Chapter 9 — Sophia’s Confession
Lucas woke in the hospital twelve hours later.
Emily slept curled in a chair beside his bed.
Maria sat nearby.
Detective Morris entered.
“Richard is in federal custody. Dr. Wells is cooperating.”
“And Sophia?”
“She surrendered.”
Lucas looked toward Emily.
“Why?”
“She asked to speak with you.”
“No.”
“She says Richard was not acting alone.”
Lucas hesitated.
An hour later, Sophia was brought into the room wearing handcuffs.
She looked exhausted.
For the first time, she seemed human.
Lucas did not soften.
“Talk.”
Sophia looked at Emily.
“Can she leave?”
“No.”
Sophia nodded slowly.
“My father did not create the plan.”
“Who did?”
“Your brother.”
Lucas stared at her.
“I don’t have a brother.”
Sophia gave a bitter smile.
“Yes, you do.”
She explained that Lucas’s father had another son before marrying Lucas’s mother.
The child had been hidden and later adopted.
His name was Adrian Cross.
Lucas recognized it immediately.
Adrian was his company’s chief financial officer.
His closest friend for fifteen years.
Sophia continued.
“Adrian found Richard three years ago. He wanted your company, but he could not remove you without making Emily the primary heir.”
“So he planned to remove both of us.”
“Yes.”
“Why marry me?”
“To gain access. To isolate you. To make every document look legitimate.”
Emily stirred but did not wake.
Lucas leaned forward despite the pain in his shoulder.
“What changed?”
Sophia’s eyes filled with tears.
“I fell in love with the life.”
“Not with me.”
“No.”
The honesty was brutal.
“I wanted your home. Your name. Your money. But I didn’t want Emily dead.”
“You were going to drug her.”
“I thought she would wake up in Switzerland.”
Lucas’s voice turned cold.
“You locked her in a bathroom and told her she would no longer be family.”
Sophia looked down.
“I hated how much you loved her.”
Lucas said nothing.
Sophia whispered, “Adrian is already moving the company’s money. By tomorrow morning, there will be nothing left.”
Lucas reached for his phone.
But Emily opened her eyes and looked at Sophia.
“Why didn’t you just tell Daddy you didn’t like me?”
Sophia’s face collapsed.
May you like
No one in the room spoke.
Because the child had asked the one question Sophia could not answer.
