Sophia sat at the edge of her bed, reading the secret message repeatedly on her phone for the tenth time. "You're closer than you think. Look where Dante hides his deepest secrets." Her heart kept shaking. This message was different and more direct than the others. It pointed her toward a potential breakthrough.
Her eyes moved toward the small study hidden away at the end of the corridor. She had been inside Dante's study once, early in their stay on the yacht, but he had made it clear that the room was off-limits to her. That only made her more certain it was a place for the answers she was searching for.
Sophia kept walking around the room, her mind racing. Breaking into Dante's private network wasn't just a matter of curiosity—it was compulsory for her because of her quest to get answers. If the secret file truly existed, it could prove her innocence and reveal who was mainly behind the attacks against Dante. But if she got caught, the fragile level of trust she'd begun to rebuild with him would scatter completely.
With a deep breath, she made her decision.
The study was dark when Sophia sneaked inside, it was lighted only by the small glow of moonlight coming through the windows. The air was heavy and it was with the small scent of leather and wood polish, and the walls were designed with bookshelves that gave the room a beautiful, almost scary feel.
She got to the large mahogany desk and moved her fingers over its smooth surface, searching for anything that was not ordinarily designed or arranged. Her eyes got to the slim laptop in the center.
Sophia powered it on, her heart pounding as the screen lit up. The login page came up to her face and a prompt for a password appeared. Of course, it wouldn't be easy.
She tried the obvious choices first: Dante's name, the name of his family estate, and even the name of the yacht. Each attempt was rejected outrightly. Frustration began to increase in her as she stared at the screen.
Her phone rang in her pocket, confusing her. She quickly silenced it but looked at the screen. Another message had come through:
"Think of what he's lost. The past holds the key."
Sophia froze, and the words went into her brain straight. What he's lost. She thought back to the file she had discovered earlier, the one that described the tragedy that had befallen Dante's family. Could the password be tied to them?
She hesitated, then typed in his mother's name. The screen blinked, then unlocked. Relief went through her, but it was short-lived.
As Sophia went through the folders, she found one labeled "The Inner Circle." Her pulse quickened. This had to be it. She clicked on it, but instead of opening it, a new prompt appeared, requesting another password.
"Of course," she mentioned with a deep hiss.
This time, the risk became higher. She needed to think quickly. What else could Dante have used as a password? She tried the date of the family tragedy, his father's name, and even the name of his childhood estate. Nothing worked.
The small sound of footsteps outside the study made her freeze. Her hands were still placed over the keyboard as her ears tried to understand where the noise was coming from.
The footsteps became louder. Dante was coming.
Panic went through Sophia as she rushed to shut down the laptop. She fumbled with the screen, her fingers kept shaking and finally managed to power it off just as the doorknob began to turn.
She ran toward the nearest bookshelf, pressing herself against it as the door creaked open.
Dante stepped inside, his appearance was lit by the dim light from the hallway. He moved toward the desk, and his movements became purposeful as if he knew something was off.
Sophia held her breath, her heart shaking in her chest. She could see him out of the corner of her eye as he checked around the room, his gaze stayed on the laptop.
For a moment, she thought he might open it. Her entire body tensed as she prepared to be caught. But then, he sighed and leaned against the desk, rubbing his head.
The vulnerability in his posture took her by surprise. Dante always carried himself full of unshakable confidence, but here, being alone in his study, he looked human and ordinary.
After a few minutes, he turned and left, closing the door after taking a proper look again at the room. Sophia waited until the sound of his footsteps wasn't heard again before sneaking out of her hiding spot.
The next morning, Dante's mood was as stormy as ever, but there was a small change in his composure. He watched Sophia more closely, his dark eyes looking straight at hers as if trying to put together a plan.
Over breakfast, he finally spoke. "You've been quiet," he said, his tone firm.
Sophia didn't reply immediately, covering the tension that existed underneath the surface of her looks. "Not much to say."
Dante studied her for a moment longer before relaxing back in his chair. "Do you really think I'm not capable of seeing the bigger picture?"
"What do you mean?"
He didn't answer directly. Instead, he said, "There's more going on here than we both don't understand. I'm beginning to think you're not to be blamed for what's happening."
she already had her mind made up that Dante wasn't going to apologize, but she was still glad with what she got instead
Later that afternoon, Sophia received another message:
"You don't have much time. The file contains the answers, but you'll need to act quickly. He's starting to suspect you."
Sophia frowned. Was the ally talking about Dante? Or someone else?
The message added, "Tonight, you'll have another chance. Don't waste it."
The pressure was increasing. If she failed again, she might not get another opportunity to discover the truth.
That night, Sophia waited until the whole place was silent. She sneaked into the study once more, her movements cautious but determined.
The laptop screen appeared to her the exact same way she expected with the same password prompt as before. She stared at the screen, her mind racing. Then she remembered the photograph she had seen earlier—Dante as a child with his family.
She typed in the name of the family's estate, paired with the year the photograph had been taken. The file unlocked.
Sophia's breath seized as she opened the folder. Inside were dozens of documents, all heavily coded. At the center was one labeled "The Inner Circle Manifesto."
Before she could get into its contents, she heard a noise outside the door. Her heart raced as she quickly transferred the file into a USB drive and quickly powered down the laptop.
The door creaked open just as she dropped the USB drive into her pocket.
"Sophia?"
Dante's voice was sharp, his intimidating posture filling the doorway.
"What are you doing in here?"
Sophia turned slowly, her mind looking for an excuse after she had frozen at the sound of the door. "I couldn't sleep," she said, forcing her voice to remain steady. "I wanted to borrow a book."
Dante's eyes remained fixed on her as he stepped into the room. "In the middle of the night?"
Sophia pointed toward the bookshelf. "Reading helps me clear my mind."
He didn't look convinced, but he didn't ask further. "Next time, ask," he said with courtesy before turning and leaving.
As the door closed after he left, Sophia gave out a shaky breath. She had the file, but now she had an even bigger problem: Dante was watching her more closely than ever.
Back in her room, Sophia plugged the USB drive into her laptop and opened the coded file. The contents were amazing, a detailed plan outlining how Dante's enemies had entered his business, his personal life, and his inner circle.
But one detail stood out: a name. Someone close to Dante had been feeding information to his enemies.
The name was covered, but the document suggested the betrayal being closer than she could have imagined.
Sophia's heart seized as a single thought came to her mind: Who could it be?
Before she could think further, her phone rang with another message:
"They're coming for you. Trust no one—not even him."