Chapter 67 Chapter 67
Sophia’s POV
I sat on my bed reading through Tyler’s messages for the third time, my heart pounding with a mixture of excitement and dread.
Tomorrow. I’m going to poison her during the tutoring session. Make sure everyone is distracted. Guards need to be minimal and looking elsewhere. I need a clear window to strike effectively.
My finger hovered over the screen as I read his detailed plan. He’d thought it through carefully, down to the type of poison he’d use, one that would act slowly enough that he’d be long gone before anyone realized what had happened.
It was really happening. Tomorrow, Hailey would be gone.
A sharp knock on my door made me jump, and I quickly locked my phone screen.
“Come in,” I called out, trying to keep my voice steady.
Marco entered, and the fury radiating off him was so intense I could practically feel the heat. His jaw was clenched tight, his eyes hard, and his entire body was rigid with barely contained rage.
“The person you sent me to find,” he said, his voice dangerously low. “The one you said was so important for family business? He’s an upcoming model who committed suicide a year ago. He has no fucking business with you or this family.”
I felt my stomach drop but forced my expression to remain calm and authoritative.
“Watch your mouth,” I said sharply, standing up to face him. “I don’t care how angry you are, you don’t speak to me that way.”
“Miss Sophia…” he started, his voice rising.
“I thought you would speak to my father before carrying out my assignments,” I interrupted smoothly, the lie rolling off my tongue with practiced ease. “That’s on you for not verifying with him first.”
Marco stared at me, his chest heaving with frustration. I could see him struggling with himself, wanting to call me out on my obvious bullshit but held back by years of training and loyalty to the family hierarchy.
“This was a waste of my time,” he said finally, each word clipped and precise. “And more importantly, it put me at risk. I was driving around alone, exposed, following a dead end while the Morellis could have ambushed me at any moment.”
“I understand your frustration,” I said, moving to my desk and pulling out another photo I’d prepared earlier. “But I have another person I need you to find. This one is real, I promise.”
I held out the photo, and Marco just stared at it without taking it.
“This person has been threatening me,” I continued, injecting genuine fear into my voice. “Sending me messages, following me. I wanted to handle this without Kai or my father knowing because I don’t want them to worry. But I need help, Marco. I need someone I can trust to track this person down and figure out who they are.”
The mention of threats against me seemed to soften Marco’s anger slightly. His protective instincts were kicking in, warring with his frustration over the wild goose chase I’d sent him on.
“Why not tell your father?” he asked, his voice still hard but less furious. “If someone’s threatening you, he needs to know.”
“Because he’s already dealing with so much,” I said, forcing tears into my eyes. “The war with the Morellis, protecting Hailey and the baby, managing the organization. I don’t want to add another problem to his plate if I can handle it myself.”
Marco hesitated, clearly torn. His duty was to protect the family, which included me. But he also knew I was manipulating him, sending him on pointless errands.
Finally, he reached out and took the photo from my hand.
“This is the last time,” he said firmly. “If this turns out to be another dead end, I’m going directly to your father and telling him everything.”
“It won’t be,” I promised, even though we both knew it would be. “Thank you, Marco. I really appreciate this.”
He turned to leave, but I called after him before he reached the door.
“Marco? Look for him tomorrow morning and report back to me by afternoon. It’s urgent.”
He paused, his back to me, and I could see his shoulders tense. But he nodded once and left without another word.
I waited until his footsteps faded down the hallway before allowing myself to smile.
Tomorrow morning, Marco would be out chasing another phantom. By the time he returned, Tyler would have already done his job.
But I still needed to make sure my father and Kai were also occupied. I couldn’t have them anywhere near the penthouse when it happened.
That night, I found my father in his office, reviewing reports with that intense focus he got when he was strategizing.
“Dad?” I said softly from the doorway. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
He looked up, and his expression softened slightly when he saw me. “Of course. Come in.”
I entered and closed the door behind me, then moved to sit in one of the chairs across from his desk.
“I need Kai to go out with me tomorrow,” I said. “For protection. I want to go shopping, maybe get some fresh air, and I know you won’t let me go without proper security.”
My father frowned, setting down the papers he’d been reading. “Sophia, Kai and Lorenzo are going to be busy tomorrow. They have an important assignment.”
My heart sank. I’d been counting on Kai being available.
“So are you going to let me go alone.” I raised an eyebrow.
“Of course not, I silk asign another guard to you. Its just for shoping right?”
“No dad.” I quickly injected, frustration striking on my face. “I dont want new guard following me up and down. I’m used to Kai.”
“Sophia, you have to understand that…”
“What about you?” I asked before he could finish his statement. “Could you take me?”
“I might also be busy,” he said, his tone apologetic. “We got a lead on something important, and I might need to follow up on it personally. But I’m not quite sure yet.”
“Oh,” I said, forcing disappointment into my voice. “Okay. I understand.”