Chapter 166: Sofia’s Warning

Sofia Reyes chose places that did not invite spectacle. The café she selected sat one street removed from Virex City’s main artery, quiet enough that conversations stayed private and uninteresting to anyone listening in. No cameras lingered. No assistants hovered. It was the sort of place where power went unnoticed, which was exactly why Sofia liked it.

Lillian arrived first, as she always did. She sat with her back to the wall, hands folded around a porcelain cup she had not yet lifted. Marriage had not altered her instincts. If anything, it had sharpened them.

Sofia arrived precisely on time. She wore no visible markers of status, no family crest, no statement jewelry. Her presence was calm, grounded, real in a way elite circles often forgot how to be.

“You look settled,” Sofia said after orderin