Page 114 of Jenna's Protector

Sophia pauses, her eyes meeting mine for a brief moment. “A few weeks ago, there was a call about a new acquisition. It was a new order for four girls. Jonathan seemed—excited about them. Said they were perfect retribution.”

“Retribution?” I lean forward. “Retribution for what?”

“I don’t know, but he was really excited.” She pauses for a moment, darkness hooding her eyes. “Not in a good way. He’s a sadist. A wicked man. If he saidretribution, he meant that he wanted to hurt someone. I don’t know how, but those girls are somehow connected. I’m sorry, but I don’t know anything more than that.”

“Why wait?” A sudden thought strikes me.

“Excuse me?” Sophia blinks slowly, shifting her attention to me.

“He abducted the girls weeks before putting them on the yacht.”

“No. They were there the whole time.”

The whole time? I didn’t see where the girls were kept, but it was on one of the lower decks. I couldn’t imagine their terror.

“Why didn’t he move them sooner? They’re a liability.”

She looks up at Blake, then curls into herself. The entire room waits, giving her breathing room and time to think. She finally takesa deep breath, her fingers twisting together nervously, and looks at me.

“He was waiting.” Her voice trembles. “He had orders to hold. Malfor… Malfor told him to wait.”

“Wait for what?” Ethan leans in, his brow furrowing.

“For Jenna,” Sophia whispers, her voice barely audible. “Jonathan didn’t know the exact reason at first. Malfor just ordered him to wait. He found out later that it was because of Jenna. Capturing her would be a huge win for him, a personal vendetta against the one who got away.”

A chilling picture emerges.

“He was waiting for Malfor’s go ahead. It was all about timing and making the most of hisprize.He spent a week watching her café, establishing her routines. Who knew her, and who would care if she disappeared. He hated you.” Sophia once again stares at me. “And then he noticed she was being guarded—and protected.” She sniffs. “That’s when he devised his plan and told me what I had to do.” Tears fall, and she swipes absently at her cheeks. “I couldn’t refuse. I had no choice.”

“No one is blaming you, Sophia.” Blake places a hand on her shoulder, giving a reassuring squeeze. “We understand you were forced.”

“That’s right.” I step in, needing to reassure Sophia that none of us blame her for what happened to Jenna.

A heavy silence fills the room as we process Sophia’s revelation. The Ninth Sentinel’s cruelty and meticulous planning are more horrifying than I imagined.

“I just want it to be over.” Sophia’s eyes flicker with relief, and her shoulders sag with exhaustion.

“I wish we had taken him when we rescued the women.” My mind races with this added information. “We should’ve taken him during the rescue.”

“We would have.” CJ pushes back in his chair. “But we weren’t prepped for that, and by the time we could, they’d already fixed their engines and powered into international waters.”

The Ninth Sentinel’s strategy is clear—he’s a predator, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

“I wouldn’t worry about him,” Sophia speaks up.

“Why not?”

“Malfor doesn’t tolerate failure. He’ll be taken care of, one way or another.” Silence falls over the room as we absorb Sophia’s words.

“Thank you, Sophia. You’ve been incredibly brave and given us crucial information,” Ethan finally breaks the silence. “Blake, do you mind escorting her back to medical?”

“Sure thing.” Blake offers a hand to help Sophia out of her chair, then hovers protectively beside her as they exit the briefing room. Once the door closes, Forest clears his throat.

“This is bigger than we thought.” Forest’s voice is grave.“Nine Sentinels, each controlling a different aspect of global criminal operations. Disrupters. That’s what she called them. We’re talking about an organization with unprecedented reach and resources.”

“Not to mention Malfor,” Mitzy adds. “A master pulling all the strings.”

The discussion continues with plans being formed and discarded as we grapple with what we’re facing.

---