k 1: Chapter 21
Book 1: Chapter 21
Sophie was in the middle of her workshop, her hands busy arranging a stack of papers, while her mind shifted between work and the quiet storm brewing in her personal life. The clinking sound of coffee cups and the soft chatter of her workmates filled the air. The scent of fresh ink and the hum of a nearby printer seemed to ground her, a small respite from the chaos looming on the horizon. She focused on what was in front of her, trying to stay immersed in the tasks at hand. But Jason’s tense demeanor from the night before lingered in her mind, gnawing at the edges of her thoughts.
“Hey, Sophie!” A coworker called out, pulling her back to reality. “You okay? You’ve been quiet all day.”
Sophie forced a smile, pushing everything aside for now “Yeah, just a lot on my mind. I’ll be fine.”
As she was about to get back into the rhythm of her day, the door swung open. Sophie’s head turned at the sound of footsteps hurrying inside. It was Daniel. His face was pale, his eyes wide with urgency, and Sophie instantly felt the air shift.
Daniel never showed up here unless something serious was going down.
“Sophie…” he breathed out, catching his breath. His hands were stuffed in his pockets, but the tension on
to miss.
his face was impossible
Her heart dropped. She already had an inkling that this wasn’t just some casual visit. Something was wrong. Her stomach tightened with that strange sense of knowing, the one that comes night before something life–changing is about to drop in your lap.
She motioned for him to step into the back room. “Daniel, what is it?”
Once they were out of earshot from the others, Daniel hesitated for a moment, his fingers nervously tapping against the edge of his pants. He was conflicted, you could see it written all over his face. Whatever it was, it was weighing him down.
“Just tell me.” Sophie pressed, already mentally bracing herself.
Daniel took a deep breath and started, his voice low but filled with tension. “I wasn’t sure if I should even bring this up, but… I
overheard Jason on the phone the other day. It didn’t sound good, Sophie.”
Her chest tightened. Of course, she had her suspicions, but hearing it out loud from someone else made it feel… real. Too meal.
Daniel kept talking, his words coming faster now, like he just wanted to get it all out before he lost his nerve. “He was on the phone with someone. Not you. He was being flirty, and… he said something about rushing over to her apartment but needing to be back in
time, like he had to cover his tracks.”
Sophie’s hand instinctively gripped the side of the table. The cool surface grounded her, kept her from spiraling.
“I’m sorry, Sophie, Daniel continued, his voice softer now, full of regret. “I don’t have any proof, but I thought you should know. You
deserve to be careful and maybe prepare yourself for whatever’s coming.”
Sophie stood still, her expression carefully blank as she processed the information. She’d had a gut feeling that something was wrong between her and Jason, but having it confirmed made her feel a mixture of both relief and devastation. At least she wasn’t crazy.
But this wasn’t what she wanted. Not at all
“Thank you, Daniel,” she said, her voice calm but firm. She didn’t want to let any emotion slip. Not yet. “I appreciate you telling me.”
He nodded, looking uneasy, shifting on his feet. “1… I didn’t mean to ruin your day or anything. I just thought you should know.”
Sophie shook her head, a small smile tugging at her lips–though it didn’t reach her eyes. “You didn’t ruin anything. In fact, you might have just saved me a lot of wasted time.” She took a deep breath and then added, “But I need you to keep it cool at work. Don’t let anyone else catch wind of this, especially Jason. Can you do that?”
Daniel’s shoulders relaxed, and he nodded eamestly. “Yeah, of course. Ill be discreet. Do you need me to do anything else?”
Sophie hesitated for just a second, then said, “If you hear anything else… anything that could be useful, let me know. Maybe gather whatever evidence you can, just in case.”
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Pook 1: Chapter 21
Daniel agreed without hesitation, his face filled with sympathy. “I will. I’m really sorry this is happening, Sophie. You deserve better
than this.”
Her heart squeezed at his words, but she kept her composure. “Thanks, Daniel, I’ll be okay”
She watched him leave, the door softly clicking shut behind him, and for a moment, the room was quiet. She leaned against the table, exhaling deeply. Her mind was buzzing with a million thoughts, but one thing stood out loud and clear: Jason’s betrayal wasn’t just a suspicion anymore. It was real. And now, she had to decide what to do next.
She couldn’t let Jason know she was onto him. Not yet. Not until she had everything she needed. Her next steps had to be careful,
calculated
Sophie reached into her bag and pulled out her phone, her fingers hovering over the screen for just a second. She knew what she
needed to do.
She typed a message, her thumb trembling slightly as she hit send.
“It’s on, Ryan. I need you to back me up.”
Sophie stared at the phone for a moment, waiting for the message to deliver. The moment it did, she felt an odd sense of calm wash over her. Whatever was coming next, she wouldn’t face it alone. Ryan would be there, in the background, watching her back. She wasn’t exactly sure what her plan was yet, but she knew one thing for certain–Jason had no idea what was coming his way.
