Chapter 5 - SofiaSofia Cross entered the family estate at 7:40 p.m.
Sofia Cross entered the family estate at 7:40 p.m.
She was thirty-eight.
Elegant.
Pale.
And carrying a scar across her left cheek.
Elena studied her carefully.
"You know me?"
Sofia nodded.
"I know exactly who you are."
Julian's sister sat across from her.
"I've wanted to meet you for years."
"Why?"
Sofia smiled bitterly.
"Because you're the woman who survived him."
Elena's heart tightened.
"What did Julian do to you?"
Sofia looked toward Richard.
"He'll tell you the official story."
Richard shook his head.
"Tell her yourself."
Sofia took a deep breath.
"Julian and I were raised by a man named Victor Cross."
"Your father?"
"Our stepfather."
She touched the scar on her face.
"Victor was violent."
Elena listened.
"Julian learned early that power mattered more than kindness."
Sofia's eyes darkened.
"One night, Victor attacked me."
"What happened?"
"Julian stopped him."
Elena exhaled.
"That's good."
Sofia looked at her.
"No."
Elena frowned.
"Julian stopped him because he needed something."
"What?"
"A password."
Sofia's expression broke.
"Victor had hidden money."
Julian had discovered the account.
He needed Sofia's help.
When she refused, he threatened her.
Then she disappeared.
"I ran."
"For fourteen years?"
"Yes."
"Why come back now?"
Sofia reached into her bag.
She placed a flash drive on the table.
"Because Julian isn't just stealing from Aurelia."
Elena stared at it.
"What else?"
Sofia leaned closer.
"He's planning to destroy it."
Richard's face hardened.
"Explain."
Sofia pointed to the drive.
"Julian has been intentionally overleveraging Aurelia's properties."
Elena looked confused.
"Why?"
"Because he wants the company to collapse."
Martin's expression changed.
"Then buy the assets cheaply through shell companies."
Sofia nodded.
"Exactly."
Elena stared at the flash drive.
He hadn't merely wanted control.
He wanted to hollow out the empire and rebuild it under his own name.
Sofia continued.
"There's more."
"What?"
"Vanessa isn't his partner."
Elena blinked.
"Then what is she?"
Sofia smiled without humor.
"A decoy."
"For what?"
Sofia's voice dropped.
"Someone else."
Elena felt a chill.
"Who?"
Before Sofia could answer, the estate lights went out.
Every lamp died.
Security alarms screamed.
Richard stood.
"Lock the doors."
Footsteps thundered outside.
Martin pulled Elena behind him.
A crash came from the hallway.
Then another.
Glass shattered.
Someone shouted.
The emergency lights flickered on.
Sofia was gone.
Elena stared at the empty chair.
"Where did she go?"
Then she saw something on the table.
A small folded piece of paper.
She opened it.
Four words.
Ask Julian about your brother.
Elena froze.
"My brother?"
Richard's face turned white.
Elena looked at him.
"Dad."
He said nothing.
"Dad, what brother?"
Another crash sounded outside.
Then every phone in the room buzzed.
A message appeared.
You should have left Julian alone.
Elena stared at the screen.
For the first time that night, fear entered the room.
May you like
Because whatever Julian had hidden from her...
Her father had known about it.
