Page 108 of Rescuing Sophia

Violet perches on a chair nearby, her posture tense, ready to bolt at a moment’s notice. I know who she reminds me of.

The resemblance to Rebel is uncanny. Questions burn in everyone’s eyes. But those will have to wait. Right now, we have a debrief to get through.

The leadership team files in quietly: Sam, his usual stoic expression tinged with concern, CJ, thumbing through a tablet with furrowed brows, Mitzy, her eyes glued to a laptop she carries, Forest, his massive frame filling the doorway as he enters, and Skye, Forest’s sister and head of Medical. Her keen eyes assess everyone in the room.

Sophia’s earlier revelations hang heavy in the air between us. I can’t help but feel a mix of relief, hurt, and uncertainty as I watch her.

Sam clears his throat, breaking the uneasy silence. “Alright, let’s get started. Sophia, I know you’ve already shared a lot on the flight, but we need to go over everything again. Every detail could be crucial.”

Sophia nods, her hands clasping tightly in her lap. “I understand. Where should I begin?”

“From the beginning,” Forest rumbles, settling into a chair that creaks under his weight. “How did Greaves and Malfor orchestrate this whole thing?”

As Sophia takes a deep breath to begin her story, the door opens, and the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafts into the room. Jenna enters, carefully balancing a tray of steaming mugs, followed by Carter, who carries a box of croissants and scones.

“Thought you all could use some fuel,” Jenna says softly, setting the tray on the table.

Carter places the box beside it, then steps back, leaning against the wall next to me.

“How are you holding up?” My twin keeps his voice low, speaking just loud enough for my ears only. His eyes, mirror images of my own, search my face with concern.

I exhale slowly, my shoulders sagging under the weight of the past few days. “Still standing.” I shake my head, grateful for my brother’s steady presence. “But the ground keeps shifting under my feet.”

“I bet.” Carter nudges me with his shoulder, a gesture we’veshared since childhood. “You’ve had one hell of a week, bro. Sophia, Luke, all these revelations…”

“Understatement of the year,” I mutter, raking a hand through my hair.

Carter’s gaze drifts to Jenna for a moment, his expression softening. “Not that you need me to say it, but take one day at a time. You may have had the rug pulled out from under you, but I think you should give it a chance.”

My throat tightens, and my words are momentarily stuck behind the lump in my throat.

“I thought I knew her. I thought what we had was real.”

“Hey.” He grips my shoulder firmly. “From what I’ve seen, it was real. Complicated as hell, but real nonetheless.”

“Thanks, bro.” His words hit home, and some of the tension in my muscles eases.

“That’s what brothers are for, right?” Carter grins, lightening the mood. “Now, let’s grab some of that coffee before it gets cold. Something tells me we’re going to need it.”

Grateful murmurs fill the room as people reach for the offerings. Sophia wraps her hands around a steaming mug, letting the warmth seep into her palms. The familiar scent of coffee from The Guardian Grind brings memories of our time there—both genuine and manufactured—flooding back.

“It started long before the yacht.” She takes a deep breath as if fortifying herself. “Greaves has been planning this for years. When Malfor came into the picture, things escalated quickly.”

She pauses, her brow furrowing. “A few months ago, something changed with Malfor. He became twitchy and urgent. It had something to do with an asset they lost, and he was on edge about it.”

Mitzy’s head snaps up. “That’s about the time we took Citadel down. We rescued a lot of women in that operation.”

“That’s when Malfor sent me that text telling me to stay away from Sentinel.” Stitch tightens her grip on the edge of the table, her knuckles whitening as the realization sets in.

“Greaves finally found Jenna,” Sophia continues. “He wanted to take her, but Malfor forced him to wait. They needed a connectionto Guardian HRS and came up with a plan to take her. Those girls you rescued…” Sophia turns her attention to Carter. “They knew you were a detective and that you were interested in Jenna. They took those girls because they knew you’d reach out to Blake. Blake would bring in the Guardians, and the Guardians would shelter me inside HQ.”

“That’s a fucked-up plan with a million ways it could’ve gone sideways.” Sam taps his chin. “They depended on a lot of things going the right way.”

“Maybe, but it worked.” Sophia’s expression falls, and her eyes cloud over. “I was ordered to get close to one of the Guardians…”

I shift against the wall, my jaw clenching. Sophia’s eyes flick to me, then away, guilt etching lines around her mouth.

“Which I did, and I’m sorry for that.” Tears slip down her cheeks, and this time, when she looks at me, her gaze holds. “I never wanted to hurt you. I never expected to fall in love with you. That’s why I left those messages. It was the only thing I could think of that Malfor wouldn’t know about. I hoped it might reduce some of the damage he forced me to…”

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