CHAPTER FIVE *SOPHIA*

CHAPTER FIVE

*SOPHIA*

The private jet was already fueling when we arrived at Teterboro. Alexander had made three more calls to his father with no answer. His jaw was tight, hands clenched.

"He always answers," Alexander said. "Always."

I didn't tell him that in my timeline, James Sterling had been unreachable for six hours before they found his body in a hotel room. Heart attack, the coroner said. Induced by stress, Eleanor had whispered at the funeral, looking at me like I'd killed him myself.

"Tell me exactly what happened," Alexander demanded as we boarded.

"Your father signed the contract. Three months later, the Zhao Group demanded off-book payments. When he refused, they threatened to expose fabricated evidence of corruption. He paid to protect the company. It went on for two years before"

"Before they killed you to send a message."

"Car accident. Brake failure. Very convenient, very clean." I buckled in as the plane started taxiing. "But I think they miscalculated. They thought your father would crumble. Instead, he went to the FBI. Started cooperating. Two weeks later, the heart attack."

Alexander was silent for a long moment. "Why didn't he tell me any of this?"

"Because you were too busy blaming me for everything wrong in your life." The words came out harsher than I intended. "Sorry. That's not helpful right now."

"No, it's accurate." He pulled out his laptop. "I'm going through the Zhao Group's corporate structure. If they're a front, there should be red flags."

I watched him work, this version of Alexander I'd never known. Focused, decisive, actually listening. It was disorienting.

"Found something," he said, turning the screen. "Three shell companies in the ownership chain, all registered in the Cayman Islands within six months of each other. The principal contact for all three is the same person."

"Who?"

"Chen Wei. Does that name mean anything to you?"

My stomach dropped. "That's my uncle. My mother's brother."

Alexander's eyes snapped to mine. "Your mother set this up?"

"I don't know. We're not close, my mother and I. But Wei..." I'd met him once at a family gathering. He'd been polite, charming, and something about him had made my skin crawl. "He's connected. Always has been. My mother used to joke about how he could get anything done in China, no questions asked."

"And your mother arranged your marriage to me."

The pieces clicked together with sickening clarity. "She sold me. Not just to Eleanor for political favors. To Wei for business access."

"Which means if I break the engagement, if we expose this"

"My mother loses everything she positioned me to gain." I felt cold. "And Wei loses his entrée into Sterling Hotels."

Alexander was already dialing. "James, it's me. Don't sign anything. I'm serious. Get out of that room right now."

I could hear his assistant's voice, tinny through the phone. "Sir, your father left his phone at the hotel. I'm trying to reach his security team"

"Send them to his location immediately. Tell them he's in danger."

Alexander hung up and made another call. "Victoria, I need you to pull every file we have on the Zhao Group deal. Everything. And get our legal team ready to kill the contract."

Victoria's voice was sharp even through the speaker. "Alexander, what's going on?"

"Corporate espionage. Possibly worse. I'll explain when I get back." He ended the call.

The silence between us felt heavy.

"Your mother really would sacrifice you for a business deal?" he asked quietly.

"You married me for one."

"That was different."

"How?"

He didn't have an answer.

My phone buzzed. A text from an unknown number: "Stop interfering."

I showed it to Alexander. His face darkened.

"They know we're onto them."

"They've probably known since you started making calls." I deleted the message. "The question is whether they'll back off or double down."

"In your timeline, they doubled down."

"Yes."

Alexander's phone rang. James, finally. "Sir, I've reached your father's security team. They're at the meeting location, but"

"But what?"

"Your father isn't there. The Zhao Group representatives say he left twenty minutes ago. Took a private car to the airport."

"Which airport? We're at Teterboro."

"They said JFK, sir. But his flight plan filed from Teterboro. I'm trying to track"

The call cut out.

Alexander tried calling back. Nothing. He tried his father's phone. Voicemail.

"This is wrong," I said. "Everything about this is wrong."

"We're landing in forty minutes. I'll have every resource"

"Alexander, they took him. They took your father, and they're using him as leverage to make you sign that contract."

"Then I'll sign it. I'll give them whatever they want."

"And then they'll own you. They'll own Sterling Hotels. They'll drain the company dry and disappear." I grabbed his arm. "You can't give in."

"I can't let them kill my father!"

"If you sign, they'll kill him anyway. Once they have what they want, he's a liability." My throat tightened. "I know how these people work. I've spent three years studying how to destroy them."

"Then tell me how."

"We need proof. Hard evidence they can't buy or bury. And we need to find your father before they realize we're not playing their game."

Alexander stared at me, and I saw the moment he made his choice. Not the easy one. Not the one Eleanor would have told him to make.

"My head of security is former FBI," he said. "If anyone can track my father, it's him. And I have a contact at the Bureau who owes me a favor."

"Will they move fast enough?"

"They will if I make it worth their while." He was already typing out messages. "I'm offering full cooperation on the Zhao Group investigation. Complete access to Sterling Hotels' records. Everything."

"Your board will crucify you."

"Let them try."

For the first time since my rebirth, I looked at Alexander Sterling and saw someone I might not need to destroy.

