As soon as I stepped out of the room, two big bulky guards standing in my way halted my steps. With faces as blank as sheets, posture erect like sticks, their gazes were set forward instead of on me. "What are you guys doing here outside of my room?" I asked, confused. "Mr. Larsen instructed us to guard you when you're alone, Miss," the bald one on the right, replied. Voice was as monotonous as a robot. A crease formed between my brows.  He left them to keep an eye on me? Even if there were so many guards in the house? Ridiculous! I didn't see them down in the living room while I was with the ladies. But now that I was up here in my room away from everyone, they were here.  He ordered me not to wander here and there alone. But it seemed like he knew the fact that I wasn't the one to obey the rules so frequently. I cleared my thr

"They had my phone tapped, Sofia. Apparently it turned out that he never believed that I would go on and stab my own family at their backs."  A sigh.  "I had no idea about it. One little carelessness and they heard my phone conversation with Max. We didn't discuss anything about our plan over the phone ever, but I was really nervous that day. They wanted the envelope which had Dad's gang members' all information from me after Jenna couldn't give it to them. But of course, we couldn't hand them over the real one. So Robert changed the envelope with a fake one which only had Dad's former men and spies' data. We had to do it to gain their trust and buy us some more time so that I could acquire as much information about Monet as possible. But I feared that they would find out about it. So I had to talk to Max regarding it. I… I got scared for a moment. And that one moment became our doom." "Jenna couldn't gi

'She is gone…' Three words rang in like an inauspicious whisper in my head. As if my brain didn't even register the rest of the words. Something clutched my heart so tight, breathing seemed difficult for me. My fists shook at my sides. A storm that raged inside my chest wanted release. The lava that boiled in my veins wanted to destroy something, everything. "What did you say?" I found myself taking a step closer to Dominic, my tone sounded calm to my ears.  Silence. "She is gone? And YOU let him take her?" "I didn't. I was on a phone call with Robert when this happened. And Tim wasn't a man from Sinister's gang for me to know him well. No one here doubted him either. They even made him the head of security," he replied, with his dead tone, as always. "But that isn't a justification. You trusted me…" 

At a distant noise and then the door's being slammed open, jolted me out of my raw slumber. After one of Monet's men came to collect a sample of my blood for the test and gave me painkillers, all I could do was give in to the exhaustion to my body and mind. Well, it seemed like seeing a slight possibility that Mom was telling the truth, Monet decided to show a little mercy on me.  But I knew it wouldn't last for long. As soon as the result would come out and he would find out that I wasn't his blood, which I hoped, he wouldn't hesitate to finish the rest of his task that he left years ago. If Dad and Adrian wouldn't bow to his demands, then he wouldn't have any gain in keeping me alive. Squinting against the darkness near the door, I tried to see the person who stood there.  From what I could figure out, it was a lady. And her gaze was on me. "M-mom? Is that you?"  

Sofia's POV   "They are here to take us out of here!" My heart stopped. For a moment, I was frozen. And then a tear slipped down my eye. A surge of happiness burst across my chest.  They were here? He was here? For me… But then the fear for their life soon crashed on me, making the smile slip from my face.  What if something happens to any of them? Monet wasn't weak or foolish. He wouldn't go down without a fight. Hurrying towards me, she started to untie my hands and legs. A wince left my lips as I moved my hands after hours. Not to forget the cuts were still fresh. Though the painkillers did reduce the pain somewhat to a bearable point. "Don't worry, sweetheart! We will get out of here soon. That loathful man wouldn't be able to touch you again," she said. With shaky hands, once sh