Chapter 17
1047 Words
Chapter Seventeen
Sophie’s heart was still racing as she moved through the penthouse, her mind replaying the call over and over.
"Because now? It’s not just a warning."
She didn’t scare easy, but she wasn’t reckless either. Whoever was behind this had just escalated—and she had no intention of waiting around to see what they did next.
Lucas was already dressed, his phone pressed to his ear as he paced near the floor-to-ceiling windows. His expression was cold, calculated.
“Double security at all my properties,” he ordered. “And I want a full sweep of the building—cameras, entry logs, everything.” A pause. “No, I don’t care what it takes. Do it now.”
Sophie swallowed hard, the weight of the situation sinking in. Lucas Blackwell wasn’t just reacting—he was going on the offensive.
When he hung up, he turned to her. “We’re leaving.”
Sophie folded her arms. “Where?”
Lucas grabbed his keys from the counter. “Damon has something. He called while you were on the phone with our new friend.”
Her pulse jumped. “Already?”
His expression was grim. “Yeah. And if he’s calling me this early, it means whatever he found? It’s bad.”
---
A Name from the Past
Twenty minutes later, they pulled up to a sleek high-rise in Midtown. The lobby was all polished marble and subtle security cameras, the kind of place where no one asked questions but everything was being watched.
Lucas led the way, his pace brisk, his shoulders tight with tension.
Damon was waiting in a private conference room on the twenty-second floor, a laptop open in front of him. He was a few years older than Lucas, sharp-eyed and dressed in a tailored suit that probably cost more than Sophie’s monthly rent.
“Tell me you have something,” Lucas said as he strode in.
Damon didn’t waste time on pleasantries. “I have more than something.” He turned the laptop toward them. “I have a name.”
Sophie stepped closer, her breath catching as she read the report.
Vance International Holdings wasn’t just some shady investment firm laundering money through Lucas’s projects. It was a front. And behind it—
“Richard Calloway,” she whispered.
Lucas went rigid beside her.
Damon nodded grimly. “Yeah. That Richard Calloway.”
Sophie’s stomach twisted. She knew the name. Everyone in journalism did.
Calloway had been one of the most powerful developers in the country—until he disappeared ten years ago, after being accused of corruption, bribery, and racketeering. Investigations had tied him to everything from corporate fraud to organized crime, but before he could be charged, he vanished.
The case went cold. No arrests were ever made.
And now…
“He’s been operating under Vance International,” Damon confirmed. “Funding projects through shell companies. Cleaning money through investments.” He looked at Lucas. “Including yours.”
Lucas’s jaw clenched, his hands bracing against the table. “I never took money from Calloway.”
“You didn’t.” Damon tapped the screen. “But someone in your company did.”
Sophie’s mind raced. If Calloway was involved, then this wasn’t just about Lucas. This was about power. About people who didn’t want the past coming to light.
And she had just put herself right in the middle of it.
---
The Pieces Fall Into Place
Lucas exhaled sharply, pushing away from the table. He paced to the window, staring out at the city, his fingers flexing like he was resisting the urge to punch something.
Sophie studied him carefully. “You knew him.”
It wasn’t a question.
Lucas turned, his gaze shadowed. “My father knew him.”
Her stomach dropped.
Of course.
Before Lucas built his empire, he had inherited Blackwell Industries from his father—a man with a reputation nearly as ruthless as Calloway’s had been.
Lucas’s voice was quiet, controlled. “Calloway and my father did business together a long time ago. Before things went south. When my father died, I cut all ties. Or at least, I thought I did.”
Sophie’s mind spun. “So you think someone inside your company is still working with him?”
Lucas’s jaw tightened. “I don’t think, Sophie. I know.”
Damon nodded. “The money trails lead back to one of your senior executives.” He clicked the keyboard, pulling up another file. “Harrison Lane.”
Lucas’s eyes darkened. “Lane has been with Blackwell Industries for years.”
“And apparently, he’s been playing both sides.” Damon leaned back. “Every shady payout, every misfiled report, it all connects to him.”
Sophie’s skin prickled. If Lane had been working with Calloway all this time…
“He’s the one who sent the threat,” she realized.
Lucas’s gaze snapped to her.
Damon frowned. “What threat?”
Lucas’s voice was ice. “Sophie got a call this morning. Distorted voice. Warning her to stop digging.”
Damon swore under his breath. “Then Lane knows we’re close.”
The room went silent.
Sophie exhaled slowly, a sharp sense of unease creeping up her spine. If Lane had threatened her, it meant one thing.
She was a problem.
And people like Lane?
They didn’t leave problems unresolved.
---
A Dangerous Decision
Lucas was already moving. “We need to find him.”
Damon hesitated. “Lucas—”
“I don’t care,” Lucas snapped. “If Lane is working with Calloway, then he’s been feeding him information for years. He’s the reason my company is compromised. He’s the reason Sophie is in danger.”
Sophie swallowed hard. “So what do we do?”
Lucas met her gaze, something dark and unyielding in his eyes. “We set a trap.”
Damon let out a breath. “You sure about that?”
Lucas didn’t blink. “I don’t play defense.”
Sophie’s heart pounded.
She had come here to expose Lucas Blackwell.
But now?
She was about to help him take down one of the most dangerous men in the city.
And she had a feeling that once she crossed this line…
There would be no going back.
- Writer
