"What are you thinking, boss?" Enzo shifted his weight.
I didn't answer immediately, watching as Sophie bent to smell a bloom, her face turned deliberately away from the camera. "I think Antonio was wrong about her."
"Wrong how?"
"He said she was nothing more than a pretty face. Easily manipulated." I tapped my finger against the desk. "That's not what I'm seeing."
Sophie straightened, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. The gesture seemed innocent, but her eyes flicked directly toward the hidden camera in the garden wall. She knew she was being watched. The corner of her mouth quirked up in the barest hint of a smile.
Something stirred in my chest. Something dangerous.
"Enzo, I want you to create an opportunity."
"Sir?"
"The eastern fence—leave it unlocked. Make it subtle, but noticeable to someone who's looking."
Enzo frowned. "You want her to escape?"
"I want to see what she'll do." I leaned back in my chair. "I want to understand who I'm dealing with."
When she reached the fence, she didn't immediately try to flee. Instead, she fingered the latch, testing it without fully opening it. Her gaze lifted to the camera mounted on a nearby tree, and for a moment, it felt like she was looking directly at me. A challenge in those green eyes.
She knew. And she wanted me to know that she knew.
She turned and walked back toward the house, unhurried, a small smile playing on her lips.
I felt the corner of my own mouth lift in response. This was no helpless victim. This was someone who understood the game.
"Interesting," I murmured.
I found her in the sunroom later that evening, curled in a wicker chair with a book open on her lap. The setting sun cast her in gold and shadow, highlighting the curve of her neck, the delicate arch of her wrist. She didn't look up when I entered, though the slight tension in her shoulders betrayed her awareness.
"Enjoying your stay?" I asked, moving to the bar cart to pour two glasses of whiskey.
"The accommodations are lovely." She turned a page. "The company leaves something to be desired."
I chuckled, approaching with the drinks. "And yet you've made no attempt to leave."
Her eyes finally lifted to mine, cool and assessing. "Haven't I?"
"Testing the fence isn't the same as climbing it." I offered her a glass, which she accepted after a moment's hesitation. "If you wanted to escape, you'd have tried already."
"Maybe I'm biding my time."
"Maybe." I settled into the chair across from her. "Or maybe you've realized you're safer here than out there with Antonio hunting you."
Her fingers tightened around the glass. "I don't need your protection."
"Evidence suggests otherwise." I took a slow sip. "The garden was lovely today, wasn't it? I particularly enjoyed watching you catalog every exit, camera, and guard rotation."
The mask slipped for just a moment—surprise, quickly masked by indifference. "I was admiring the flowers."
"Of course." I leaned forward. "Just as you were admiring the eastern fence. The one Enzo conveniently left unlocked."
Her eyes narrowed. "You're testing me."
"And you're failing to be honest with either of us." I set my glass down. "What exactly is your plan here, Sophie? Wait until I trust you enough to lower my guard? Steal back the flash drive? Run back to Antonio?"
