CLOSE TO YOUR HEART ( WHO DARES TO CHALLENGE MY QUEEN)

SO YOU DID IT YOURSELF?

" You claimed I stole your watch, but I don't even know your room, I slept after taking my bath immediately I was lead to my room yesterday, and this morning I came straight to the dining, so tell me, how did I manage to steal your watch, ? I didn't know I am a magician now" she laughed lightly.

"But you came to the dining last" Rachel retorted

"So ?" Sophia fired back

"isn't it clear you were sneaking your way around people's room?" Rachel replied

"Oh! is that so? never knew I had sneaking ability in me, thanks for letting me know" Sophia chuckled

"oh don't be sarcastic by changing the subject " Rachel snapped getting angry at this point. she never knew Sophia could play around with words. How infuriating.. she mused internally..

Sophia did not mind her outburst but continued...

" off course we are not changing the subject, but first, I have just one question to ask , did you enter my room this morning? "

Catherine butt in" Sophia we are asking if you took the watch not who entered your room, you are derailing."

" no Aunt Catherine, am not, it's connected. This morning after taking my bath, I realized my door was slightly opened, since I didn't open it prior, it means someone entered in my absence, but their motives, I can't tell" Sophia answered.

"Oh please, what will I enter your room to do? it's not like there is something important in there " Rachel replied

"oh does that mean, if there was something important, you will definitely enter? or perhaps you dropped something important in there?" Sophia questioned.

"you !", Rachel almost choked and lacked a reply. " you are just spewing nonsense". her chest heaved up and down, complexion turning pale." Sophia you will regret this".

"oh dear cousin , always try to control your frustrations otherwise, you will develop wrinkles easily " Sophia replied while smiling. Rachel was speechless, she involuntarily touched her face to check for wrinkles before regaining her composure. Sophia continued to speak..

" we can always call the police to check for fingerprints to determine who touched my door this morning. If I say to check your own door, you all would say, I was wearing gloves, so we are just gonna check mine".

"Calling the police will only complicate matters, since you are part of the family and uncle's beloved daughter, he might hate me if I send you to jail, and besides, it will just waste our time, we all have things to do, so the only solution right now is to search your room." Immediately Rachel said this, she signaled to one of the maids to search her room. Immediately the servant entered she spotted the watch lying carelessly on her dressing table, she immediately alerted the others.

Myra seeing an opportunity began to taunt " weren't you claiming innocent? I can't believe you are a kleptomania, mum this house is no longer safe, uncle and aunty will be so disappointed ". everyone there agreed with her statement..

"Now apologize Sophia, and I will let this slide, I can understand you have never seen such luxury in your life so you got tempted" Rachel taunted..

" hold on dear cousin, we are not done yet" Sophia replied. she walked towards the laptop placed on the table and began typing rapidly..

Rachel confused wondered what stunt she was trying to pull, but remained silent.

Tyler who could not keep quiet spoke up admist the confusion. " what now, trying to retrieve the footage and forever waste our time? just apologize and end this matter, you are such a pretender acting like you are good with the system." he rolled his eyes...

Sophia lifted her head towards him and replied " let's make a bet, so this can get more interesting, I retrieve the footage you take the taxi for a month without driving any cars from home". she had learned that Tyler was obsessed with cars and loved flaunting them to others and mostly look down on people who took taxi believing only poor peasants move around in taxi's .

Tyler on hearing this shouted... "No way , you must be dreaming if you think, you can make me ride a taxi, eel..." he almost retched after imagining himself riding in a taxi that has carried several people..

"Then it means you believe I can retrieve the footage and show that am not the thief" Sophia replied smiling enjoying his unsettled state.

"As if you can, alright I agree". Tyler swiftly agreed not believing that she could do it. Sophia smiled barely raising her lips. her fingers danced on the keyboard rapidly producing series of code on the screen before she hits enter.

Every other person thought she was bluffing, only the security man moses understood what she was doing and this left him stunned with disbelief written all over his face, he never knew this rumoured lost daughter was proficient with computers, amazing he thought, his previous disgust turning into respect towards her.

"There, done" Sophia broke the silence, she signaled to the security man to step closer and ordered..

" play it" Without waiting to be told twice he hit the play button. The video showed how Rachel was snooping around, and clearly showed her entering Sophia's room with the watch and coming out without it, she displayed a sinister smile before heading to her room..

Rachel on seeing this wanted to switch off the system but Sophia intercepted her.."" there, there, sweet cousin, control your emotions, you aren't going to jail, we are just helping you discover who stole your watch " she said sarcastically with a subtle smile on her lips.

After watching the footage, nobody could say a word of protest in her favour. Catherine frowned her face clasping her hand on her daughter's mouth just in time to prevent her from uttering a word, and with a subtle movement unnoticed by others except Sophia who could read body language, she began to gently pull her children away to avoid any involvement in the case when the patriarch returns. But her actions were short-lived.

" Hold on aunt Catherine" Sophia halted her, " where are you going? , we are not done settling this matter, as an elder you should be here, and as for Tyler, I won you lost, so the bet takes effect right now." Tyler opened his mouth to protest but Catherine covered his mouth with her palms immediately, smiling awkwardly she replied..

"yes.. yes.. yes.., Tyler lost, so he would do as promised. Tyler as a man , you must not go back on your word.. " she gave him a pointed look...

" fine, no cars for a month" he stormed away in anger and frustration after saying this. he couldn't believe his luck and this was all Rachel's fault that b***h, he vowed not to interfere in her matters again. Myra seeing that the tables had turned remained mute through out to avoid implicating herself.

" Ehm.. Sophia am sorry, it's all a misunderstanding, I really did enter your room this morning but didn't realize dropping my watch there, let's just close off the matter from here." Rachel said with an awkward smile trying to avoid accountability for her actions. but Sophia was not having any of it, such a useless decoy she thought to herself. stretching herself and yawning lazily she said...

" Hold on, you are done with your drama, but mine just began, if you dismissed everyone now who will watch the show?, the recovered CCTV footage is just the episode one, so here is the next episode" smiling cunningly. due to her words Rachel's heartbeat began to fluctuate, her expression becoming pale.

"Wh... what do you want?" she stuttered,

Sophia leisurely walked towards Rachel and placed her left Palm on her right shoulders before gently squeezing it which caused Rachel to yelp due to fright..

Sophia enjoying her reaction proceeded to speak " Relax cousin, I won't dislocate your arm" but this very statement made Rachel's heart to beat even faster, scolding Sophia in her mind, what's this girl upto now, she couldn't help shaking further..

Sophia took a step back after giving her a welcoming smile that cannot be considered welcoming at that moment at all..

"Remember when I asked you if you entered my room earlier? " but what did you reply? Sophia asked..

" I..I .I...I, Rachel gulped unable to utter a straight answer without stuttering. " I said...ehm..."

"You said no ! just stop pretending and get over with this, you are wasting our time ". replied Sandra, Sophia's third uncle 's daughter while rolling her eyes, she could no longer entertain Rachel's antics. she and Rachel has always been at odds with each other, she hates her devilish guts.

Sophia raised her eyebrows to that spat before continuing .....

" So let me clarify this correctly, you took your watch to my room while I was bathing and dropped it there , hired someone to delete the footage to avoid implicating you when checked, then you started your drama by causing riot this morning leading everyone to my room, just to frame me of being the thief and ruin my reputation, considering the fact that I just reconnected with the family how will I fare after such incidents? you already know the answer Rachel.. "