"Sophia."
M spoke again, her voice barely a whisper. "You have no idea I used to envy you. Julian only ever loved me because he mistook me for his mother. But his love, from beginning to end, was always meant for you. It always has been."
Her conviction was unshakeable.
"You have to believe him."
"You can''t do this to him."
She simply wouldn''t allow it!
Time passed.
So long, in fact, that M started to think she''d never get a reply; that, this time, she''d failed. Then, atst, a voice rose from the bed beneath her.
"Move."
"You..." M hesitated, worried Sophia wouldsh out the moment she stood, so she stayed frozen.
"Move!"
After a moment''s pause, M finally shifted away, stepping off the bed and putting a safe distance between them. She couldn''t help it-Sophia was always so vtile, and M could never quite guess what she was thinking.
Sophia rolled over onto her back with some effort.
For a while, she just stared up at the nk, white ceiling. Then, suddenly, she spoke. “M, you really are... unbelievably stupid."
M said nothing.
"You''ve got enough trouble of your own, and yet you still want to meddle in my business? In my child''s life?" Sophia turned her head slightly to look at M, face unreadable. "Haven''t you figured it out yet? Why do you think your husband came to me for a partnership?"
"He''s not my husband."
"Oh? If you say so." Sophia let out a coldugh. "He certainly doesn''t see it that way."
M''s brow furrowed.
Sophia went on, "That man-Cossio, right? he can''t show his face right now because of this person. But what if that person was gone?"
"What are you getting at?"
M''s voice had turned icy.
"Don''t you see?" Sophia''s eyes sparkled with a sly amusement. "You''ve been his from the very start. You don''t even know what promises he made to me to keep his grip on you."
A chill ran through M''s chest-a creeping sense of dread, mingled with disbelief. "To keep me?" She let out a bitterugh. "What makes you two so sure you can just manipte someone else''s life like it''s yours to control?"
"Simple. Because you''re still standing right here."
Sophia smiled.
M fell silent.
She bit down on her lip, then managed, "What did he promise you?" Was it the same thing Sophia had mentioned before-the absurd ''destroy to rebuild'' scheme, using a child as a pawn?
If so, there had to be a gentler way.
No need for this kind of madness.
Sophia, reading her thoughts as easily as if they were written on her face, let out a low chuckle. "Oh, M. If that was all I wanted, I could handle it myself. Why
would I need to work with Lysander of all people? You know how petty and troublesome he is."
The unease in M''s chest only grew.
She pressed again. "What did he promise you? I can—”
"You can''t."
Sophia''s smile grew sharper.
"What I want is something only the Montgomery family can give me. Only he can give it-oh, unless you still consider yourself Mrs. Montgomery. In that case, maybe you could give it to me too. Imight even consider ditching Lysander and working with you instead? After all, Julian is my child. I don''t want to see him suffer, either... But, what a pity."
M''s expression darkened. "What is it you want, exactly?"
What could possibly exist that only the Montgomery family possessed?
Power? Influence? Money?
"When hees to you, you can ask him yourself."
"He''sing to me?"
"That''s right." Sophia watched her, half-smiling. "Don''t you think you''ve been a little too recklesstely? Or do you really believe he has endless patience for you?"
M didn''t know what to say.
She just couldn''t understand Lysander. If this was all about some twisted possessiveness over what he used to have, was that truly enough to drive someone to such extremes? Or was there something else about her-something he needed?
What could it be?
If not, then why?
She spoke, almost without realizing the question had escaped her lips.
Sophia
stared at at her for a moment, then-suddenly-burst intoughter. Real, uncontrobleughter that rang through the room. "Oh, that''s rich! No wonder he came to me for help. So that''s it... Turns out you''re just as clueless as the rest of us. He''s really made a mess of things, hasn''t he?"
It was all just too amusing.
After a good while, Sophia slowly sat up on the edge of the bed, looking at the stunned M. Her smile widened. "You know, I''m starting to like your suggestion after all. Maybe we should make a deal."
Though, the terms might need a little adjustment.
Sophia''s mood had shifted.
Given the circumstances, she suddenly had no interest in ying Lysander''s game anymore. Sure, he had something she wanted-but now, M seemed far
more intriguing.
Maybe, just maybe,
She was starting to understand Lysander''s obsession.
There was something about M that people like them found desperately scarce and impossibly alluring a kind of love that seemed endless, that refused to wither, that could never be exhausted no matter how much it was trampled or hurt. It was like a patch of earth rich and fragrant, calling out for life to take root and flourish, to drink deep of its nourishment.
The tragedy was,
M clung to her treasure, stingy to thest-
Giving her love only to those she chose.
What a selfish, cold creature she was.
Someone like her could thrive anywhere-so why shouldn''t she belong to the Pembroke family? Her guardian, Jade Suthend, was so eager for her to marry, and the Pembrokes certainly weren''tcking in eligible men. Why let the Montgomerys have her?
Why let Lysander have her?
Sophia''s smile lingered. For the first time, she thought maybe her indecisive little
brother wasn''t so useless after all... and even her own cowardly, disappointing
son didn''t seem quite so hopeless.
If only they couldy im to this treasure.
Then what she wanted would finally be within reach.
Lysander would never refuse her.