ia'

shook on the knob. My heart was beating fast, but not because I was scared. It wa

y him and help him

m the outside. Someone is

to make him wor

his eyes - that moment when

om, something inside me felt twisted. I wasn't sure if I had

cold water

ing at a face I barely knew. The same woman who came here

t need to look at the sc

ct

ing, making sure Josh wasn

" Victor's voice had alway

e me a particular drive that could expose somethi

s. I told him that someone might b

r asked. I could

between us, confused ab

ack get stiff when I heard th

e was after him. I just

serious this is. We're not just trying to shake Josh up. We want to

He would have figu

igure out who put the Blackwell Files on his computer. Who has been

nd all this? " I aske

at he's guilty, then I'll destroy you

oat fe

ad time," I m

now you're p

ot-" I

I haven't noticed the way you look at him? How your voice ch

hard. I took

ad a

e about to

ed at the black screen. I could hear my hea

an old greenhouse on the edge of Old Mil

s roof was broken, and vines were growing through the crac

metal archway, cigarette

said after staring

tened me,"

out slowly. "You need to reme

loser. "I needed

w the anger

h was responsible for my father's downfall

wa

at his face. "You want more than just exposing him. You want to ru

ween us got thi

him," I

Always, because he's smarter and well-poised. Our father g

reathe. "You

wider. He didn't

ynolds," I

tened h

dirty secret. Our father paid my mother to stay quiet

ant it back,"

s mine. I'm h

"Don't hide behind my pain and suffering. Don't

d I felt threatene

her had no other choices and carefully taking over Laurent Holdings. Sofia, I to

ng hurt for it," I sai

to this," he

, not to be your too

nd meanly. "It's too l

I leave right now,"

won

enged him by t

he dropped the cigar

osh sees every message you've ever sent me. Every secret, every lie. Ev

ick to m

use to embarrass him in public. Financial papers. A confession. Anyt

ll destroy both of you and your

fog like a ghost leavi

ke hours, my heart pounding ag

see that his reasons were emot

t anger that had lasted longer than common sense, power, a

's office door was tightly closed. El

g precious I might lose. I poured myself some water

what he wanted, I

ould ruin me - an

ept being asked by a voice deep inside

sh isn't t

erited a curse that has been passed down

to knock, and then stopped. There were voi

reful. If someone's already broken into the f

ale, and strangely familiar, but

years ago. This was always going to

s," the man continued. "It's everything we've built - the board, and your inher

the door frame. Josh spoke agai

t. But she's smart. How l

us to deal with this quie

uld be. The less she kno

in my head. What did they need to hide? What files we

as being protected - not li

under my weight. The vo

heard footsteps co

, my bare feet silen

s standing at the counter with a glass

of

s careful an

thing

nd forced a smile that

I just cou

r a long time. I wond

just heard him talking about her like she

"Is the guest room

The lie cam

I call

ea

ed help, you can trust me." I knew that wa

h something, surpri

ul mask he wore so

u, Sofia.

cing thoughts and the terrible realization that

xpect me to have evidence tha

hering suggested that I might

ving wasn't the only

ents, and all the times I'd looked into Josh'

decide who would dri