She looked down into her lap and spoke softly, “Okay, I guess, I am fine.”
Lifting her chin, I responded softly. “Please, I will make this up to you. I’m trying to cheer you up. Can I get a smile?”
Pulling back out of my hand, she gave me half a smile as she breathed in deeply.
As we drove, I held her hand. My emotions were a hurricane of anger, guilt, mixed with sadness. But there wasn’t much I could say or do at the moment that would fix it. The situation wasn’t fair. I knew I could be an asshole at times, especially when my emotions got the better of me.
Glancing at her now and then, I felt my anger calming down as my guilt settled into place. I had to do something to fix this and make sure she was fine. The drive home was quiet, and Sophia never let go of my hand. I didn’t mind. In fact, I was glad that she wasn’t pushing me away.
The fact that she didn’t look my way again, but focused on staring out the window, made me feel worse. I promised myself to think before acting from now on, as I never want to hurt her again. I cannot allow my emotions to control my actions.
Pulling in, I stopped as close as I could to the door. I rushed out of the car and to her side. Opening her door, I took both her hands in mine as I knelt and kissed them both. “Once again, I would like to express how sorry I am. I hope you can forgive me.” I huffed.
Sophia placed one hand on my cheek as she smiled at me. I could see she had calmed down and was feeling better. Getting up, I stepped back, allowing her to get out of the car. I held her hand as we headed inside.
“Kolya,” Sophia said, turning to me as we stepped through the doors. “I have to tell you what I discovered. What was in the files at Melody’s house!” Her voice rose as she spoke with eagerness.
“Okay, slow down. We’ll have a good chat now, let’s first settle down,” I replied, heading to the small living area. I poured a drink, but Sophia didn’t want one. I found this a bit odd, but I wasn’t going to force her. I ordered her some tea after pouring the contents of her glass into mine.
The door opened seconds later as her tea arrived. Sitting down opposite her, I was now ready to listen. “Right then,” I said. “Let’s have it.”
“Melody and this guy Martin are collecting evidence against you,” she blurted out. I was unsure why she appeared so excited, as we knew this. “The file held multiple clippings, notes, emails, and more. But what I found so interesting is that they intended to use this to blackmail you! I’m sorry, I didn’t believe you. But now I know Melody and Martin are up to no good.”
Sophia stopped for a second, swallowed some tea, and took a deep breath before continuing. “There were other things, crimes they have committed, like forgery.”
Lowering her head, she inhaled sharply. “Everything they put me through,” Sophia whispered. “I’m sorry, I didn’t believe you, Kolya.”
Moving forward, I took her hand. “It’s okay, Sophia,” I replied. “But we will need the proof. Without physical proof, we cannot solve this. We need a permanent solution.”
“Yes, I know,” Sophia huffed, breathing out hard. She stared at our hands as she continued. “But I still believe there’s justice in this world, Kolya. I believe we can do this the right way, not by other means.”
Shaking my head, I couldn’t believe she was still so innocent. Thinking that everything could be done the right way. Has she not seen enough? “I don’t know, Sophia. I just don’t know. Everything I’ve seen in this world. The things you’ve nowseen. Maybe some things can’t be handled with justice, the legal way. Justice doesn’t always work for every situation.”
“No! Wait, I have a plan,” Sophia shot back.
Sitting back, I studied her for a moment. I could see the eagerness on her face. She had a plan, alright, or something up her sleeve. “Okay, let’s hear it then,” I commented. “But, once you’ve said your peace, we'll talk it out, okay?”
Sophia smiled while nodding vigorously. She spoke softly. “Thank you. I know this can work. Please hear me out before giving your opinion on everything.”
Nodding, I bit my lip, hoping I could keep my opinion long enough for her to say what she had to say.
“Right,” Sophia said. “I think maybe if I go back to work, I could track her movements. I can see what she’s up to. That way, I can send you messages to let you know where she and Martin are planning to meet. You can have someone track them from there, and this way, we’ll find concrete proof. Don’t you think?”
“I don’t know,” I replied, sighing deeply. “It’s very dangerous. You’d be in danger on a daily basis. I mean, Melody now knows you’re on to her. So, anything can happen to you at work. It involves you being in her company way too much. I don’t feel good about it.”
She blew out some air before speaking. “No, no, this can work. I know my strengths. It’s time for us to trust each other, Kolya. I will never place myself in danger again. As soon as I feel unsafe or realize things are heading in the wrong direction, I will let you know. Besides, she still thinks she can get me to spill the dirt on you.”
Shaking my head, I took a sip of my Scotch before speaking. “I don’t know, Sophia, honestly, it scares me thinking of you going back there.”
Sophia shifted forward as she took my hands. “Kolya, I know I can do this. I need you to trust me. Once we have what we need, we can go to the cops.”
I sat staring at her for the longest moment. Clearing my throat, I spoke slowly. “Can I think about this?”
Turning her head to the side, she smiled. Her expression changed as she spoke. “Don’t think too long on it. We will have to do this as quickly as possible. I can’t go days without knowing what she’s up to and that she can get to me.”
There was a sadness about her that made me uncomfortable. “No one will get to you,” I reassured her. My heart ached seeing her this way. Lowering my head, I sighed heavily. “Okay,” I agreed. “It’s fine. But we need to ensure the plan is failproof.”
“Yes!” Sophia exclaimed. She got up and jumped onto my lap, wrapping her arms around me.
