Chapter 10 Red X

Sofia's POV

Josh's cologne still lingered faintly on my skin as I helped Eliza buckle into her car seat after school. Her bright chatter filled the car. Marcus's message on Josh's phone still echoed in my head-"We need to talk now." What could they possibly discuss if not me?

As I pulled into the long driveway of the estate, I noticed it immediately. A crisp white envelope tucked neatly on the front step. No stamp. No name. Just... there. Like a silent threat left in broad daylight.

"Not again," I muttered under my breath.

"Stay in the car, sweetie," I told Eliza, forcing casualness into my voice as I stepped out and picked up the envelope. It was thick. Heavier than expected.

I didn't open it until I got her settled in her room with a snack and cartoons. Then I slipped into the bathroom, locked the door, and peeled it open with trembling fingers.

A photo of Eliza and me walking through Central Park a few days ago. Her little hand in mine, our faces turned to the sun. Perfect. Innocent.

Except for the red X slashed across my face.

I staggered backward, dropping the photo into the sink. My breathing came hard and shallow. Who could send this? And why?

I rinsed my face with cold water and scrubbed it hard, but the image had already burned itself into my mind. Someone was watching us. Someone close. And they had dangerous reasons behind all this.

The next morning, after dropping Eliza at school, I drove straight to Meridian Cafe, the usual spot where Maya, my best friend and I met. Maya was already there, her dark hair pulled into a messy bun, designer sunglasses pushed up on her head despite the cloudy weather. She looked up from her phone as I approached, her smile fading when she saw my face.

"Okay, what's wrong?" she asked before I even sat down. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

I slumped into the chair across from her, my hands shaking as I reached for the menu I didn't need. "I think I'm losing my mind."

Maya leaned forward, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Sofia, you're scaring me. What happened?"

I glanced around the café, making sure no one was listening, then pulled out my phone and showed her the photo I'd taken of the original. Maya's eyes widened, her hand flying to her mouth.

"Oh my God. When did you get this?"

"Yesterday. Left on my doorstep like some sick calling card." I tucked the phone away quickly. "There was a text too. About Eliza."

"Sofia, you need to call the police. This is-"

"No." The word came out sharper than intended. "I can't. Not yet."

Maya stared at me like I'd lost my mind. "What do you mean you can't? Someone is stalking you and your daughter!"

I ran my hands through my hair, feeling the weight of everything I couldn't tell her. "It's complicated, Maya. There are things about Josh, about our situation..."

"What things?" Her voice was gentle but insistent. "Talk to me."

The barista approached our table, and I ordered a latte I wouldn't drink. Maya got her usual-oat milk cappuccino with an extra shot. When we were alone again, she reached across the table and grabbed my hand.

"Start from the beginning. And don't you dare lie to me?"

I took a shaky breath. "Remember when I told you about the marriage contract?"

"The business arrangement thing? Yeah, you said it was just to get richer by taking half of the inheritance."

"I wasn't entirely honest." The words felt like glass in my throat. "The truth is... I married Josh to destroy him."

Maya's grip on my hand tightened. "What?"

"His family ruined mine years ago. My father... he lost everything because of Josh's father. I thought if I could get close enough, I could find something to bring them down." I laughed bitterly. "But now..."

"Now what?"

"Now I'm falling in love with him." The admission hung between us like a confession in church. "And I think he might be falling for me too, which makes this whole thing so much worse."

Maya sat back in her chair, processing. "Sofia, this is insane. You married someone to get revenge?"

"I know how it sounds-"

"It sounds like a soap opera!" She lowered her voice when a couple at the next table glanced over. "But that doesn't explain the threats. Who would want to hurt you?"

"That's what I can't figure out. Josh has enemies-powerful ones. Or maybe it's someone from my past who knows what I'm doing." I stirred my untouched latte absently. "Or maybe Josh knows more than he's letting on."

"Do you think he suspects something?"

I thought about last night. The way he'd looked at me by the fire. His words about wanting to be someone I didn't have to lie to. "Sometimes I catch him watching me like he's trying to solve a puzzle. But then he'll do something sweet, or touch me, and I forget everything except how much I want this to be real."

Maya shook her head. "You're in deep, aren't you?"

"Drowning," I admitted. "And the worst part? Eliza adores him. She's never had a father figure, and now she lights up whenever he walks into the room. If this all falls apart..."

"It'll break her heart." Maya completed.

