Chapter 15.

Sophia's heart hammered in her chest as Isabella's eyes pierced through her like icy daggers. The office was quiet, too quiet. The ticking of the antique clock on the wall behind Isabella seemed to grow louder, marking the seconds since the confrontation had begun. Sophia stood, her face flushed with embarrassment, her fingers fidgeting as she finally admitted what she had done.

"I did check the envelope," Sophia's voice wavered but remained steady enough to convey her regret. "I was curious about your former boss, and... I'm sorry. It was wrong of me."

Isabella's expression didn't change. Her perfectly composed mask hid whatever storm of emotions brewed beneath the surface. Sophia couldn't tell if she was furious or simply indifferent. For a moment, the silence in the room stretched, thickening the tension between them.

"You shouldn't concern yourself with the dead, Sophia." Isabella's voice was smooth, but the underlying edge was unmistakable. "My former boss passed due to a heart attack. That's all you need to know. And next time—if there is a next time—you'll keep your curiosity in check."

Sophia nodded quickly, the weight of Isabella's unspoken threat hanging in the air. "I promise, it won't happen again."

Isabella's gaze lingered on Sophia for a long moment before she leaned back in her chair, her fingers drumming lightly against the surface of her polished desk. "I'm warning you, Sophia. Do not go through my things again. I value loyalty above all else, and I won't tolerate another breach of trust."

Sophia swallowed hard, the reality of her mistake settling like a stone in her stomach. She had crossed a line, and though she had apologized, she sensed that the damage was done. The relationship between her and Isabella would never be the same again.

Days passed, and the atmosphere between Sophia and Isabella grew strained. Every interaction was tinged with caution. Isabella no longer offered casual advice or checked in on Sophia's progress as she once did. Instead, she watched Sophia from the corners of her eyes, assessing, calculating. Sophia felt the change in every cold glance, every clipped word. The warmth, if there had ever been any, had evaporated.

It wasn't long before Sophia began to notice other subtle changes. Isabella handed off more responsibilities to other employees, leaving Sophia with fewer tasks of importance. The distance between them was palpable, and it gnawed at Sophia. Had she lost Isabella's trust entirely? Or was this all just a test?

The thought troubled Sophia more than she cared to admit. She had come so far under Isabella's mentorship, and she couldn't lose all this, but now, everything felt precarious. 

One crisp morning, Sophia arrived at the office to find a new face waiting for her. Jordan Castillo stood near her desk, his dark, tailored suit fitting him perfectly, the kind that oozed confidence and control. His eyes swept over her, calculating but warm, and he smiled as she approached.

"Sophia, right?" His voice was deep and smooth, his handshake firm as he greeted her. "I've heard a lot about you. Quite the rising star around here."

Sophia blinked, surprised by the compliment, but smiled politely. "I wouldn't say that. Just trying to keep up with the pace, you know how it is."

Jordan's smirk held a trace of something she couldn't quite place. "Keeping up with Isabella isn't easy, is it?"

There was a subtle edge to his words, something almost too casual. Sophia felt her stomach tighten, a flicker of unease sparking at the back of her mind. She brushed it off, chalking it up to nerves.

"No, it's not," she admitted with a light laugh. "But I'm learning."

Jordan's eyes lingered on her a beat too long before he turned away, his tone easy as he added, "Well, if you ever need advice on how to handle her, let me know. Isabella and I go way back."

Over the following days, Sophia found herself bumping into Jordan more often than seemed coincidental. His charm was undeniable, and his casual wit made conversations flow smoothly. Yet, beneath the surface of every friendly exchange, there was an undercurrent of something else. He reminded her of how Alexander Sinclair acted.

"She's a tough one, isn't she?" Jordan remarked one afternoon as they passed each other in the hallway. "I've seen her push people to their limits before. You've got to be careful."

Sophia paused, narrowing her eyes. "You worked with Isabella before?"

Jordan nodded, smiling in a way that felt both sincere and insidious. "I did. She's brilliant but ruthless. Breaks people if they don't meet her standards. Just... watch your back."

Sophia bristled at the insinuation, but Jordan's words stuck with her. The more he spoke, the more she began to second-guess herself, replaying moments of tension between her and Isabella in her mind. Every sidelong glance, every critique—had it all been part of some plan to break her down?

Her trust in Isabella, already fragile, began to crack.

The next week, was a high-stakes investor meeting, and Sophia was tasked with presenting a portion of Isabella's latest project. The room was filled with power players—executives dressed to the nines, their conversations muted and serious.

Sophia stood at the head of the table, her hands trembling slightly as she clicked through her presentation slides. Everything had been going smoothly until—"Sophia," Isabella's voice sliced through the air like a whip. "That's not the figure I asked for."

The room fell into a thick silence. Every eye turned toward Sophia, waiting for her reaction. Her heart raced, but she kept her face composed. "I apologize," she said quickly, her voice steady despite the surge of panic rising inside her. "I'll fix it immediately."

She corrected the error on the screen, her movements swift, her nerves screaming beneath the surface. But she couldn't shake the feeling that Isabella had purposely corrected her to insult her in presence of every one. Afterall the mistake was minor and could be overlooked. 

