately.
But the silence said enough.
Helen shook her head slowly.
“You’re unbelievable.”
Sofia shrugged.
“I’m effective.”
Helen’s voice dropped dangerously low.
“Listen to me very carefully.”
Sofia watched her, unbothered.
“If you go anywhere near my sister again—”
Sofia interrupted smoothly.
“What are you going to do?”
Helen didn’t hesitate.
“You’ll regret it.”
The air shifted.
For the first time—
There was something real in Helen’s tone.
Not just anger.
But conviction.
Sofia studied her more carefully now.
“You’re serious.”
“Yes.”
A pause.
Then Sofia smiled again.
But this time—
It was slower.
Sharper.
“Let me make something clear to you,” she said softly.
“I’m not afraid of you.”
Helen didn’t blink.
“You should be.”
Sofia stepped closer until they were standing just a few feet apart.
“And you should understand something too.”
Helen held her ground.
“What?”
“I don’t lose.”
Helen’s lips curved slightly.
“That’s where you’re wrong.”
Sofia’s eyes narrowed.
Helen continued.
“You’ve already lost more than you realize.”
Sofia’s expression hardened slightly.
“I don’t think so.”
“You will.”
Silence.
The tension between them crackled like electricity.
Then Helen stepped back.
“I didn’t come here to argue.”
Sofia crossed her arms again.
“Could’ve fooled me.”
“I came here to draw a line.”
Helen walked toward the door.
Then paused.
And looked back.
“If you threaten my family again…”
Her voice dropped to something cold.
Something final.
“I won’t just warn you next time.”
Sofia said nothing.
But her eyes followed her carefully.
Helen opened the door.
Then added one last thing—
“And stay away from Antonia.”
The door shut behind her.
The sound echoed through the apartment.
Sofia stood there for a long moment.
Still.
Silent.
Then slowly—
Her lips curved again.
But this time—
There was no amusement in it.
Only calculation.