Chapter 6: Sophia

Alex walked along the streets of Manhattan, wrapped in the cool, humid air. The night lights of the city cast reflections on the wet sidewalks, and every raindrop that fell on his skin reminded him that what was supposed to be just a game , had turned into something much more dangerous. The flash drive he still clutched in his pocket was the key to the world he had so far heard about from unconfirmed rumors. But now that he had it with him, he felt as if he held a death sentence in his hands - for himself or for others.

He delved into his thoughts about what Victor had said:

"The deeper you get into it, the more you sink."

Those words sounded in his head like a constant warning signal, but he knew there was no turning back. Heart Investments had sucked him in, and now he had to play to avoid being crushed by the merciless system. He reached his apartment, which his aunt had sublet for him to be an independent young man. He closed the door behind him, and his heart beat hard in his chest. The entire apartment was drowning in silence, with only the sound of distant sirens echoing off the walls. He pulled out a flash drive and placed it on the desk, staring at it as if it were a poison just waiting to be poisoned. He knew he had to prepare before he could act.

He stretched out in his chair, his fingers clenched on the edge of the desk. He plugged a flash drive into his laptop and waited for the files to open. Documents began to appear - financial reports, photos, transaction details. Each successive file revealed secrets to him that no one should see. Exchanges of huge sums of money, lists of names that scrolled in the shadows of luxury mansions, politicians, businessmen, lawyers. Heart Investments was more complex than he could have imagined. It wasn't just one venture - it was a network that controlled every aspect of the lives of wealthy families in Manhattan. Every move, every transaction had its place in this sick puzzle. Money laundering, stimulant trafficking, blackmail and even - and this chilled the blood in his veins - murder, prostitution and traces of human trafficking. Heart Investments was nothing more than a mechanism to control and exploit those who got a taste of power too soon. He felt a cold sweat run down his back as he flipped through page after page full of numbers and obscure notes that made up the giant machine.

He looked at one of the names - Jonathan Montgomery - father of Sophia Montgomery, one of the most influential people at the school. Montgomery controlled the stimulant trade, getting his hands in some of the city's dirtiest business. But what shocked him the most were the lists of people who used his services - names that regularly appeared in prestigious media, on the pages of celebrity magazines and even in political circles. He wiped his face with his hand, trying to control the anxiety that was growing inside him. This was not a game he could just get out of if he stopped liking it. This was a swamp in which he had to learn to swim before he drowned. No one could know what knew. He started thinking about school. That's where he now had to play his role in life. Get closer to Montgomery, Blackwood, and maybe even Sophia. But how could he get close to them without betraying that he knew too much? He had to be careful, had to create appearances. But in this game, any step on the wrong path could mean the end.

The next morning, as he entered the school, he felt that every step was part of a larger puzzle. The school looked as if it was no different in any way from other elite-prestigious institutions in New York. Though full of teenagers, it was like an arena of struggle - direct and brutal, though masked by a facade of wealth and prestige. Here, everything had a price. The corridors, full of young people dressed in the most expensive brands, were like a maze where appearances were paramount. The facade of elegance, the seemingly normal life of rich kids, moving through the corridors with nonchalance, as if everything in life was guaranteed for them. Every smile, every look had a hidden meaning. Now he could not afford to make a false move.

As he walked past a group of students, his gaze was caught by Sophia Montgomery. She stood with a group of friends, smiling coolly, as if her life was one big game that she controlled perfectly. In reality, however, he knew there was a darkness behind that smile that most people would never suspect existed. She had something magnetic about her, but at the same time there was something repulsive about her. He had to find a way to gain her trust, but he couldn't get too close to her too quickly. He was taking too many risks. As he walked past her, Sophia glanced at him and their gazes met for a moment. She smiled slightly, but Alex knew it was nothing more than a facade. He felt her cold eyes scanning him as if she was trying to judge him. He was new to the school, but he already knew that nothing he did would escape her attention.

- Alex, right? - Sophia spoke up in a silky voice, but Alex knew there was something rough behind the softness. - You've just arrived from LA, and you're already making waves.

Alex smiled slightly, trying to look confident, although chaos reigned in his gut.

- Well, I'm trying to fit in," he replied, not looking away from her gaze.

Sophia tilted her head, as if assessing him from a new perspective.

- Fit in? In that case, maybe I'll teach you something," she said with a slight smile, but her words sounded like a subtle warning.