"Okay," I said. "Let's save your father.”

The private jet was already fueling when we arrived at Teterboro. Alexander had made three more calls to his father with no answer. His jaw was tight, hands clenched.

"He always answers," Alexander said. "Always."

I didn't tell him that in my timeline, James Sterling had been unreachable for six hours before they found his body in a hotel room. Heart attack, the coroner said. Induced by stress, Eleanor had whispered at the funeral, looking at me like I'd killed him myself.

"Tell me exactly what happened," Alexander demanded as we boarded.

"Your father signed the contract. Three months later, the Zhao Group demanded off-book payments. When he refused, they threatened to expose fabricated evidence of corruption. He paid to protect the company. It went on for two years before"

"Before they killed you to send a message."

"Car accident. Brake failure. Very convenient, very clean." I buckled in as the plane started taxiing. "But I think they miscalculated. They thought your father would crumble. Instead, he went to the FBI. Started cooperating. Two weeks later, the heart attack."

Alexander was silent for a long moment. "Why didn't he tell me any of this?"

"Because you were too busy blaming me for everything wrong in your life." The words came out harsher than I intended. "Sorry. That's not helpful right now."

"No, it's accurate." He pulled out his laptop. "I'm going through the Zhao Group's corporate structure. If they're a front, there should be red flags."

I watched him work, this version of Alexander I'd never known. Focused, decisive, actually listening. It was disorienting.

"Found something," he said, turning the screen. "Three shell companies in the ownership chain, all registered in the Cayman Islands within six months of each other. The principal contact for all three is the same person."

"Who?"

"Chen Wei. Does that name mean anything to you?"

My stomach dropped. "That's my uncle. My mother's brother."

Alexander's eyes snapped to mine. "Your mother set this up?"

"I don't know. We're not close, my mother and I. But Wei..." I'd met him once at a family gathering. He'd been polite, charming, and something about him had made my skin crawl. "He's connected. Always has been. My mother used to joke about how he could get anything done in China, no questions asked."

"And your mother arranged your marriage to me."

The pieces clicked together with sickening clarity. "She sold me. Not just to Eleanor for political favors. To Wei for business access."

"Which means if I break the engagement, if we expose this"

"My mother loses everything she positioned me to gain." I felt cold. "And Wei loses his entrée into Sterling Hotels."

Alexander was already dialing. "James, it's me. Don't sign anything. I'm serious. Get out of that room right now."

I could hear his assistant's voice, tinny through the phone. "Sir, your father left his phone at the hotel. I'm trying to reach his security team"

"Send them to his location immediately. Tell them he's in danger."

Alexander hung up and made another call. "Victoria, I need you to pull every file we have on the Zhao Group deal. Everything. And get our legal team ready to kill the contract."

Victoria's voice was sharp even through the speaker. "Alexander, what's going on?"

"Corporate espionage. Possibly worse. I'll explain when I get back." He ended the call.

The silence between us felt heavy.

"Your mother really would sacrifice you for a business deal?" he asked quietly.

"You married me for one."

"That was different."

"How?"

He didn't have an answer.

My phone buzzed. A text from an unknown number: "Stop interfering."

I showed it to Alexander. His face darkened.

"They know we're onto them."

"They've probably known since you started making calls." I deleted the message. "The question is whether they'll back off or double down."

"In your timeline, they doubled down."

"Yes."

Alexander's phone rang. James, finally. "Sir, I've reached your father's security team. They're at the meeting location, but"

"But what?"

"Your father isn't there. The Zhao Group representatives say he left twenty minutes ago. Took a private car to the airport."

"Which airport? We're at Teterboro."

"They said JFK, sir. But his flight plan filed from Teterboro. I'm trying to track"

The call cut out.

Alexander tried calling back. Nothing. He tried his father's phone. Voicemail.

"This is wrong," I said. "Everything about this is wrong."

"We're landing in forty minutes. I'll have every resource"

"Alexander, they took him. They took your father, and they're using him as leverage to make you sign that contract."

"Then I'll sign it. I'll give them whatever they want."

"And then they'll own you. They'll own Sterling Hotels. They'll drain the company dry and disappear." I grabbed his arm. "You can't give in."

"I can't let them kill my father!"

"If you sign, they'll kill him anyway. Once they have what they want, he's a liability." My throat tightened. "I know how these people work. I've spent three years studying how to destroy them."

"Then tell me how."

"We need proof. Hard evidence they can't buy or bury. And we need to find your father before they realize we're not playing their game."

Alexander stared at me, and I saw the moment he made his choice. Not the easy one. Not the one Eleanor would have told him to make.

"My head of security is former FBI," he said. "If anyone can track my father, it's him. And I have a contact at the Bureau who owes me a favor."

"Will they move fast enough?"

"They will if I make it worth their while." He was already typing out messages. "I'm offering full cooperation on the Zhao Group investigation. Complete access to Sterling Hotels' records. Everything."

"Your board will crucify you."

"Let them try."

For the first time since my rebirth, I looked at Alexander Sterling and saw someone I might not need to destroy.

"Okay," I said. "Let's save your father.”