Chapter 15
904 Words
Chapter Fifteen
Sophie barely slept.
Even in the safety of Lucas’s penthouse, surrounded by security, with doors reinforced by technology she didn’t even understand—her mind refused to rest.
Because this wasn’t supposed to happen.
She wasn’t supposed to be here.
Wrapped in a blanket on his oversized couch, staring at the flickering city lights.
She wasn’t supposed to feel safer in his world than in her own.
And she sure as hell wasn’t supposed to still feel the ghost of his gaze on her skin from the balcony, the unspoken tension lingering between them like a match waiting to be struck.
With a frustrated sigh, Sophie sat up, running a hand through her hair. The clock on the wall glowed 3:12 AM.
Too late to be awake. Too early to be productive.
But she needed answers.
She needed to remind herself why she was here—why she had started this in the first place.
Quietly, she slid off the couch and grabbed her phone from the coffee table. If Lucas’s business had enemies—and he clearly did—then there had to be a trail.
And she was going to find it.
A Digital Trail
She padded barefoot across the penthouse, settling at the sleek marble island in the kitchen. The faint hum of the city outside was the only sound as she opened her laptop and started typing.
If someone had threatened her, it meant they had something to lose.
And in this world? That usually meant money.
She combed through financial reports, old lawsuits, anything that could connect the dots. Lucas had let her see the clean version of his books, but she knew how easily the real story could be buried beneath legal jargon and offshore accounts.
And then she found it.
A name.
Vance International Holdings.
The same investment firm tied to at least three of Lucas’s biggest development projects. On the surface, it looked legitimate. But deeper? The firm had connections to shell companies, lawsuits that disappeared, and—
A hush payment.
Sophie’s breath caught.
One of Lucas’s subcontractors—Westman Engineering—had received a payout from Vance International just two months ago. The amount was high. Too high for it to be a simple contract fee.
Someone had been paid off.
And if Lucas was telling the truth about his business being clean…
Then maybe he wasn’t the one covering it up.
Maybe someone else was.
“Couldn’t Sleep?”
“You’re working at three in the morning?”
Sophie nearly jumped. She snapped her laptop shut as Lucas’s voice cut through the silence.
He stood in the doorway, barefoot, wearing a loose-fitting T-shirt and sweatpants. It was the first time she’d seen him look… casual.
And for some reason, it made her pulse stumble.
“I could ask you the same thing,” she countered, crossing her arms over her chest.
Lucas smirked, stepping closer. “I heard you moving around. Figured I’d find you plotting my downfall.”
She hesitated. The truth was… she wasn’t sure if that’s what she was doing anymore.
But she wasn’t ready to admit that.
Instead, she gestured to the coffee machine. “I was actually planning on making coffee. Since I’m awake and all.”
Lucas arched a brow. “At three in the morning?”
“Don’t judge my coping mechanisms, Blackwell.”
He let out a quiet chuckle and moved past her, reaching for a glass of water. “Find anything interesting on that laptop of yours?”
Sophie hesitated.
If she told him about Vance International now, she might lose the advantage. If he was involved, he’d have time to bury the truth before she could expose it.
But if he wasn’t…
Then he needed to know.
She sighed. “Actually, yeah. I did.”
Lucas’s smirk faded. “Go on.”
Sophie opened her laptop again, turning it toward him. “Do you know about this?” She pointed at the hush payment entry in the financial records.
Lucas’s brow furrowed. He leaned in, scanning the screen.
Seconds passed. Then a full minute.
When he finally looked up, there was something dangerous in his expression.
“No,” he said quietly. “But I do now.”
The Truth—or a New Lie?
Sophie studied his face, looking for any flicker of deception. But he looked… genuinely pissed.
Not the kind of anger you have when you’ve been caught.
The kind you have when you’ve been betrayed.
She exhaled. “So either you’re the best liar I’ve ever met, or you really had no idea this was happening.”
Lucas’s jaw tightened. “I don’t let people run games under my name, Sophie. If someone’s making deals behind my back, I want to know who.”
Her stomach twisted.
Because for the first time…
She believed him.
Lucas grabbed his phone, already dialing. His entire demeanor had changed—calm, controlled, but lethal.
Sophie swallowed. “Who are you calling?”
Lucas held the phone to his ear. “The only person who knows exactly where my money’s going.”
The call connected.
“Damon,” he said, voice sharp. “Get me everything you have on Vance International. Now.”
Sophie exhaled slowly, her mind racing.
This wasn’t just about her story anymore.
This was bigger.
And now?
Lucas Blackwell wanted the truth just as badly as she did.
- Writer