Alex felt that Sophia was more dangerous than he initially thought. She had her secrets, she could be both the key to success and the biggest threat. The golden children of New York, the rich and spoiled teenagers, were more frightening than anyone could have expected. Behind the perfect smiles and expensive clothes were manipulators, information peddlers, drug dealers and gamblers who waited for their victim to make even the slightest mistake. There were no real relationships here. Every friendship was a business, every romance a deal, and every glance could become dangerous if misinterpreted.

 - Alex, how about we sit down for lunch together? - She asked with a sudden lightness in her voice, coming closer. But there was something darker hidden in her eyes - something Alex could not yet fully understand.

- Sure," he replied, trying to sound casual.

He knew that this was no ordinary proposal. This was a rehearsal. He had just started the game and had to play his part perfectly.

At lunch, everything seemed seemingly normal. People ate, laughed, exchanged gossip. But at this school, every conversation was carefully planned. He sat next to Sophia, surrounded by her closest "friends" - a group of influential and wealthy kids who controlled much of the school's social life. They were the ones who decided who was popular and who became the object of heckling. Sophia was the epitome of the perfect girl - blonde, with porcelain skin and a gentle smile that could fool anyone. But her words were razor sharp, and her smile hid more lies and betrayals than anyone would have guessed.

- Did you hear about the Blackwood party? - She asked, as if unwillingly, but her gaze penetrated Alex thoroughly.

He knew Will Blackwood, but couldn't admit to knowing him too deeply. Will was one of those who tried to stay away from the worst intrigues, although his mother was one of the most powerful women at Heart Investments. Catherine Blackwood ruled like a queen in the world of finance and blackmail, and Will.... well, he was someone who tried to survive, but could never escape it.

- I heard something," Alex replied, without revealing too much.

Sophia smiled even wider, as if she knew that Alex was trying not to reveal everything.

- Tonight. All the cool people will be there," she said, emphasizing each word. - How about showing up, seeing and getting to know this company from the inside?

Alex knew that this invitation was no mere social proposition. It was a test of whether he was suitable for this spoiled socialite. The Blackwoods held parties that provided cover for shenanigans by interest groups. It was where they held conversations about secrets that could destroy entire families. Alex felt he had to go there to understand who he was really dealing with.

- Why not. - replied succinctly.

The night was quiet, but the atmosphere was heavy, as if the city itself knew that something evil was hanging in the air. Alex arrived at the Blackwood mansion, a massive, austere building hidden in the richest part of Manhattan. From a distance it looked like a castle, behind whose walls hid secrets so dark that even the boldest rumors did not convey their full truth. The party was in full swing, the music was playing loudly, and the guests - young, beautiful and dangerous - were sipping expensive spirits and laughing as if the whole world belonged to them. But Alex knew that here no one was really himself. Everyone present was playing their part, and behind every smile there was some kind of intrigue. In the air was the smell of alcohol, expensive perfume and something else - something sharper, maybe cocaine, maybe something more overpowering. He walked through the crowded living room, feeling the stares on him. He was new, and new people always aroused curiosity - especially in a place like this. People in this school were like predators, waiting for the slightest mistake that they could use to their advantage. Sophia appeared next to him unexpectedly, her eyes gleaming in the dim light.

- Not bad, eh? - she said, glancing at the crowd. - This is where the real parties take place.

He felt his heart beating faster. This place was the epicenter of their party world. It fed - with hatred, betrayal, addiction or destruction.

- Come, I'll show you something," Sophia added, grabbing his hand and pulling him toward the stairs leading upstairs.

They went upstairs, where the hustle and bustle of the party slowly faded and the light was dim. The door to one of the rooms was ajar, and inside.... Alex saw something that cut the blood in his veins. Two young men, probably students from their school, were standing at a table, snorting something that was clearly drugs, and next to them lay files of cash. One of them smiled at Alex and Sophia, as if what they were doing was the most ordinary thing in the world. Sophia smiled with satisfaction.

- Welcome to the real world, Alex," she whispered. - It's not just fun.... It's our world.

He could feel his blood pulsing in his temples and his heart beating faster as he looked at what was happening in front of him. The room upstairs where he stood seemed like a scene taken out of a dealer's dream. Two guys snorting dashes of cocaine, files of money scattered around the table like random props like in a gangster movie. The laughter that echoed in the background seemed endless, and the atmosphere was steeped in decadence and a sense of impunity. Sophia watched everything with satisfaction, as if she were the hostess of the party. Her eyes shone with an unsettling gleam as she turned to Alex, as if expecting him to now see what really lay beneath the facade of a "good girl from a rich family."

