Her voice dropped to a chilling whisper. “This cannot fail again. Details will be sent shortly. Any changes, you’ll be notified.”

A low, mocking laugh echoed from the phone. “Miss Reed, I do hope you won’t keep me waiting this time?”

Sophia’s patience snapped.

“Just get it done. No mistakes. Not like before,” she hissed, fury lacing every word. “Ensure she doesn’t survive.”

“Ensure she doesn’t survive?” the hacker, Caleb, repeated, a playful lilt in his tone, amused by her venom. “A woman’s wrath is truly a fearsome thing.”

“Enough!” Sophia cut him off sharply. “Complete the task. Your payment is waiting.”

“Very well. Straight to business as always, Miss Reed. It’s what I appreciate about you,” Caleb chuckled before the line went dead.

Sophia drew a long, steadying breath, trying to quell the storm inside her.

Her eyes lifted, meeting Isabella’s gaze through the window across the way.

A cold smile touched her lips as she offered a casual, dismissive wave. Isabella only had two days left. She should make the most of them.

In his study, Ethan was buried in documents, his focus absolute.

The sharp ring of his phone fractured the silence.

He answered, his expression hardening instantly. “Report. What have you found?”

The voice on the other end updated him on the investigation into Isabella’s car accident.

The primary suspect was a ghost in the machine, a hacker named Caleb Fletcher, notorious for vanishing without a trace.

Police had located his last known safe house, but it was empty, cleaned out. He clearly operated from multiple locations.

Fortunately, they had secured surveillance footage and managed to extract several images, which were now forwarded to Ethan.

Ethan’s eyes narrowed as he studied the grainy pictures on his screen.

He stared at the familiar eyes staring back from the photos, a seed of doubt taking root.

Though a mask and cap obscured most of the face, the eyes were unmistakably familiar.

He zoomed in, scrutinizing each pixel until one image caught his attention: Caleb in a tight embrace with a woman.

The angle hid her face, but her style, her expensive, designer clothing, was identical to Sophia’s signature look.

Had Sophia orchestrated the accident?

A cold dread seeped into Ethan’s veins, his heart heavy with grim suspicion.

He immediately dialed Benjamin. “Dig deeper. I want a full report on Caleb Fletcher. Focus on his recent communications and contacts.” His tone was ice, brooking no argument.

The Hawthorne Residence blazed with light.

Each of its three occupants was trapped in their own private thoughts.

The next morning, Daniel made an unexpected appearance.

He strode into the living room, his gaze instantly finding Sophia, who sat with perfect composure on the sofa. His eyes narrowed slightly. “Where’s Isabella?” he asked, his tone deceptively casual.

“Resting upstairs,” Ethan’s cool voice came from behind him.

Daniel halted, turning to face Ethan. Their eyes locked for a tense moment. Then, affecting nonchalance, he said, “I’ll go check on her.”