Confrontation
1043 Words
The rain had begun to fall lightly across London when Damien finally closed the folder in his hands. He had spent the entire morning digging quietly into the incident at the party. What Maya had told him the night before had not sat well with him. A woman does not simply walk into a locked room, take a baby, and wander around a crowded penthouse unless someone has instructed her to do so And Damien trusted Maya's instincts.
Now he had proof The woman who had been caught with Layrus had been traced easily enough. Security footage from the building entrance had shown her arriving nearly thirty minutes before the party began. Not as a guest
She had been waiting. More importantly, the building's service corridor camera had captured something even more interesting.
Sophie is speaking to her Not long Just enough to hand her something small, money. Damien leaned back slowly in his chair.
His jaw tightened. "So it was you," he muttered under his breath.
His first instinct was anger, but then he thought of Maya, of the terror in her voice when she said the bed was empty.
Damien picked up his phone and called her.
Maya answered on the second ring. "Hello?"
"I found something," he said calmly.
There was silence on the other end. "What kind of something?" she asked carefully.
"Sophie," Damien said. "She spoke to the woman before the party even started. Cameras caught it."
Maya didn't respond for a few seconds. But when she finally spoke, her voice had changed.
"I knew it."
Damien could almost picture her expression. A mother whose child had been threatened.
"I'll handle it," Maya said quietly.
"Maya-" But she had already ended the call.
Across the city, Sophie sat comfortably in her penthouse living room, scrolling slowly through her phone Her lips curved into a faint smile. The silence from Maya told her everything she needed to know. Maya had discovered the truth That meant her plan was already moving perfectly.
Sophie picked up her wine glass and took a slow sip. "You must be furious right now," she murmured to herself. Her fingers moved across her phone screen as she typed a message. Maya, we need to talk. Come to my house. Just the two of us. She paused before adding one last line. Let's settle what happened yesterday Then she sent it.
An hour later, Maya stood outside the penthouse door. Her expression was calm Inside her chest, however, rage burned like wildfire. She knocked The door opened almost immediately. Sophie stood there in a silk robe, her hair loose around her shoulders, as if she had been expecting her all along. "Ah," Sophie said with a faint smile. "You came."
Maya walked past her without replying. The living room smelled faintly of expensive perfume and wine. Sophie picked up a bottle from the table and poured two glasses. She slid one across the table toward Maya.
"Wine?"
Maya didn't touch it. Instead, she stared directly at Sophie.
"I really took you as a friend."
For a brief moment, Sophie's expression softened.
"Clearly," Maya continued, "I was wrong."
Sophie leaned back against the couch, swirling the wine in her glass. "You came all this way just to say that?"
Maya stepped closer. Her voice lowered dangerously "You tried to kidnap my son."
Sophie laughed. "You're still stuck on that?" she said casually.
Maya's hands curled into fists. "Stay away from Layrus," she warned quietly. "If you come near him again, you will not like what happens next."
Sophie stared at her for a long moment. Then she burst into laughter "You took me as a friend?" she repeated mockingly Her eyes turned cold. "Or were you just carefully destroying my life?"
Maya frowned. "What are you talking about?"
Sophie leaned forward slightly. "You took Lucas away from me," she said sharply. "And as if that wasn't enough, you still got pregnant." Her lips twisted with disgust "You are truly despicable."
Maya's eyes flashed with anger.
"You always said how much of a role model I was to you," Sophie continued bitterly. "But it was a lie, wasn't it?"
She pointed a finger toward Maya. "You didn't want anyone surpassing you."
Her voice dripped with sarcasm. "Perfect Maya. Brilliant Maya. Medical school Maya."
She laughed softly. "And then there was me, the useless influencer who barely graduated."
Maya clenched her jaw but remained silent.
"You loved standing beside me," Sophie went on. "Because it made you feel superior."
Her smile grew sharper. "But what you didn't see coming... was me reaching the place you always dreamed of."
She lifted her chin proudly."I knew Lucas and his family long before he ever claimed to love you."
Maya's eyes darkened.
"And I blame Josh Thompson for bringing you into our lives," Sophie added bitterly. Her gaze hardened even more. "And Nadia" She took another sip of wine. "At least she paid for it."
Maya's chair scraped loudly against the floor as she stood. "Do not," Maya said through clenched teeth, "ever speak about Nadia like that."
Sophie simply shrugged. "That's your business."
Maya stared at her with pure fury. "You're pathetic," Maya said coldly. "A weak person who cannot stand seeing others happy."
Her voice grew sharper.
"Layrus is my son."
"And Lucas?" she added. "He is simply the father."
She glanced briefly at Sophie's stomach. "You are married. You are pregnant."
Her gaze returned to Sophie's eyes. "So focus on your own life."
Then Maya leaned slightly closer. Her voice dropped into a deadly whisper. "If you ever try to harm my son again..."
She paused. "...we will both end up in the hospital."
The threat hung heavily in the room.
Sophie's smile faded instantly But she said nothing Maya straightened and turned toward the door Without another word, she walked out The door slammed behind her.
For several seconds, Sophie remained perfectly still. Then slowly... She began to laugh a low, satisfied laugh again. "You still don't understand," she murmured to herself.
Her fingers tapped lightly against the wine glass. "Not yet."
Outside, Maya walked toward her car Her heart was still racing But one thing had become perfectly clear. Sophie was not finished And neither was she.
- Writer
