Chapter 64 Chapter 64
Sophia’s POV
I couldn’t believe how fast Tyler had managed to get himself into the house.
Less than twenty-four hours after I’d released him from that dungeon, and he was already standing in my father’s office, pretending to be some innocent tutor while Hailey looked at him with those naive, trusting eyes.
I was impressed. And more than that, I was elated.
Hailey was playing right into my game, practically gift-wrapping her own demise and handing it to me.
My father left to handle some urgent matter with Lorenzo, leaving the rest of us in an awkward cluster. Hailey was chattering nervously about study schedules, Benita looked suspicious but wasn’t saying anything, and Tyler stood there playing his role perfectly.
I pulled out my phone and quickly typed him a message.
Don’t forget why you’re here. Stay focused on the mission.
A moment later, my phone buzzed with his reply.
What if someone recognizes me? Your father kept staring at me like he knew my face.
I smirked and typed back quickly.
I’ve taken care of it. The guards who could identify you are gone. The only two people left who might recognize you are Kai and Marco. Kai is out on assignment and won’t be back until late tonight. By then you’ll be long gone. Just stick to the plan.
I watched as Tyler’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He glanced at it discreetly, then looked up and caught my eye.
I gave him the subtlest nod.
A few minutes later, Tyler excused himself. “Sorry, could someone point me to the bathroom?”
“Down the hall, second door on the left,” Hailey said helpfully.
I waited exactly thirty seconds after he left, then stood up. “I need to grab something from my room,” I announced to no one in particular.
Instead of going to my room, I slipped down the hallway and into the bathroom Tyler had entered.
He was washing his hands when I locked the door behind me.
He whirled around, his eyes going wide. “What are you doing? Someone could see…”
“Relax,” I said. “I just needed to talk to you privately.”
But Tyler grabbed my wrist, his grip tight enough to hurt. “There’s a guy called Marco,” he hissed. “He’s the one who beat the shit out of me in that dungeon. If he sees me, he’ll recognize me instantly, glasses and haircut or not.”
My stomach dropped.
Marco.
I’d completely forgotten about Marco.
Fuck.
“Does he work here?” Tyler pressed, his face close to mine. “Is he one of the guards?”
“Sort of,” I admitted, my mind racing. “He’s… he’s dating Benita.”
“Benita?” Tyler’s eyes widened. “The girl I’m supposed to be tutoring?”
“Yes,” I said, yanking my wrist free from his grip.
This was a problem. A big problem.
My father would never kill Marco, not with his long history in the organization. Marco had been loyal for years, had proven himself countless times. And if I tried to have him killed, my father would know immediately that I was behind it.
“What do we do?” Tyler asked, panic creeping into his voice.
“When is Benita coming?” I asked, my thoughts spinning.
“Hailey said she’d be here any minute,” Tyler said. “She went to pick up some textbooks or something.”
Any minute. Which meant Marco could walk through that door at any second.
“Okay,” I said, forcing myself to think clearly. “You need to leave. Now. Before they get here.”
“But I just got here,” Tyler protested. “Your father will be suspicious if I leave right away.”
“Make up an excuse,” I snapped. “Say you forgot something important. Say you have another appointment. I don’t care. Just get out before Marco sees you.”
Tyler stared at me for a moment, then nodded. “Fine. But this better not screw up the plan.”
“It won’t,” I promised, though I wasn’t sure I believed it myself.
He slipped out of the bathroom first, and I waited a few beats before following.
I needed to intercept Marco before he got too close to Jake.
I hurried down the hallway and practically ran into one of the newer guards, a young guy named Stevens who’d only been with us for a few weeks.
“Miss Sophia,” he said, steadying me. “Are you alright?”
“I need you to do something for me,” I said urgently. “There’s a guest about to leave, a young man named Tyler. I need you to escort him out personally and make sure he gets to his car safely.”
“Of course, Miss Sophia,” Stevens said.
I watched as he headed toward the sitting room where Tyler was probably making his excuses to Hailey.
Then I turned and headed quickly toward the main entrance, just in time to see Marco and Benita walking through the door.
Marco had his arm around Benita’s shoulders, and they were laughing about something. They looked happy, disgustingly so.