Wrecked By A Wounded Biker

Chapter 12 - Crossfire

SOPHIE KNEW the rumors had reached a new level when strangers started recognizing her.

It happened on a Tuesday morning while she was buying coffee near campus.

A woman standing in line glanced at her phone, looked up at Sophie, then looked back at her phone again.

The recognition was immediate. So was the judgment.

By the time Sophie reached Keller Capital later that afternoon, she had already seen three separate articles mentioning her name.

None of them contained actual evidence.

That did not stop anyone from publishing them.

One headline suggested that Lucien Keller had given Sophie privileged access to company resources because of a personal relationship.

Another implied that the investigation into race sabotage was being manipulated to protect Moore Customs.

A third article somehow managed to combine both theories into a single ridiculous conspiracy.

Sophie stared at her screen inside Keller Capital's forensic lab. "They're not even trying to be believable anymore."

Lucien looked up from his tablet. "That would require journalism."

She laughed despite herself. The articles irritated her, but they no longer surprised her. The timing was too convenient. The narrative was too coordinated.

And certain anonymous social media accounts kept repeating the same talking points.

Camille was involved. Sophie could not prove it yet. But she would have bet her entire savings account on it.

Lucien studied one of the articles. "They want to damage your credibility."

"They're succeeding."

"No." His response came immediately. "They want you to think they're succeeding."

Sophie looked at him.

Lucien set the tablet aside. "The objective isn't public opinion. The objective is pressure. If they can make you doubt yourself, they don't have to stop your investigation."

She considered that. Unfortunately, it sounded exactly right.

"That is a very depressing way to look at things,” she said.

"It is also usually the correct way,” he replied.

The familiar ease returned to the conversation. It surprised her how naturally talking to Lucien had become. There was no need to prove herself around him. He simply understood.

That realization should not have felt as refreshing as it did. Yet it did.

Later that afternoon, Lucien appeared outside the forensic lab carrying a folder. "There is something I wanted to discuss."

The tone in his voice immediately caught her attention.

Sophie closed her laptop. "That sounds serious."

"It's not."

"Then why do you sound like you're about to announce a corporate merger?"

A smile touched his face. "Because that's apparently how I sound all the time."

"Fair."

Lucien sat across from her. "Keller Capital is hosting an investor dinner tomorrow evening."

Sophie's expression remained neutral. "And?"

"And several people attending have connections to organizations we're investigating."

That got her attention. "You want me there."

"I think it would be useful." He paused. "Professionally."

The clarification made her smile. "Thank you for specifying."

Lucien laughed. "I've learned to be careful."

The invitation made sense. The opportunity was valuable. There was absolutely no reason for Sophie to refuse.

Unfortunately, she already knew somebody was going to hate it.

MATTHEW HATED it.

The moment she mentioned the dinner, she saw the reaction. It appeared briefly. Just a flicker. Most people would have missed it. Sophie didn't.

She was sitting on the workbench inside Moore Customs while Matthew worked on a motorcycle engine nearby.

Grease stained his hands. Frustration stained everything else.

"It's an investor dinner,” she repeated.

"I heard you the first time."

"Then why are you acting like that?"

Matthew glanced up. "Acting like what?"

Sophie folded her arms. "You know exactly what."

His attention returned to the motorcycle. The silence lasted several seconds.

Finally, he sighed. "I don't like him."

"There it is."

Matthew laughed. "You make it sound like a confession."

"It kind of is."

He shook his head. "Lucien isn't a bad guy."

The statement surprised her.

Matthew noticed. "What?"

"I thought you'd insult him first."

"I considered it."

"Only considered?"

"Briefly."

The corner of Sophie's mouth twitched.

Matthew set his wrench down. His expression became more serious. "I don't think he's a bad person."

"But?"

Matthew exhaled. Then he looked directly at her. "Do you know what I can't stand?"

Sophie immediately answered. "Several things."

His laugh escaped before he could stop it. "That's not helpful."

"It's accurate."

Matthew leaned against the workbench. For a moment, he appeared to be searching for the right words.

When he finally spoke, his voice was quieter. "That guy belongs in your world."

The statement caught her off guard. She had expected irritation. Maybe jealousy. She had not expected honesty.

Matthew continued before she could respond. "He understands the corporate stuff. The investment stuff. The technology stuff. He walks into rooms full of executives and belongs there."