- Do you taste it? - She asked, her voice low, almost a whisper. She brought the uta close to his ear then added. - It could be all yours. Money, power, drugs, women.... - when she finished whispering in his ear she licked his ear.

He felt the warm breath on his damp ear, how his body reacted to Sophia's touch, to her proximity, and chaos reverberated in his head. His heart pounded like a hammer, and with every second he spent in that room, he felt the ground beneath his feet begin to clear. He stepped back slightly, trying to catch his breath. Sophia smiled at him, as if she knew she already had him. As if everything he had ever wanted could be within his grasp, as long as he extended his hand. He wondered what was really behind her smile - was it just a game, or was the real Sophia even more frightening than the one he had known so far.

- Is that all? - He asked with irony in his voice, trying to regain control of the situation. - Just drugs, money and random asses? I thought you had something more original to offer.

Sophia looked at him carefully, as if weighing his words. Then she raised an eyebrow and burst out laughing.

- Oh how greedy. It's just an appetizer," she replied with a gleam in her eye. - Do you think that's all we can have? The real power is not the money, not the lines or naive chickens. They are just tools. Real power is control dear ones. Control over people, over their desires.

She raised her hand and slowly moved her fingers across his torso, leaving a trail of hot skin behind.

- And you can be part of it," she added, her voice almost hypnotic. - You don't have to be just a passive observer. You can have everything you've ever dreamed of. All you have to do is stop being afraid of it beach boy.

Alex felt it begin to surround him. This room, Sophia, the drugs, the money.... it all seemed to be part of some sick, sensual dream from which he couldn't wake up. But despite what was going on around him, he felt he was playing his part perfectly. Did he really want it all?

- What if I say no?" - he asked, looking into her eyes, trying to find something in them that would give him an answer.

Sophia smiled even wider, as if she had just been waiting for this.

- There is no more "no,"" she replied coldly. - All that's left is "when?"

Everything is for sale, everything has a price. He understood what she wanted to show him. He felt the old world around him begin to close. The gates to the swamp into which all these young people had fallen voluntarily, fed by wealth and power, were opening. Each of them had his place in this sick system. There was no room for innocence, everyone had stains on them - stains of blood, lies, betrayals. No one was pure.

- Are you tempted? - continued Sophia, leaning closer to him, her hot breath absorbed by the skin on his neck.

Alex took a step back, feeling his breathlessness overwhelm him. He couldn't believe that Sophia had accepted this reality with such ease - as if she knew no other, as if she had been part of this sick system since childhood.

- Why are you showing me this? - He asked in a slightly trembling voice trying to keep his cool.

Sophia smiled gently, as if the question was funny.

- Because you're cool. And cool things don't let go. - She replied, playing with a strand of her hair. - And since you're new you must know what you're getting into.

At that moment, Alex realized that this decision was something he had been waiting to join. This game did not allow you to be neutral. You either become part of it, or you are dead - literally or symbolically. He looked away from Sophi and looked at the two stoned boys, who were now laughing as if they had snorted a whole bottle of Silly Jas.

Sophia moved closer to him, her hand resting on his shoulder.

- Think carefully, Alex," she whispered. - You can have everything you want. Everything has a price.

- What about you, Sophia? - He asked suddenly, without looking away from her cold, analyzing eyes. - What price did you pay?

She stopped, her smile faded, and there was a spark of something unexpected in her eyes - maybe sadness, maybe regret, or maybe just a well-hidden truth.

- Maybe someday I'll tell you," she said quietly, then turned and headed for the door. - But first you must deserve to know the real me.

She disappeared behind the door, and Alex was left alone in the room, where the two screwed-up goons were still playing with their drugs and money, as if they had no cares in the world. Despite the prevailing euphoria, the sight was sad. He knew that they were all already lost - dragged too deep into this swamp to ever come to the surface.

He remembered Victor's words:

"The deeper you get into it, the more you sink."

And now that sentence seemed even more true. Every step he took brought him closer to a boundary that, if crossed, could be his end. But he no longer had a choice. He had begun to play the game, and he needed to understand how to navigate it before it destroyed him.

The question was:

How far was he willing to go?