Chapter 14 - SOPHIA’S FINAL MOVE
I drove back toward Blackwood Falls reservoir as fast as the winding road allowed. The sun was just beginning to paint the treetops gold. I gripped the wheel, the evidence burning in my pocket—photographs, records, everything I needed to prove the truth.
As I neared the cabin, I saw something that made my blood run cold.
Another car. Parked near the shoreline. A black sedan.
Sophia.
She stood beside the cabin porch, talking to Robert. She looked calm. Composed. She had come here to finish what she had started.
I pulled over behind a thick stand of trees, cut the engine, and crept forward on foot. Staying low, moving silently through the brush until I was close enough to hear them.
“Everything is in place,” Sophia said to Robert. Her voice was flat, businesslike. “The lawyer has the documents. The house is ready. Once you’re done with her… she will be declared legally dead. And everything will transfer to me.”
Robert nodded slowly. He didn’t look at Sophia. He stared at the cabin door.
“And the boy?” he asked.
“Daniel will keep him,” Sophia said. “He won’t fight. He’ll be too broken to care. And eventually… he’ll move on. Alone.”
My hands clenched into fists at my sides. She had planned it all. Every detail. She had known Robert. She had found him. She had fed him lies. She had helped him track Emily down. And now… she was waiting for Robert to destroy Emily so she could claim everything.
Robert turned to look at Sophia.
“You’re certain she killed Clara?” he asked.
Sophia didn’t hesitate.
“Absolutely. Lydia pushed her. She was jealous. And she stole her identity to cover it up. Everything I told you is true. And now… justice must be done.”
Robert nodded. His face hardened. He reached into his coat and pulled out a set of heavy iron shackles.
“She will stay here,” he said. “Just like her mother deserved. Until she confesses. Until she pays.”
Sophia smiled. A cold, satisfied smile.
“Do what you must,” she said. “I’ll be waiting at the hotel. Call me when it’s done.”
She turned and walked back to her car. She didn’t look back at the cabin. She didn’t care what happened to Emily. She only cared that she was gone.
I waited until Sophia’s car had disappeared down the road. Then I stepped out from the trees and walked toward the cabin. Robert was already inside. The door stood slightly ajar.
I pushed it open and stepped inside.
The main room was dim. A fire crackled in the stone hearth. Emily sat on a wooden bench near the far wall. Her hands were bound in front of her with rope. She looked up when I entered, her eyes wide with shock.
Robert stood near the fireplace. He turned slowly. Saw me. His expression hardened.
May you like
“I told you to leave,” he said.
“And I told you,” I replied, stepping forward, “that you’ve been lied to.”