Sophie stared at him. "Matthew—"

"I'm serious."

His gaze remained fixed on the floor. "He doesn't have to pretend."

The insecurity underneath the words hit harder than she expected. Because Matthew rarely admitted weakness. Especially this kind.

Sophie slid off the workbench. "You're making assumptions."

"Am I?"

"Yes."

Matthew looked up. "No, Soph. I don't think I am." The vulnerability in his expression made her chest tighten. "Every time I see the two of you together, it's obvious."

"What's obvious?"

"How easy it is."

The words hung between them. Sophie opened her mouth. Then closed it again. Because she understood what he meant.

And because part of her hated that she understood.

THE INVESTOR dinner went exactly as expected.

Lucien remained professional. The guests remained interested in business. The conversations focused on investments, technology, and sponsorship agreements.

Nothing inappropriate happened. Nothing even remotely romantic happened.

Yet by the time the evening ended, Sophie knew Matthew would still hate it. Not because of anything Lucien had done. Because of what Lucien represented.

The future. Opportunity. Stability.

Everything Matthew believed he wasn't.

The realization stayed with her throughout the drive to Moore Customs. By the time she arrived, the garage was nearly empty. Only a few lights remained on.

Matthew was still there. He stood near one of the workbenches reviewing paperwork.

His head lifted the moment she entered. "How was dinner?"

The question sounded casual. The tension underneath it wasn't.

"It was fine."

Matthew nodded. "Good."

Sophie sighed. "You can stop pretending."

"Pretending what?"

"That you're not annoyed."

"I'm not annoyed."

She stared at him. Matthew lasted approximately three seconds before giving up.

"Fine. Maybe I'm a little annoyed."

"A little?"

"A medium amount."

That earned the first genuine laugh of the evening. Unfortunately, it also made the tension worse. Because now neither of them had an excuse to ignore it.

Sophie stepped closer. "He didn't do anything. It was a business dinner."

"I know."

"You keep saying that,” she said rolling her eyes.

"Because it's true."

His frustration finally surfaced. Matthew tossed the paperwork onto the workbench.

"I'm not angry at you."

"Then what are you angry about?"

The question hung between them. For several seconds, he didn't answer.

Then he stepped closer. "Do you really want to know?"

Something in his voice made her heartbeat accelerate. "Yes."

Matthew held her gaze. "Because every time I see him with you, I start wondering how long it's going to take before you realize he makes more sense."

The honesty hit like a punch.

Sophie stared at him. "That's ridiculous."

Matthew laughed softly. The sound carried no amusement. "Tell me honestly, Soph. If you were designing your perfect future, would it look more like me or more like him?"

The question stole every prepared response from her mind. Because she knew exactly what he was asking. And because she wasn't ready to answer it.

Matthew noticed. That made everything worse. Before either of them could retreat, Sophie reached for him. She wasn't entirely sure why.

Maybe because she hated the uncertainty in his eyes.

Maybe because she was tired of pretending she didn't feel it too.

Matthew froze when her hand caught the front of his shirt. For one suspended moment, neither moved.

Then he kissed her.

The impact erased every coherent thought in her head. Sophie's fingers tightened against his shirt. Matthew's hands settled at her waist.

The kiss deepened immediately.

Neither seemed interested in restraint. The frustration. The jealousy. The fear. All of it disappeared beneath something far more dangerous.

When they finally broke apart, both were breathing harder.

Matthew looked into her eyes. "This is not helping my argument."

A laugh escaped her. "No. It really isn't."

His mouth brushed hers again.

Then, Sophie's phone vibrated. The device continued vibrating.

Matthew groaned. Sophie almost ignored it. Then she saw the caller ID.

Lucien.

Her stomach immediately tightened.

She answered. "Lucien?"

The silence on the other end lasted a second too long.

When he finally spoke, his voice sounded grim. "We have a problem."

Every trace of warmth vanished from the room.

Sophie's pulse accelerated. "What happened?"

Lucien didn't hesitate. "The witness who agreed to talk to us this morning is gone."

The words hit like ice water.

Sophie's grip tightened around the phone. "Gone how?"

"We don't know."

Matthew's expression darkened immediately.

Lucien's next sentence made everything worse. "His apartment is empty. His phone is disconnected. And nobody has seen him since this afternoon."

The investigation had just crossed another line.

Because witnesses didn't disappear by accident.