Chapter 7: The Unveiling

The moon gave out a small glow through the large windows of Dante's magnificently built estate. The ocean breeze was fresh, but Sophia felt suffocated by the weight of what she had stumbled upon the night before. Her mind replayed every event and information she saw, the threatening file labeled Project Legacy, the names, the surveillance photos, and, most scary, her father's connection to it all.

Dante's presence had appeared over her as she left the study, and his cold warning to "ask next time" still played loudly in her ears. She had managed to escape being discovered, but her curiosity and fear had only become stronger.

As the night became darker, Sophia sat on the edge of her bed, her phone in hand. The mysterious text she had received still appeared on the screen:

"You're closer to the truth than you think. Be careful who you trust."

Who had sent it? And how did they know what she was doing? Questions kept coming up in her mind, but the lack of answers only made her determination hardened. She needed to return to the study, but this time, she would be very prepared for any uncertainties and prepare her lies even when caught.

Sophia waited until the house was silent, listening for any form of sound and checking for any signs of movement. Once she was sure Dante was busy likely worrying about his plans in his room or working on one of his many secrets, she sneaked out of her quarters. Her bare feet were moving softly on the marble floors as she made her way to the study.

The door made a small creaking sound as she pushed it open, and her heart seized immediately. She paused, holding her breath, before walking slowly inside. The room was just as she had left it, with the very big desk occupying the space and the threatening file still in its place.

Sophia walked towards the desk, her fingers still shaking as she opened the file. This time, she was determined to read more, no matter what she discovered.

The first few pages contained familiar names high-ranking officials, wealthy business tycoons, and criminal figures. But as she opened the pages further, a new section caught her eye. It was a detailed account of an event titled The Ambrose Manor Incident.

Sophia's eyes opened widely as she read the text. The report described a coordinated attack on Dante's family estate years ago. Explosions, gunfire, and chaos had occurred on what should have been an ordinary evening. The attackers had left no survivors, murdering Dante's parents, siblings, and extended family.

She pressed a hand to her mouth to stop any form of expression, horrified. The word came out as tears filled her eyes. The cold, calculating man she had married was shaped by this terrifying tragedy. The more she read, the more she realized the extent of Dante's pain.

The file also revealed details about the attacker's mercenaries hired by a group of rivals seeking to dismantle the Varro empire. The attackers had vanished without a trace, and no one had ever been brought to justice.

Sophia felt a form of guilt within her. She had judged Dante harshly, dismissing him as a heartless billionaire. Now, she began to understand the relentless drive behind his actions. His quest for vengeance wasn't out of greed or ambition, it originated from the loss and a desire to make those responsible pay.

As she reached the final pages of the file, something fell out from the book, a photograph. Sophia picked it up, her breath seized at the image before her.

It was a family portrait, taken long before the tragedy. A younger Dante stood at the center, his arms around two children who looked just like him. His parents stood behind them with pride. The happiness on their faces was a serious difference to the man she knew now.

Sophia's fingers moved over the edges of the photo, and tears fell down her cheeks. For the first time, she saw Dante not as the cold and calculating figure he is displaying himself but as a man who had loved deeply and lost everything.

Her heart ached as she imagined the boy in the photograph growing into the man he was now, hardened by the occurrence of his past, consumed by revenge, and unwilling to let anyone close.

Before Sophia could arrange her emotions, a small noise broke the silence. Her head shifted up, her heart started racing. The sound of footsteps sounded faintly outside the study.

She stood at a spot without moving immediately, each of the senses in her body on high alert. The door was slightly opened, and the shadows in the hallway seemed to move as someone was approaching.

Sophia quickly returned the photograph to the file and closed it, trying to organize her shaking hands. She looked around the room, looking for a place to hide, but everywhere she looked and considered to hide looked suspicious if they were to find her.

The footsteps sounded louder, each step giving her serious fear.

The door opened with a creaking sound, and a figure appeared in the doorway.

It wasn't Dante. Instead, it was his closest friend, Luca. The older man's sharp eyes check around the room before finally looking straight at Sophia. His expression darkened as he walked inside, closing the door after entering the study.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his tone low.

Sophia's mind raced for an excuse, but she knew Luca wouldn't be easily fooled. He was seriously loyal to Dante and had likely been sent to keep an eye on her.

"I was looking for a book," she said with a weak tone, pointing toward the shelves.

Luca didn't look convinced by what she said. "You shouldn't be in here," he said firmly. "This is Dante's private space. If he finds out—"

Sophia shut him off, desperate to push his attention away from her. "Why does he keep secrets? Why won't he tell me what's really going on?"

Luca hesitated, his serious expression fluctuating for a moment. "Some secrets are better left buried," he said finally. "Dante has his reasons."

But Sophia wasn't satisfied. "I deserve to know the truth," she insisted. "I'm his wife. I've been dragged into this whether I like it or not."

Luca's gaze softened slightly, but he didn't respond. Instead, he turned toward the door. "Go back to your room, Sophia," he said. "And stay out of things that don't concern you."

As he left, Sophia felt a serious frustration and determination with her. She wasn't going to stop until she discovered the full truth—no matter how dangerous it was.

Later that night, as Sophia lay in bed, she couldn't forget the image of the photograph or the details of the attack on Dante's family. Her heart felt sorry for the boy he was before and the man he had become.

But there was something else still troubling her, the footsteps outside the study. Had they really been Luca's, or was someone else watching her?

As she dozed off to sleep, her phone rang again with another secret message:

"You're in deeper than you realize. Trust no one—not even him."

Sophia's eyes became wide open, her heart racing. She held onto the phone tightly, the words kept replaying in her mind.

Who was sending these messages? And how much danger was she really in?

The answers to her questions were out there, hidden in Dante's past and Sophia was determined to find them, no matter what it cost her.