Chapter 135
Chapter 135
+25 BONUS
Inside the cramped apartment, Sophia stepped out of her bedroom and practically stumbled over her parents and Megan, all sprawled like dead weights on the couch.
Then Marco slunk out of the kitchen, clutching a bottle of mineral water like he’d just stolen it.
He froze the instant he saw Sophia–like he was staring at an unwelcome ghost.
The bottle slipped from his grip and fell on the floor, water splashing everywhere.
“S–Sophia… how can you be here?” he gasped, sounding as if he right keel over at any moment. Panic churned in his gut.
His eyes flicked to a kitchen knife lying on the counter–grim thoughts swirling Ir his head. Did she know?
Did she know I sold her out?
Should I just grab that knife and make sure she never talks?
He swallowed hard, then looked all people on the couch and starting to panic.
Maybe I’d have to shut them all up…
“What do you mean?” Sophia’s voice cut through his spiraling thoughts.
い
“I–I heard the Drakes kidnapped you,” he blurted, voice unsteady. It felt like a poor attempt at acting clueless.
Sophia creased her brow. “Kidnapped? So, it was real?” she muttered, confusion twisting her features.
“Your parents said they came and took you,” Marco pressed, more demanding this time. “So what happened? How’d you end up here, looking perfectly fine?”
A heavy sigh escaped Sophia’s lips, her hands trembling slightly.
“I’m not sure. Harlan shoved me, I blacked out, then… I just woke up here.”
Marco’s shirt clung to his back, damp with sweat. “Did… did Harlan mention anything about me?” he asked, voice edged with desperation.
Maybe the fool had kept quiet.
Sophia gave him a questioning look. “You? Why on earth would Harlan be talking about you? Is there some kind of feud going on?”
“No!” he snapped too quickly. Then he tried to smooth it over.
“I–I only made a call to someone important to save you from Harlan. Maybe he got spooked and let you go. Harlan didn’t say anything about me or… any of my friends?” Sure, Marco.
Keep spinning tall tales.
If they were going to call him a hero, might as well lean into it.
Before Sophia could press further, Florence jolted awake, startled by the sound of the dropped bottle.
She bolted from the couch and nearly strangled Sophia in a hug, tears streaming down her face as Justin stumbled over to join the family huddle.
“Sophia, oh thank God!” Florence sobbed, scanning her daughter from head to toe like she expected to find bruises or broken bones.
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“They didn’t hurt you, did they?”
“I’m… fine,” Sophia insisted softly, though her voice shook. “But Honestly, I have no idea how I got here.”
+25 BONUS
“What are you talking about?” Florence demanded. “You’re saying you woke up in your own bed with no clue who brought you back?”
Sophia nodded, she didn’t know Alex had flown in through a window on the twentieth floor–a stunt straight out of a bad action
flick.
“Marco, it must’ve been your friend,” Florence turned to him, vole practically quivering with accusation.
“Did you unlock the door while we were asleep? They must’ve carried Sophia in. Why didn’t you wake us so we could thank them properly?”
Sophia’s eyes widened. Marco blinked like a deer in headlights.
“Yes!” Florence cried, hugging Sophia again.
“Sophia, you’ve got to thank Marco. The second he heard, he charged over here and called his big–shot friends to save you. It’s all because of him!”
Sophia hesitated—a spark of doubt clearly in her eyes.
Still, with her parents prodding her, she forced a small nod. “Right… thank you,” she said, voice thick with reluctance.
Marco’s expression lit up in a smug grin.
“No big deal,” he drawled, like it was all part of his daily hero routine. Inside, he was crowing with relief–and taking every ounce of credit.
Megan came barreling over next, flinging her arms around Sophia.
“I prayed for you all night!” she cried, tears streaming. “Thank God Marco’s people showed up! I don’t know what would’ve happened if—if—” She trailed off and turned bright eyes on Marco.
“Honestly, you’re like some prince in shining armor.”
“Yeah… I just did what I had to.” Marco puffed out his chest.
Deep down, he marveled at his own luck: who would’ve thought betraying Sophia would end with him being celebrated?
Suddenly, the doorbell rattled everyone out of their illusions.
“I’ll get it!” Megan called, dashing over. She yanked the door open, face twisting with immediate rage.
“You!” she hissed, pointing a furious finger. “Look at what you’ve done, you scumbag! You nearly got Sophia killed!” Sophia, startled, hurried to the door. There stood Alex, gripping a bouquet of flowers like some pathetic apology.
He looked miserable and determined all at once.
“Here he is!” Megan spat, seething with contempt.
“The reason you got snatched! The reason for every miserable thing that’s happened to you, and now he shows up with this cheap attempt at forgiveness?”
She grabbed the flowers from his hands and threw them down, stomping the petals into a sad, shredded mess.
“Can you believe this guy?” Megan raged. “He’s lucky Marco came to the rescue! Otherwise, who knows what would’ve happened to Sophia?”
Alex’s eyes narrowed, flicking from Megan to Sophia.
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“Marco saved Sophia?” he repeated in disbelief.
“Yes, he did!” Megan barked. “It sure wasn’t you, the one who started this nightmare in the first place!”
Alex turned a glare on Marco. “Seriously? You’re taking credit for some grand rescue?”
Marco smirked, letting every ounce of smugness ooze out.
+25 BONUS
“Yep. Gotta clean up your mess, friend. Because of you and your plful grudge against Jasper, Harlan found out about Sophia and her family. It’s all on you.”
Florence stormed in, lugging a bucket of water.
She hurled it at Alex with vicious satisfaction, soaking him head to toe.
“You’re the scum who put my son in the hospital!” she screeched, face twisting with rage.
“You brought those maniacs here to terrorize Justin and me, and now they’ve kidnapped Sophia! You’re a curse on this family- why don’t you just go drop dead?”
Dripping and humiliated, Alex stared at Sophia, his heart in his throat.
She said nothing, just bit her lip, eyes swimming with conflict.
It was a thousand times more painful than any of their scorn.
“Sophia…” he began, voice rough. He reached out, but she stepped back.
“Kick him out!” Megan demanded, crossing her arms with all the righteous fury of a hangman.
“He’s a walking death sentence,” Florence snapped.
Marco sneered, “Don’t forget, Sophia–this creep sold you out.”
At that, Sophia’s gaze shifted, torn and troubled.
Finally, in a wavering voice, she spoke: “Alex, you… you should leave. Now.”
The words landed on Alex like a punch to the gut. He swallowed hard, fists clenched.
But her downcast eyes hurt more than any insult thrown his way. He turned and headed for the door.
As he stepped past the scattered petals, Megan ground her foot on them again, as if to make the point that any hope of forgiveness was well and truly crushed.
The cloying scent of bruised flowers mingled with the bitter tension in the air–sealing Alex’s disgrace and leaving Sophia’s heart silently aching.
“In life, we vowed to share the same pillow;
In death, we swore to share the same grave.
If only we had never met,
There would be no grief in parting.”
