“You left your desk unlocked,” Marcus said quietly. “Sophia found what you left behind.”

My heart dropped into my stomach.

I looked directly at Sophia.

Her expression was cold, her eyes fixed on me with a strange, calculating intensity.

“I had to tell him, Elena,” Sophia said, her voice smooth and devoid of regret. “It was for your own good.”

“You promised to help me,” I whispered, the betrayal burning in my throat.

Sophia stepped closer to Marcus, her hand slipping deep into her coat pocket.

I knew what she had in there.

It was the encrypted hardware token containing Marcus’s private security credentials.

She had taken them from my safe yesterday under the guise of securing my escape route.

“I helped you realize what you truly wanted,” Sophia said. “And now, you are free to go. Eventually.”

Luca looked between his brother and Sophia, a frown deepening on his forehead.

“Marcus, she is pregnant,” Luca said, his voice tight with rising panic. “We need to handle this quietly. No threats.”

“I am not threatening her, Luca,” Marcus said, his eyes never leaving my face.

Marcus began to climb the stairs, his leather shoes clicking sharply against the hardwood steps.

“But my child stays in Chicago,” Marcus added, his voice dropping an octave.

I took a step backward, but the wall of the corridor was just behind me.

Sophia watched Marcus ascend, a small, satisfied smile touching the corners of her lips.

I realized then that she was not looking at me with any real pity.

She was looking at the stairs, at Marcus, and at the security cameras blinking in the corners of the high ceiling.

Her hand remained inside her pocket, gripping the stolen credentials tight.

This was never about saving me from the Vale family.

The phone in Sophia’s hand buzzed, a bright blue light cutting through the dim foyer as a silent notification appeared on the screen.