Page 6 of Ruined By the Enemy
My fingers slip into the brown paper, and I remove several clipped papers. The first couple of pages tell me what I already know—her college and law school history. Her employment history. Records of excellence.
I flip faster, and something catches my eye.
Birth certificate.My eyes widen in shock as I see the name. Not Sophie Greco, the way she introduced herself.
No.
It’s a name I haven’t heard in over a decade. I thought I’d buried the hate in the past, but it’s here, staring at me right in the face.
Sophie Bellini.
Not a common last name, but not so rare either. It wouldn’t have hit me like a punch to the gut if I didn’t see the names next to hers. Mother and father—Aurora and Marco Bellini.
My fingers dig into the corners of the papers, curling them as anger burns through me. My jaw grinds so hard it feels like it might snap. Sixteen years. That’s how long it’s been since it happened. I managed to put it behind me.
I thought I’d grieved enough.
Not once did I think that I would one day meet the daughter of the man who killed my parents.
“Not a coincidence,” I mutter hoarsely. Not with her green eyes—calm, precise, and calculated. Not with the way she walked into my office, quiet yet determined.
“Fucking hell,” I curse as I toss the papers away, dragging my fingers through my hair and scraping against my scalp. “I knew it. I fucking knew it.”
It was too good to be true. I should call her now and tell her that I know everything.
“No,” I shake my head. I’d rather see the look on her face, and I tell her that I know who she is. It’ll be pure pleasure.
Or,thethought slips into my mind. I could wait. She changed her last name for a reason; she came into my company for a reason.
Right now, I’m one step ahead. All I need to do is keep her close and find out what she’s up to. I thought about avenging my parents, but never went along with it.
Now’s the time.
My phone vibrates as I kick my car alive, and I almost ignore it when I see Raff’s name on my screen. “Yeah?” I say curtly.
“Did someone punch you in the guts?” he asks. “You sound hoarse.”
“You’re calling at night,” I say, sidestepping the subject. “What’s up?”
There’s a slight pause. “I know you said not to do any closing yet, but I did some more digging, and she was right. Blackwater Talent is on the verge of bankruptcy. I think we should make a move tomorrow. What do you say I take the lawyer along and bring the trophy home?”
“No.” The reply comes out before I can stop it. At this point, there’s no telling if we’re walking into a trap.
“No?”
“I’m sure you can close it yourself, Raff,” I say. “You’re the director, after all. Whatever paperwork you need to file can be sent to the legal team. Sophie Greco—” I halt.Bellini.“She’s off the case.”
“Do I get to know why?”
“Is Blackwater too hard for you?”
He chuckles. “I see what you did there. I’ll handle it,” he adds, “but don’t forget I was the one who brought her to you. You owe me one.”
The only person who’s going to be repaying any debt is Sophie.
Chapter Three
Sophie
