The Betrayed Oath

Chapter 4

"You think I'm scared of you, Elise?" I scoffed, gripping the phone so tight my knuckles ached. "You're just another desperate side piece clinging to scraps."

Her laughter slithered through the receiver, slow and taunting. "Desperate? Oh, Sophia, sweetie, you have no idea."

I exhaled sharply. "You called me. Cut the theatrics, what do you want?"

A pause. Then, her voice dropped, thick with venom.

"Midnight. Pier 47. It's time you learned just how little control you actually have."

The line went dead.

I lowered the phone, my pulse hammering. Across the room, Alex sat hunched over, head in his hands, drowning in guilt. He didn't even look up as I grabbed my coat.

"Sophia, don't go," he murmured. "You don't know what she's capable of."

I paused at the door, meeting his shattered gaze.

"No, Alex," I said, voice cold. "You don't know what I'm capable of."

The pier was drenched in shadows, the salty wind cutting through my thin jacket. Water lapped against the dock, the distant hum of the city muffled by the thick weight of night. A streetlamp flickered overhead, casting Elise in a halo of dim gold.

She stood near the edge, arms crossed, smirking like she already knew the ending.

"Punctual. I like that," she said smoothly.

I stopped a few feet away, watching her. Calculating.

"You dragged me out here for a reason," I said. "Get to it."

Her eyes glittered, amused. "No small talk? Fine." She reached into her coat, pulling out a folded document. "You sure you want to know what Alex has been hiding?"

Something twisted in my gut.

She dangled the paper between two fingers, letting me snatch it from her grasp. My hands trembled as I unfolded it, my eyes scanning the words.

A contract. Signed by Alex. Handing over his company shares.

To Thomas Kerrington.

My blood ran cold.

Kerrington, the man bankrolling Elise's schemes.

"What the hell is this?" I demanded, my voice sharp.

She cocked her head, savoring my reaction. "It's leverage. Your husband isn't just paying me to keep quiet, Sophia. He's selling his soul to cover your messes."

"My messes?"

Elise chuckled. "Oh, don't play dumb. The adoption, the hidden assets in your name... Alex has been cleaning up after you for years."

My grip tightened on the paper. Lies. They had to be lies.

"He would've told me," I whispered, but the words felt weak, uncertain.

"Would he?" Elise stepped closer, her perfume sickly sweet. "You think he trusts you? He's been too busy saving you from yourself."

I swallowed hard, the betrayal slicing deeper than I wanted to admit.

"Why tell me now?" I forced the question past the lump in my throat. "What's your angle?"

She tilted her head, her smirk sharpening.

"Because I like you, Sophia. You're smarter than most. So I'm giving you an out."

I barked a laugh, bitter and sharp. "An out?"

"Walk away," she said simply. "Take what you can and let Alex fend for himself. If you stay, you'll both burn."

The audacity. The sheer, smug confidence of it made my fingers twitch with the urge to slap that smirk off her face. Instead, I inhaled, forcing my voice steady.

"You think I'll let you win?"

She leaned in, her breath warm against the night air. "I already have."

Then she turned and walked away, heels clicking against the wooden planks, disappearing into the dark.

I stood frozen, heart pounding, her ultimatum curling around me like smoke.

Walk away. Or fight a battle I might not win.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. A text. No name, no number.

"Alex isn't worth it. Let him fall."

A chill crawled down my spine. I didn't need a signature to know who sent it.

Kerrington had entered the game.

My breath steadied. My resolve hardened.

They thought they could break me?

They had no idea who they were dealing with.

I turned on my heel, the wind howling as I walked away.

This wasn't just about Alex. Or Elise.

This was war.

And I was done playing nice.