Chapter 186 One Hundred And Eighty Six

Chapter 186 One Hundred And Eighty Six
Sofia parked her car three streets away from the location Daniel had texted her.
The place looked abandoned.
Old.
Forgettable.
Exactly the kind of place nobody would think to search.
A chill ran down her spine as she stepped out of the vehicle.
Something about this felt wrong.
Very wrong.
She looked down at Daniel's last text.
"Come alone.
I'll explain everything when you get here."
Sofia rolled her eyes.
"You're becoming dramatic."
Still, she followed the directions.
The building sat at the end of a narrow side street.
A faded two-story structure that looked like it had been forgotten years ago.
Broken windows.
Peeling paint.
A rusted metal door.
Nothing about it looked welcoming.
She approached cautiously.
Then pushed the door open.
The hinges groaned loudly.
"Sofia?"
Daniel's voice echoed from somewhere inside.
"I'm here."
She stepped into the dimly lit room.
Then froze.
For a split second, she thought her eyes were deceiving her.
A small boy sat on an old couch near the corner of the room.
His little legs swung nervously.
A stuffed toy rested in his lap.
His eyes looked frightened.
Confused.
And instantly recognizable.
Sofia's blood turned cold.
"Oh my God."
The words escaped before she could stop them.
The child looked up.
Kennedy's son.
Antonia's son.
The Walton heir.
Sofia felt her heart nearly stop.
"What the hell, Daniel?"
Daniel stood near a table across the room.
Looking far too calm.
Far too comfortable.
As if kidnapping a child was perfectly normal.
"Sofia, relax."
"Relax?"
Her voice rose.
"Are you insane?"
Daniel immediately moved closer.
"Keep your voice down."
Sofia stared at him.
Then stared at the little boy again.
Then back at Daniel.
The realization hit her like a truck.
"You kidnapped him."
Daniel sighed.
"It sounds worse when you say it like that."
Sofia nearly laughed from disbelief.
"Because it is that bad!"
The child looked between them nervously.
Sofia lowered her voice immediately.
But the panic remained.
"You actually kidnapped their son."
Daniel folded his arms.
"I didn't hurt him."
"That's not the point!"
The little boy clutched his toy tighter.
Sofia's stomach twisted.
This wasn't revenge anymore.
This wasn't manipulation.
This wasn't breaking up a marriage.
This was a serious crime.
A very serious crime.
And suddenly all she could think about was prison.
Handcuffs.
Police.
Courtrooms.
Her face paled.
"Daniel..."
"You need to calm down."
"No, you need to calm down."
Her voice shook.
"Have you completely lost your mind?"
Daniel looked irritated.
"You said you wanted to destroy Kennedy."
"Not like this!"
Silence.
The two of them stared at each other.
For the first time since they started working together, Sofia truly saw how obsessed he had become.
This wasn't about Antonia anymore.
This wasn't even about love.
This was possession.
Control.
An unhealthy fixation.
And it terrified her.
Daniel rubbed his jaw.
"I've already sent the messages."
Sofia closed her eyes briefly.
Of course he had.
"The divorce messages?"
"Yes."
He smirked.
"By now Antonia is probably panicking."
Sofia looked at him like he was crazy.
"She knows her son is with you,\]."
"Exactly."
The casualness in his tone made her uncomfortable.
Very uncomfortable.
Daniel began pacing.
"They'll finally understand I'm serious."
Sofia's heart pounded harder.
This wasn't the plan.
The original plan had been emotional manipulation.
Creating distance.
Driving a wedge into the marriage.
Not this.
Never this.
The little boy suddenly spoke.
A small trembling voice.
"I want my mommy."
The room instantly went silent.
Sofia looked toward him.
The child was fighting tears.
And guilt pierced through her.
Real guilt.
This was a child.
An innocent child.
A little boy caught in the middle of adult revenge.
Daniel knelt beside him.
"You'll see her soon."
The child looked unconvinced.
"I want my daddy."
Sofia looked away.
The situation suddenly felt uglier than she had imagined.
Daniel stood again and turned back to her.
"I've got everything under control."
"No, you don't."
"I do."
"You kidnapped the son of one of the most powerful businessmen in the city."
His smile faded slightly.
Sofia continued.
"The police will be looking."
"I already warned Antonia."
"Kennedy will be looking."
A flicker of uncertainty crossed Daniel's face.
"I also warned her not to tell him it's me."
"And you really think she wouldn't?"
"If she wants to see her son, she wouldn't dare." Daniel replied.
"Trust me," Sofia said quietly, "Kennedy wouldn't stop when it comes to his family."
Daniel remained silent.
For a moment.
Then shrugged.
"It'll be worth it."
Sofia stared at him.
Completely stunned.
Worth it?
Nothing about this was worth it.
Nothing.
And at that moment she realized something very important.
If this collapsed, Daniel would go down.
But so would anyone connected to him.
Including her.
A knot formed in her stomach.
She needed out.
Immediately.
But she couldn't show that.
Not yet.
Not while Daniel was watching her so carefully.
So instead she forced a smile.
A fake one.
One she had perfected years ago.
"Okay."
Daniel relaxed slightly.
"I knew you'd understand."
Sofia nodded.
Pretending.
Always pretending.
"Of course."
Daniel began updating her on the messages he'd sent Antonia.
The ultimatum.
The threats.
The pressure.
The panic.
He spoke proudly.
Like he had accomplished something impressive.
Sofia listened quietly.
Occasionally nodding.
Occasionally asking questions.
Playing along.
But inside her mind?
She was already planning her escape.
Because this had gone too far.
Far beyond revenge.
Far beyond jealousy.
And when the police eventually came looking, Sofia intended to make sure she wasn't standing beside Daniel when they did.
She looked once more at the frightened little boy sitting on the couch.
Then at Daniel.
Then she came to the conclusion that the most dangerous person in this entire mess wasn't Kennedy.
It wasn't Antonia.
It wasn't even herself.
It was Daniel.
And he was becoming more unstable by the hour.