Sofia stared at her mother, her voice steady but her mind was in turmoil.
"Mom, what was Uncle Joe Grayson doing at the fundraiser last night?"
Marie turned sharply, as her brows furrowed. "What do you mean by that, Sofia? Don't tell me you've started having dementia at this young age."
The sharpness in her mother's tone made Sofia's heart skip a beat. Marie continued, "Mr. Grayson has been in contact with us for about two months now, thanks to you, of course. Honestly I don't even know what you plan to do with a Grayson,but your father and I have decided to trust your judgement"
Sofia froze.
"Thanks to me?" she repeated silently in her head. A chill crawled up her spine. What does she mean by that? Ohh damn it. What the hell did Sofia Green do?
She forced a faint smile, trying not to look suspicious. "Ohh… right. I almost forgot," she said quickly, forcing out a light laugh. "I just have a few things to handle, so I'll be heading inside."
Without waiting for her mother's reply, she turned around and walked briskly into the Green building, her heart pounding with every step.
Marie watched her daughter disappear into the elevator, as worry clouded her eyes. "She's been acting strange lately," she murmured to herself. "And come to think of it, it all started when that Grayson girl died…" She frowned deeply. "I just hope she's okay. But maybe… I should start doing a little digging myself."
—
Sofia stepped into her office, her heels clicking against the marble floor. The familiar scent of vanilla and lavender filled the air, but today, it brought her no comfort.
She sat at her desk and turned on her computer. Her fingers trembled slightly as she began to type.
"If whore I now recognize as my mother, said I was the one who made contact with Joe Grayson, then there must be something here to prove it," she whispered under her breath.
One by one, she opened files, scanned through documents, and browsed old emails, but everything looked normal. Business proposals, contracts, board meeting notes, nothing out of the ordinary.
"Damn it," she muttered, rubbing her temple in frustration. "There has to be something."
Minutes turned into an hour, and she was about to give up when her eyes caught a small locked folder tucked deep inside her personal drive. The name was simple. J.G. Deal, but it was encrypted. Even the system required an advanced code to open it.
Sofia stared at it for a long moment, her lips parting slightly. "This must be it…"
She tried typing the usual passwords that the real Sofia Green would've used. Her date of birth, her parents' initials, her company's name, but nothing worked.
A small red warning blinked at the corner of the screen: "Unauthorized access attempt detected."
"Damn," she hissed. She couldn't risk breaking the system and losing the file completely.
Without wasting time, she picked up her phone and dialed a number. "Jenny, I need you to help me get someone."
—
About an hour later, a tall, lean man with messy brown hair and glasses walked into her office, holding a sleek black laptop under his arm. His name was Bill, one of the best freelance hackers in the city.
Jenny led him in and gestured to the desk. "That's the file she wants you to check."
Bill sat down and adjusted his glasses. "Miss Green, may I ask something?" His tone was respectful but curious. "Why would you need someone like me to open a file that's locked under your own name?"
Sofia's jaw tightened slightly. "I forgot the password," she replied smoothly, though her voice held a faint edge. "Just do what you're getting paid for. And make it fast."
Bill raised his brows but nodded. "Understood."
He began working, his fingers moving rapidly across the keyboard. The quiet tapping of keys filled the office, blending with the low hum of the computer. Sofia stood behind him, arms folded, and her eyes fixated on the screen. Every passing second made her heartbeat faster.
After what felt like forever, Bill finally leaned back with a grin. "There we go. The file's open."
Sofia's pulse jumped. "Good. Thank you."
Bill unplugged his laptop and got up. "You really need to start writing down your passwords, Miss Green," he said jokingly.
Sofia reached into her purse, and pulled out a check. "Here. Fifty thousand dollars."
The man's eyes widened "Fifty...wait, are you serious?"
"Take it and go," she said flatly. "You've earned it."
Bill was too stunned to say anything else. He mumbled a grateful "thank you," bowed slightly, and walked out, still in disbelief.
As the door closed behind him, the office fell silent again. Sofia slowly turned toward her screen. Her hands trembled as she double clicked the unlocked file.
A few seconds later, lines of text appeared. Except it wasn't a document. It was a message exchange. A conversation between two people.
The first message read:
"Are you really sure you can get it done?"
Her eyes moved to the reply.
"Yes. All I ask in return is a partnership with you. And it must be discreet. My family must not be aware of it."
Sofia's heart thudded violently against her chest.
"If that's all you want, I will keep my end of the deal. But get it done as soon as possible, however long it takes."
"I will, Miss Green. You can count on me. But first, I will need to take out his daughter, Elena."
"You're right. She's the heir. So if her father dies, everything will just go to her name. We need to eliminate her first."
"Alright then. But remember, this conversation never happened."
—
The words burned into her mind like fire.
Sofia stared blankly at the screen, her throat tightening as realization slowly sank in.
Her uncle, Joe Grayson.
He wasn't just involved, but he was working with Sofia Green.
She leaned back in her chair, the color draining from her face. "So… this is what happened," she whispered. "The original Sofia… she made a deal with Joe."
Her breathing grew heavier. "And the deal… was to take me out."
Everything suddenly made sense. The hitman, the attack, the rumors of the merger cancellation, Joe's unexpected appearance in Autumn Hill. The puzzle pieces connected in the most horrifying way.
Sofia's eyes glistened under the office light as anger and disbelief warred inside her. Her body trembled, her mind spinning with a storm of thoughts.
"Was my uncle really the mastermind behind my death?" she whispered, as her voice broke slightly.