Sixty One!

Liam's POV

"I know you are a smart little thing, but, sweetheart, I am a mafia boss..."

I smirked.

"You shouldn't underestimate me."

She let out a frustrated sigh and stuffed a spoonful of scrambled eggs in her mouth. She is really hungry.

Must be starving after trying to clean a crime scene, but she forgot Shaya's phone under the sofa chair near the fireplace, which I saw while we were having sex. There is a tiny blood dot on the corner of the dining table, which she forgot to clean. Looks like my baby girl needs more training.

"You are too smart."

She grabbed her juice.

"What did you do?"

I asked.

"She is alive. For now!"

She was dismissive.

"Elena"

I sighed, and she gritted her teeth.

"If you want this to work out, then you have to involve me. I can help you. I am here to protect you, whether you are wrong or right... Doesn't matter to me."

She judged my face.

"Even if I am wrong?"

She was still struggling to trust me.

I nodded.

"Yes! I told you, you are mine now... Mine to protect."

She got up from the chair and gestured to me to follow her.

We went to Shaya's room; she was tied to a chair, mouth stuffed with her own sock. Her head had dry blood on it, and she was half asleep.

Her eyes slowly opened as she heard our footsteps. Her movements quickened; she tried to free herself. Her muffled cries were weak.

Elena removed the cloth from her mouth.

"Liam, please help me... Please. She has gone mad..."

She cried.

"Look what she did to me... I did so much for her. Please help!"

"Help, Shaya?... Are you sure?"

Elena asked mockingly.

Shaya glared at her and looked at me.

"She is faking it... She is not____"

Before she could speak, Elena kicked her chair, and she fell on the ground. Banging her head on the floor.

"Bitch"

Elena aggressively picked the Vase from the table and raised it to smash on her head.

I grabbed her hand.

"Wait, hear me out."

"No, she is a bitch... I am going to kill her."

She thrashed in my hold.

"Everyone betrayed me... Everyone! I fucking loved this, bitch, and she stabbed me in the back..."

"Not everyone betrays you...."

I held her back.

"Tell me what happened?"

"Yes, no one loves me...."

She screamed.

"No one!"

"I love you, Sophia..."

I growled at her.

"Stop this!... I told you, I fucking care about you..."

She froze in my arms, not believing that I knew her darkest secret.

"How?"

She looked shocked.

"Ohh!"

Realisation flashed on her face.

"That diary! You stole that diary from me."

"You think you are the only smart one here?"

Yes, I stole the other part of the diary, which had only numbers in it.

I was confused in the beginning, but then I recalled how Elena had solved the same kind of puzzle. That's it; all I had to do was convert numbers into words and read it.

It wasn't a good read. The first time my heart was broken after reading something.

Her shock turned into laughter, filled with bitterness, amusement and disbelief.

"See, he knows and still wants me.... What are you going to do now?"

She mocked Shaya.

If someone sees her like this, then they probably would think that she is a psychopath, but she is not. She is hurt. Deeply hurt by everyone.

Elena came into my life with this lively, exciting and fun personality, but in reality it was Sophia who was hiding behind it. Taking shelter in Elena's fake personality so she could survive the world. She did what she had to, and she survived.

I can't be more proud of her. It's not easy to live the identity of a person you hate the most. Hearing people calling you by their name.

She would have struggled so much to keep it hidden.

My poor little girl.

"What did you do, Shaya?"

I lifted her chair and sat on the bed across her.

"Just kill her and get over it... I don't want to hear her anymore."

Sophia scowled.

"I am talking to her, baby..."

I gave her a stern look.

"Sit here. Quietly!"

She huffed and sat beside me.

"I didn't do anything... She is crazy, can't you see?"

Shaya begged.

"Even if she is crazy. I am on her side. You better talk truth now."

I warned.

It broke her hope; she understood that I am not going to save her. I know Sophia is impulsive and short-tempered, but she never hurts innocent people. And definitely not someone like Shaya who has taken care of her in difficult times.

"She was the one who was attacking me. She hired those men."

Sophia declared hatefully, but hurt was also there in her voice.

"I saw her peacock earring near that locker when I opened it for you..."

I looked at Shaya.

"How did you know about it?"

Shaya looked guilty.

"I knew about the money Evan had hidden. Elena's mother was in touch with me, and she had doubts that Elena was not Elena but Sophia... That night when Jaffery killed them, I had a call with her earlier that night... She was sure that she was not Elena..."

She confessed.

"I forgot about it because it was obvious that Jaffery wasn't letting it go, but to my luck, you called me to take her... I knew about her, and I wanted that money for myself. I had to run away from my house and property; I wanted all of it... I was no different than Sophia. Daughters were treated like shit in that house... All I wanted was my share of property..."

"You could have asked for it."

Sophia spat madly.

"You tried to kill me."

"No! I just tried to kidnap you so I could open the locker... I knew Liam would catch me if anything happened to you in the house, so I had only one way to do that when you were outside... But he interfered every time..."

She cried.

"Was I wrong to fight for my rights? Why would you give me that money? You don't owe me anything... Look at me, my pathetic life and useless career. I am struggling to pay the loan for this house. All I wanted was a safe and peaceful life, but it didn't happen because your father refused to give me my rightful property."

"What do you want to do with her, sweetheart?"

I am no one to make the decision.

Sophia got lost in deep thoughts.

"Give her her share of money. Whatever Evan was supposed to give her."

She mumbled and walked downstairs.

Leaving Shaya and me stunned.