Sophie's POV
The moment I stepped out of Steele Enterprises, I felt the weight lift from my chest, but only slightly. Damien was stubborn, and his announcement about marrying Cassandra was proof that he was blind to the snake coiled right next to him. If he couldn't see it, I'd have to make him see.
I couldn't just sit back and let this happen. Not to him, not to Hannah, and not to me. Cassandra had a plan, and whatever it was, it wasn't good.
Pulling out my phone, I scrolled to the one person who could help me: Michael Grayson. Damien's best friend.
I dialed his number, and it didn't even take two rings before he picked up.
"Sophie Reed," he said smoothly. "I didn't expect a call from you. What's the occasion?"
"Michael, I need your help," I said quickly. "It's about Cassandra. I think she's playing Damien, and I need to prove it."
There was silence on the other end, and for a moment, I thought he'd hang up. Then he sighed. "Why do I feel like this is going to be complicated?"
"It probably will be," I admitted. "But I need you to trust me on this. Can we meet?"
He hesitated before answering, "Fine. Meet me tomorrow morning at my office."
"Thank you," I said, relief flooding through me.
"Don't thank me yet," he said with a chuckle. "Oh, and one more thing. I'm getting married in a few days. If you're serious about this, come to the wedding. You might see something useful."
His words caught me off guard. "The wedding?"
"Yes, the wedding," he said. "Cassandra will be there, obviously. You might learn more than you expect."
I paused, considering his words. The idea of being around Cassandra and Damien at the same time wasn't exactly appealing, but he was right. If Cassandra had any cracks in her perfect facade, they'd show.
"Alright," I said. "I'll be there."
"Good," he replied. "See you tomorrow, Sophie. Don't do anything reckless until then."
The call ended, and I leaned back in my seat, my mind racing. The wedding. A room full of people, all eyes on Damien and Cassandra. It would be the perfect opportunity to expose her.
I just had to make sure I was ready.
When I got home, the first thing I saw was Hannah sitting on the couch, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. She looked up when I walked in but quickly turned her face away, pretending to focus on the TV.
"Hannah," I said softly, stepping closer.
She didn't respond. Her jaw tightened, and she stared harder at the screen like she hadn't heard me.
I sighed, setting my bag down by the door. "Look, I know you're mad..."
"Mad?" she snapped, finally turning to me. "You let him take me, Sophie. You let Damien Steele kidnap me like I was some pawn in his stupid game. And you didn't even tell me what was going on!"
Her words hit like daggers. She wasn't wrong. "I didn't know what he was planning, Hannah. I didn't have a choice..."
"There's always a choice," she interrupted, standing up. "You chose to keep secrets. You chose to play whatever game he's playing. And now, I'm just supposed to be okay with it?"
I felt my throat tighten. "I did it to protect you," I said, my voice trembling.
"Protect me?" She let out a bitter laugh. "You didn't protect me, Sophie. You handed me over to a monster. Do you know how scared I was? How helpless I felt?"
I reached for her, but she stepped back, shaking her head. "Hannah, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't want this to happen, but Damien,he's dangerous, and I couldn't risk..."
"Stop making excuses," she said coldly. "You always think you know best, Sophie. But this time? You were wrong."
Her words stung more than I wanted to admit. I felt tears prick my eyes, but I blinked them away. "I'm trying to fix things, Hannah. I promise, I'm going to make this right."
She looked at me for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Then she turned and started walking toward her room.
"Hannah, please," I called after her. "Talk to me."
She paused at the doorway, her hand on the frame. "cut every transaction you have with that man or else..."
I took a step forward, my voice rising. "Or else what, Hannah? What are you going to do? You don't know what I've been through to keep us safe. I've been taking care of you since our parents died, sacrificing everything so you could have a life."
Hannah's lips quivered, but her resolve didn't falter. "I didn't ask for this, Sophie! I didn't ask you to make deals with the devil. I didn't ask you to drag me into this mess with Damien Steele. All I want is to feel safe, to have a normal life. And if you can't give me that, then maybe I don't want to be around you anymore."
Her words hit like a punch to the gut. I stared at her, speechless, as she grabbed her bag from the couch and stormed out of the apartment, slamming the door behind her.
The silence that followed was deafening. I stood there, rooted to the spot, replaying her words in my head. She was right,she didn't ask for this. But what choice did I have?
I sank onto the couch, burying my face in my hands. The weight of everything Hannah's anger, Damien's threats, Cassandra's schemes it all felt like too much. For the first time in a long time, I felt completely alone.
HANNAH POV
Hannah's first person POV:
I stepped out of the house, my heart pounding in my chest. The tears blurred my vision as I fumbled for my phone. My hands were shaking, and I hated how weak I felt, but I couldn't control it. Everything felt like it was falling apart. I needed to get away from Sophie, from everything.
I dialed his number, and after what felt like an eternity, he picked up.
"Hannah? What's going on?" His voice was calm, but I could hear the concern. I hated that he was always so calm, especially when I was falling apart.
"Just... come pick me up. Now," I said, my voice cracking.
"Hannah, what happened? Where are you? Talk to me." He sounded confused, probably wondering why I was acting this way, why I was calling him out of nowhere.
But I couldn't hold it in anymore. "Just come!" I yelled, my tears spilling over, choking my words. "I can't take this anymore. Please just come!"
He fell silent on the other end, probably processing my outburst. "Okay, I'm on my way. Just... calm down, alright? I'll be there in ten minutes."
I hung up before he could say anything else. I didn't want to hear him trying to fix things. I didn't want his advice. I didn't want anyone to tell me how to feel or what to do. I just wanted to get away.
I wiped my eyes, trying to calm myself down, but it didn't help. Nothing helped. All I wanted was to forget about everything, to escape the chaos Sophie had dragged me into.
Finally, I saw his car pull up. I didn't say anything as I got in. I just slumped against the seat, staring out the window, feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders.
I wasn't sure where we were going, but at that moment, I didn't care. I just needed to be away from Sophie, away from everything that had been happening. Maybe I'd feel better once I was far enough away. Maybe, just maybe, I could find some peace.