Sophie stood at my door like a shadow that refused to disappear. Her hair was perfectly in place, her makeup immaculate—as if she hadn't been exposed, as if nothing had happened. The gall of it stole my breath.
I didn't speak. I didn't need to. The silence said enough.
She smiled. Not a warm smile. A knowing one. The kind that crawled under your skin and whispered, You think you've won, but the game hasn't even begun.
"Can I come in?" she asked lightly, as if we were old friends meeting for tea.
I didn't move.
"Please, Stacey," she said, softer now, "we need to talk."
There was something about the way she said it—something urgent, desperate, almost human—that made me step aside. Maybe I was a fool. Maybe I just wanted answers.
She walked in, her heels clicking against the floor like gunshots, and took in my apartment like she was cataloging it for ammunition.
"What do you want?" I asked, closing the door behind her.
"To explain," she said. "To warn you."
I let out a hollow laugh. "You're here to warn me?"
She sat down on the edge of my couch, crossing her legs. "You think you've figured it out. You think Alex has all the answers, don't you?"
That hit a nerve.
"I know about Daniel," I said quietly. "Alex showed me the connections. The money. You were never acting alone, were you?"
For the first time, something flickered in Sophie's expression—regret, maybe, or a trace of fear.
"No," she admitted. "I wasn't."
I stayed standing, arms folded, watching her. "So it's true. Daniel was part of this from the beginning."
Sophie tilted her head. "Define 'this.' Because if you think Daniel was just some villain twirling his mustache, then no—you're wrong."
"Then what was he?" I snapped. "What is he, Sophie?"
She hesitated, and that pause told me more than her words ever could.
"He was trying to protect you," she finally said. "In his own way."
"Protect me?" I almost laughed again. "By lying to me? By helping you manipulate me?"
"You were getting too close to things you didn't understand," she said, voice rising. "There are people involved in this who don't care about morality or innocence. People who see you as a threat just because you asked the wrong questions. Daniel tried to steer you away. Tried to keep you safe."
"And you?" I demanded. "Were you trying to protect me too?"
Her face twisted. "No," she said bitterly. "I was trying to survive."
There it was—the truth, stripped bare. And for a moment, I didn't see a villain. I saw a woman trapped in something she'd thought she could control, only to realize she'd become a pawn like the rest of us.
"But you still came after me," I whispered. "You hurt me. Betrayed me."
"Because I didn't think I had a choice," she shot back. "Because every time I hesitated, he reminded me what I stood to lose."
"Who?" I asked. "Who is he?"
Sophie looked at me then, really looked at me, as if weighing whether to trust me.
"You're not ready," she said. "But you will be."
Before I could press her, my phone buzzed on the table.
My caller ID showed it was Alex who was calling, "Why don't you pick that Up", Sophie said. I give her a look then I answer the call, "wassup" I say to him, "I tracked Sophie's phone, and she's at your place, what's going on?", he says to me.
"She came to talk" I say simply. "You can't seriously be listening to her."
"I'm not listening—I'm gathering."
"Stacey, she's manipulating you again." He says sounding agitated.
"Maybe. But that doesn't mean she's lying."
I could hear the frustration in his voice, but he reluctantly agreed, he knew there's no use trying to stop me anyway. But he made me promise I'd be careful.
" I also need to show you something. It's about Jared."
I blinked. "Jared?"
" Something's off. We might've missed just how far this goes."
I felt my knees weaken slightly, like the floor beneath me had cracked again. How many people had I underestimated?
"Meet me tomorrow," Alex said. "We need to dig deeper. Together." I agree ending the call, turning I find Sophie still standing, arms folded, looking at me like she knew the room was spinning.
"So," she said. "You've got your knight in shining armor too, huh?"
"He's not my knight. But he hasn't lied to my face either."
Her eyes flashed. "Everyone lies, Stacey. The only question is why."
She started to move toward the door.
"Where are you going?" I asked.
"To give you time to think. You've got decisions to make. But just remember—when Daniel decides you're a threat, he won't hesitate to burn you down."
With that, she left, her perfume lingering like a warning in the air.