Chapter 123
Andrew Hoffman.
The phone rang.
When I saw the unknown number flashing on the screen, a short laugh slipped out before I could stop it.
Right on time.
Actually, they were faster than I expected.
And that… that was more than perfect.
I walked slowly across the room, letting the phone ring once more.
Twice.
Three times.
Not out of cruelty, of course. But because I wanted her to feel it.
I wanted her to understand exactly what was happening — what I was doing.
As always, the house was practically empty, silent. The afternoon crept in quietly, and I could feel the warmth of the sunlight fading through the window.
I stopped in front of it, the phone still ringing in my hand, then sat in the leather armchair placed right there. I always loved that view.
Crossed one leg over the other, breathed slowly, and then — after a long, long time of almost forgetting what this emotion felt like — I felt it.
Peace.
The feeling I had been craving ever since this hell began.
And no… it wasn’t the peace of someone without guilt — that would be a childish simplification — but the peace of someone who finally stopped running. Someone who embraced the role they were always meant to play.
I was ready to do what needed to be done.
When I lifted my finger to answer the call, I heard footsteps.
Slow, familiar footsteps.
I didn’t turn to look. I didn’t need to. The presence was as familiar as the weight it carried. When a hand rested on my shoulder — firm, heavy — I understood that waiting was no longer an option.
I answered.
And what I heard on the other end of the line was... chaos.
Her voice was filled with hatred; I could even imagine her expression... at that exact moment.
Just from her voice, I could feel how immense her pain was... the anger, she was out of control... it was an insane mix.
I stood there... just listening to the despair in her voice.
"You bastard!" she said, her voice choked with emotion. "Why?! Why did you take him from me?"
I closed my eyes for a moment, mentally observing the sky... it was very clear... clouds moving slowly, just what I needed.
“Sofia…” I said, calm. “It’s so good to hear your voice.”
That was enough to make her hate her even more...
She screamed my name. Curses. Death threats. Promises soaked in sincerity — and I understood every single one.
But unlike what people might assume, none of this… entertained me.
And the faint smile I still wore faded slowly as I thought about that.
“Why are you doing this to me?” she cried. “What did I ever do to deserve this?!”
I opened my eyes.
My expression was colder now. Hard.
“There are things you still don’t understand, Sofia,” I replied. “And maybe you never will.”
I opened my mouth to continue.
But I stopped.
The hand on my shoulder tightened — not aggressively, but firmly.
A warning.
A silent reminder that I was not alone in this game.
Not the only one moving the pieces.
I sighed.
“You think all of this is personal,” I continued, ignoring her screams echoing into the receiver. “That this started now. That it started with you.”
She was sobbing. Someone tried to speak to her in the background. Adrian — obviously. Always trying to hold together something that had shattered long ago.
“Where is Letícia?!” she screamed. “If you touch her, I swear I’ll kill you!”
I stayed silent, letting her break apart.
Until I finally said:
“This isn’t a conversation to have over the phone,” I told her. “You want answers? You want to understand? Then come talk to me in person.”
The hand on my shoulder loosened slightly.
“I’ll be waiting,” I finished. “If you truly want to know the whole truth.”
I hung up before she could answer.
And now... there was only silence in the room again.
I picked up my phone and sent the address to Sofia's number.
Well, it was time for this to end.
"Are you sure about this?" asked the voice behind me. It was closer, and intense.
I stood up slowly, moving away from the armchair.
The sunlight was almost gone — the room dim, shadowed.
“I’m sure,” I answered. “It’s long overdue.”
I walked toward the window, resting my hands on the cold glass.
“I’ve waited too long… this needs to end.”
There was a pause.
“I hope you know what you’re doing,” the voice said as it stepped away.
A faint smile touched my lips, not arrogant — almost solemn.
Because despite what many believed, I never acted without purpose.
“I know,” I said quietly. “For the first time in a long time… I know.”
I stayed there for a while, saying goodbye to that brief, fragile peace, until night finally fell.
And for the first time, I felt the story was ready to move forward — that my story was ready for its ending.
In this game, only one person would win.
Only one would take the throne.
There was only one throne.
One crown.
And I would help her claim it.
If Sofia couldn’t do it yet — if she hadn’t awakened fully to understand the reality she lived in now, if she wasn’t capable of killing, of feeding the beast inside her until she became whole — then I would help her.