"It'll break all our hearts." I finally took a sip of my latte, wincing at how cold it had gotten. "What am I supposed to do, Maya? How do I protect her when I don't even know who's threatening us?"

Maya was quiet for a long moment, her fingers drumming against her coffee cup. "You need to tell Josh."

"No." The word came out harder than I intended. "I can't."

"Sofia, this is bigger than your revenge plan now-"

"You don't understand." I leaned forward, my voice barely above a whisper. "I have a deal with Victor, his half brother.. He's the one who arranged all this, who gave me the information I needed to get close to Josh. If I back out now, if I tell Josh the truth..."

"What? What happens?"

I swallowed hard, remembering Victor's cold smile the day we'd shaken hands. "He destroys me. He has evidence of things I've done, ways I've bent the law to survive after my father died. He'll make sure I lose Eliza."

Maya's face went pale. "Sofia, that's blackmail."

"It's insurance," I said bitterly. "I knew what I was getting into when I made that deal. I just didn't expect..." I gestured helplessly. "To fall in love."

"Exactly." I felt tears prick in my eyes. "But it doesn't matter what I feel. I have to see this through. For Eliza's sake."

A group of college students burst through the café door, their laughter loud and carefree. I envied them for their simplicity. Their biggest worry was probably a midterm exam.

"There's something else," I said quietly. "Josh asked me last night if I thought someone was watching us. There was a car outside the house-black, tinted windows."

Maya's face went pale. "Sofia, this is getting dangerous. What if whoever sent that photo escalates? What if they try to hurt Eliza?"

The thought made my stomach lurch. "I won't let anyone hurt her."

"Then maybe you need to consider ending this. Walking away from Victor's deal."

"I can't." My voice was flat, final. "You don't understand what he has on me. What he could take away."

"Your freedom isn't worth Eliza's safety."

"My freedom is the only thing keeping Eliza safe!" The words came out louder than intended, and I quickly lowered my voice. "If Victor exposes me, I will lose her forever. At least this way, I can protect her while I figure out who's threatening us."

Maya looked like she wanted to argue, but something in my expression stopped her.

"I'm scared," I whispered.

"I know you are. But you're also one of the strongest people I know. You've been through worse than this and survived."

Had I? Right now, sitting in this sun-drenched café with my best friend, it felt like my entire world was balanced on the edge of a knife. One wrong move, and everything I'd built-fake as it might be, would come crashing down.

"What if I'm wrong about him?" I asked. "What if Josh isn't who I think he is?"

Maya considered this. "Then you'll deal with that too. But Sofia, you can't make decisions based on what-ifs. You have to trust your instincts."

My instincts. The same instincts that had led me into this mess in the first place. But I couldn't trust them now. I had to trust Victor's plan, even if every fiber of my being was screaming against it.

"I should probably get going," I said, checking my phone. "I need to pick up Eliza soon."

Maya nodded but didn't move to leave. "Promise me you'll be careful. And if things get worse..."

"They won't," I said firmly. "I'll handle this. I have to."

"And Sofia? Whatever Victor has on you, it can't be worth destroying yourself over."

If only it were that simple. But Maya didn't understand. She'd never had to choose between her heart and her child's future.

She stood and pulled me into a fierce hug. "I love you, you crazy woman. We'll figure this out."

As I drove back toward Eliza's school, Maya's words echoed in my head, but I pushed them away. There was no choice here. Victor had made that clear from the beginning. I had to see this through, no matter what it cost me personally.

But that didn't mean I couldn't find another way to protect Eliza from whoever was threatening us. I just had to be smarter. Be more careful.

Tonight, I'd stick to the plan. Keep Josh close, keep searching for the information Victor needs, and find a way to handle these threats on my own.

My phone buzzed with a text as I pulled into the school parking lot. Unknown number.

Enjoy your coffee date. Maya seems nice. It would be a shame if something happened to her too.

My blood turned to ice. Who are these people? What's going on? I tried calling the line but it wasn't reachable.

I looked around the parking lot frantically, searching for that black car Josh had mentioned. Nothing seemed out of place, but that didn't mean anything anymore.

Everything I'd thought I understood about this situation had just shifted. This wasn't just about me or my past with Josh's family. This was something bigger. Something more dangerous.

And now Maya was a target too. I couldn't tell Josh. But I had to find another way to protect the people I loved.

The question was whether I was strong enough to do it alone.