The night stretched on with an uneasy quiet, and Sophie couldn't shake the tension from her conversation with Victor. His words echoed in her mind like a haunting refrain, and she felt the weight of the warning settle deeper into her bones. The people in Aiden's inner circle are the real threat. The thought gnawed at her. Who could he be talking about? Who among Aiden's trusted associates could be turning against him? Was she living in a house of cards, just waiting for it all to collapse?
The drive home was a blur. Sophie's mind was racing, processing everything she'd just learned. When the car pulled into the penthouse's driveway, her chest tightened. She had hoped for a moment of clarity, but instead, she felt more lost than ever. What did she really know about Aiden's world? How much of what she saw was an illusion?
As she entered the elevator, her hand gripped the railing. Her reflection in the mirrored walls of the elevator stared back at her, but it felt distant. She was a stranger in her own life now, pulled in different directions by forces beyond her control. The man she had married—her supposed protector—was the very one whose secrets she couldn't unravel.
The elevator doors opened with a soft chime, and Sophie stepped out into the foyer. The penthouse, bathed in the soft glow of ambient lighting, felt cold despite the luxury. She paused for a moment, her eyes scanning the familiar surroundings, but everything felt foreign. Was she really safe here?
Aiden was sitting in the living room, his back to the door, hunched over a stack of papers. The tension in his shoulders was palpable, and it struck Sophie that despite everything that had happened, Aiden seemed more exhausted than ever. He looked every bit the businessman he was—powerful, cold, detached—but there was something else in his expression. Something unspoken.
"Aiden?" Sophie's voice was soft, and for a moment, he didn't respond. He didn't even move.
Sophie crossed the room, coming to stand beside him. She placed a tentative hand on his shoulder, her fingers brushing against the fine fabric of his suit. "Aiden, what's going on?"
He finally looked up at her, his eyes weary but guarded. There was a flicker of surprise in his gaze, but it quickly disappeared. "You're home late," he said, his voice low, but controlled.
"I was meeting with Victor," she replied, her heart racing as she decided whether or not to tell him the truth. She needed to know if she could trust him—or if he was part of the web that was closing in around her.
Victor's words flashed through her mind: Don't trust anyone—not even him.
She hesitated, but only for a second. "He told me some things. About Tina... and about people in your circle."
Aiden's expression didn't change, but the air seemed to thicken around them. The conversation had shifted in an instant, from casual to something far more serious.
"Victor talks too much," Aiden said curtly, his jaw tightening. "Don't listen to him. He has his own agenda, Sophie."
Sophie's pulse quickened. She had expected him to brush it off, but his response felt too calculated. He's hiding something. The thought was sharp, like a needle pricking at her subconscious. She pulled away from him, stepping back as if his proximity was suddenly too much.
"I don't understand, Aiden," she said, her voice tinged with frustration. "Victor said something about your inner circle. He said people close to you are pulling the strings behind the scenes. What does he mean by that?"
For a moment, Aiden didn't say anything. The silence stretched between them, heavy and oppressive. Sophie could see the gears turning in his mind. Was he weighing his options? Deciding how much to reveal? Or was he trying to figure out how much she already knew?
"Sophie," he finally said, his voice colder now. "I'm not going to let you get involved in this mess. This is my fight, and I won't have you in the middle of it."
The words stung more than they should have. Sophie's chest tightened, and she forced herself to stay calm. "But I'm already involved, Aiden. I've been your wife for over a year. I have a right to know what's going on."
Aiden stood up suddenly, his chair scraping harshly against the floor. His eyes darkened, a glint of something Sophie couldn't quite place. It was frustration, yes, but there was something else—something deeper, more dangerous.
"You don't understand, Sophie," he said, his voice low and almost menacing. "I'm trying to protect you."
Sophie stepped back, a chill running through her. Protect her? From what? And why had he never shared anything with her before? What had he been hiding all this time?
She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "If you're trying to protect me, Aiden, then why are you keeping me in the dark? You're not protecting me by lying to me. You're keeping me in a prison of your own making."
Aiden's jaw clenched, and for a moment, it looked like he might say something else, but then he seemed to pull back, closing himself off. He ran a hand through his hair, his frustration palpable.
"I'm sorry, Sophie," he muttered, looking away. "But I can't explain it all right now. You wouldn't understand. It's not just about Tina. There are things at play here that are bigger than both of us."
Sophie stared at him, her mind spinning. Bigger than both of us? What did that even mean? She wanted to scream at him, to demand the truth, but she could see in his eyes that he was holding back something crucial, something that could change everything.
Sophie turned on her heel and walked toward the door. "I don't care what it's about, Aiden. I'm not some fragile little thing you can protect by keeping me in the dark. If you want my help, you need to start being honest with me."
Before he could respond, Sophie left the room, her heart pounding in her chest. She knew she had pushed him away, but it had been necessary. There was no going back now. The truth would either break them, or it would bring them closer.
And Sophie was ready to find out which it would be.
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