As Sophia finished the presentation, the tension in the room lingered, the weight of Isabella's gaze heavy on her. She could feel the investors' eyes flicking between the two of them, assessing, judging.

That evening, as Sophia packed up her things to leave, her phone buzzed with a new message. The sender was unfamiliar, but the words sent a chill down her spine.

"Meet me tonight. I have an offer that will change your life.".

The message was signed Victor Reyes.  Sophia knew that name all too well—Victor was one of Isabella's most dangerous rivals, known for his ruthless business tactics. He and Isabella did business often but they where enemies.  Intrigued and wary, Sophia hesitated before deciding to meet him.

The upscale bar was dimly lit, its patrons engrossed in quiet conversations. Victor entered with a confidence that made the room seem smaller, his smile sharp as he approached Sophia.

"I won't waste your time," Victor began, sliding into the seat across from her. "I know Isabella has you working on something big. I'm offering you a way out—a chance to make more money than you've ever dreamed of."

Sophia's breath caught. "You want me to betray Isabella?"

Victor smiled, leaning closer. "Call it a business opportunity."Isabella would do the same in your shoes."

As Victor left the bar, Sophia sat there, staring at the business card he had left on the table. Her mind swirled with conflicting thoughts—doubts about Isabella, temptation from Victor's offer. But deep down, something didn't feel right. The entire situation felt orchestrated, like a game she was being forced to play.

Little did Sophia know, she was right. Back in her office, Isabella watched the security footage from the bar, her expression unreadable. She had orchestrated this meeting, every step of it, to test Sophia's loyalty. From the moment Jordan had first planted the seeds of doubt, to Victor's approach—everything had been meticulously planned.

Isabella's fingers tapped lightly against her desk as she issued a quiet command to Jordan: "Find out how she responds."

The next day, Jordan pulled Sophia aside as she was heading toward her office. His smile was casual, but his eyes were calculating. "I heard you met with Victor last night," he said, his tone light, but the implication heavy.

Sophia froze, her heart skipping a beat. "How do you know that?" she demanded, her voice sharp.

Jordan shrugged, his smirk widening. "I have my ways. Just looking out for you, Sophia. Be careful who you trust."

His words seemed genuine, but Sophia could feel the undertones of manipulation. She was beginning to feel that she was being watched and that she was trapped in a web of deceit, unsure of who was pulling the strings. The game was becoming more dangerous by the day.

That night, Sophia sat alone in her apartment, staring at Victor's business card in one hand and her phone in the other. The weight of her decision pressed down on her, the temptation of betrayal hanging heavy in the air. Could she really turn against Isabella? Or had Isabella been using her all along? Her thoughts race as she recalls everything Isabella has done for her: taking her under her wing when no one else believed in her, offering her guidance when she was lost, and shaping her into the formidable woman she is becoming.

Despite the tension between them, Sophia knows Isabella's mentorship transformed her life. She paces the room, her phone vibrating again with another call from Victor.

   She picks up the phone, her thumb hovering over the "accept" button. But then, memories of her first encounter with Isabella flood back—how hard she had fought for her position, how much she had grown because of Isabella's tough lessons. Sophia realizes that despite everything, her loyalty to Isabella remains strong. She declines the call and message him to meet her tomorrow at the same bar they met.

The next evening after work, Sophia meets Victor one last time, this time with resolve. They sit across from each other in a quiet, upscale restaurant. The flickering candlelight reflects in Victor's calculating eyes as he pushes the contract and a pen toward her.

"It's all here. Sign, and you walk away with more money than you can imagine. It's a win-win, Sophia. Isabella would do the same in your position."

Sophia replied her voice  steady and calm "You're wrong. Isabella would never betray the people who are loyal to her Sophia replied.

Victor's smile falters, sensing he's losing control of the conversation. He leans in closer, his voice dropping to a near-whisper. "This isn't about loyalty. This is survival. Isabella won't hesitate to cut you loose when it benefits her. You're just another pawn to her."

Sophia stands up, looking Victor in the eye, her decision clear. She placing the unsigned contract back in front of him, sliding it across the table.

"Maybe you're right about Isabella. But I'm not like you. I won't sell out the person who believed in me when no one else did. I won't betray her."

Victor leans back, eyes narrowing as he folds the contract, tucking it back into his jacket. His smile is tight, barely masking his disappointment, but Sophia can see the gears turning behind his expression. "You just passed up a golden opportunity, Sophia. You'll regret this, looking at her  darkly"

"Maybe. But not today." Sophia replied. As Sophia walks out of the restaurant, a quiet sense of victory fills her. She knows she made the right choice, but the weight of what just transpired lingers.

Back in her apartment, Sophia sits on the bed mentally exhausted from the confrontation Victor. Her  mind raced. Victor's offer was tempting, but something didn't sit right. As Victor spoke, his smooth words weaving a web of temptation, She couldn't shake off the feeling that she was being watched by who and for what she couldn't tell. Just then her phone buzzed bringing her out of her thoughts.  It was  a message from Isabella: "We need to talk. My office. Tomorrow."

Sophia stared at the message from Isabella, her heart pounding. Ehy wpild Isabella message her this late at night? Had she just passed a test, or was the real danger still waiting for her in the shadows?

She knew this game was far from over.