Chapter 15
CHAPTER 15
Sofia
R edwod.
A single word, spoken in the heat of sleep, sent shivers down Sofia’s spine. It wasn’t the first time they had shared a room, but it was the first time she’d heard him call that name. She stumbled out of bed and tiptoed to the chair in the corner, watching him sleep, too torn to climb back into the sheets with him. It didn’t mean anything, right? Perhaps the name was just a coincidence, something he’d learned from some half-forgotten intel. But still, the chances of two operations being named Redwood were slim to none. It couldn’t be a coincidence.
The truth was, Sofia had heard her father mention the operation before, in hushed whispers. She had seen documents and receipts tucked away in his office and had confronted him about it. That had been the first time she heard her father confess to something as terrible as being in league with people capable of wiping out an entire family. If Viktor knew about Redwood, didn’t it mean he was involved? Didn’t it mean it was his family they had murdered?
It wasn’t possible. It couldn’t be, right?
As daybreak found her settled in the chair, she decided she’d had enough of dissecting right from wrong. She was going to confront Konstantin.
The ride to her father’s townhouse felt suffocating. Sofia’s fingers dug into the seatbelt, gripping it like a lifeline as she stared out the window, the city lights blurring into streaks. Each passing moment solidified her resolve. This couldn’t wait.
Sofia burst into the foyer, her heels clicking sharply on the marble floors. Konstantin’s startled expression met hers from where he sat at the dining table, a whiskey glass halfway to his lips. The soft shuffle of papers around him told her he had been working late—a habit she used to find endearing. Now, it only deepened her suspicion.
“Sofia? What on earth—” Konstantin began, rising.
“You’re going to tell me the truth right now,” she interrupted, sharper than she intended.
“The truth?” He placed his glass down, a bemused look crossing his face. “What are you talking about?”
“About Viktor, his family—about Redwood. Don’t think I don’t know what it is now, because I do.”
His expression faltered for a split second, just enough to confirm her fears. He recovered quickly, the mask slipping back into place, but it was too late.
Sofia strode closer, the heat of her anger barely contained. “I know you’re not innocent in what happened to him. Tell me the truth, Dad. What did you do?”
He let out a deep sigh, running a hand down his face. “Sofia, this isn’t something you should involve yourself in. Viktor’s past is complicated?—”
“Don’t patronize me!” she snapped, her tone cracking under the weight of her emotions. “You’ve been lying to me my whole life, haven’t you? And now you expect me to just look the other way?”
Konstantin walked around the table, his footsteps deliberate. His eyes softened as he approached her, but Sofia didn’t back down.
“I kept you safe, Sofia,” he said, his tone low. “Everything I did was to protect you.”
“Protect me? Is that what you tell yourself to sleep at night?” she fired back, her chest heaving. “What about Viktor? What about his family?”
The softness in his demeanor hardened. “Viktor’s family was collateral damage in a war much bigger than him. I had no choice.”
The words felt like a slap. Sofia recoiled, the bile of betrayal rising in her throat. “No choice?” she echoed bitterly. “You’re telling me you played a part in their deaths, and you’re justifying it as ‘no choice’?”
“They were a threat, Sofia!” he barked. “Viktor’s father was reckless, and his ambition endangered us all. If I hadn’t acted, our entire network would’ve crumbled. Do you think I wanted that blood on my hands?”
Sofia’s hands trembled, her mind racing to piece together the fragments of truth she had just been handed. “You didn’t just ‘act,’” she accused. “You betrayed him. His whole family was slaughtered, and you stood by and let it happen!”
Konstantin’s face twisted with pain. “I did what I had to do to ensure your future. Do you think Viktor would’ve survived if I hadn’t intervened? He was just a boy!”
“Don’t you dare try to play the hero in this!” Sofia shouted, tears stinging her eyes. “You used him. Just like you’re using me.”
A heavy quiet fell between them, the weight of her accusation unwavering.
“You don’t understand,” Konstantin finally said, quieter now. “This life... it’s not black and white. Viktor’s father made enemies. I wasn’t the one who pulled the trigger, Sofia. But I didn’t stop it either.”
“That’s not an excuse,” she hissed, stepping back. “You let his entire family die because it was convenient for you. And now you’re using me to keep him in line, aren’t you?”
Konstantin didn’t respond, his silence confirming her suspicions. Sofia felt the room tilt, her legs wobbling under the weight of the revelation.
“You disgust me,” she whispered.
Her father’s expression shifted, anger flashing in his eyes. “Be careful, Sofia,” he warned. “You don’t know what you’re playing with. Viktor isn’t some innocent victim. He’s a man consumed by vengeance. You think you love him, but he’ll destroy you the moment he realizes you’re a liability.”
“And whose fault is that?” she shot back. “You made him this way.”
Konstantin sauntered closer. “You’re walking a dangerous path. If Viktor finds out the truth?—”
“I’ll decide when and how he finds out,” Sofia interrupted.
“You’ll get yourself killed,” Konstantin said coldly.
Sofia squared her shoulders, her resolve hardening. “Maybe. But at least I won’t be a coward like you.”
She turned on her heel and stormed out of the room, her heart pounding in her chest. As she stepped into the night, her mind swirled with thoughts of Viktor.
How could she tell him the truth?
The crisp night wind stung Sofia’s skin as she walked briskly down the townhouse steps, each step echoing the turmoil within her. Her father’s words replayed in her head, louder with every breath. “Collateral damage.” The phrase made her stomach churn. Viktor’s family, his entire life, torn apart by Konstantin’s decisions—and now she was tangled in the web he had spun.
The cab ride back to the penthouse was a blur. By the time she arrived, the gravity of her choice was sinking in. She needed clarity. But clarity wouldn’t come from pacing the opulent halls of Viktor’s domain.
Sofia dialed Nina’s number.
Nina picked up after two rings. “Sofia? It’s late. What’s going on?”
“I need to see you,” Sofia said, her tone cracking despite her effort to sound composed. “It’s important.”
Half an hour later, Sofia was seated in Nina’s cozy living room, the warmth of the space contrasting sharply with the cold chaos of her thoughts.
Nina set two steaming mugs of tea on the table before settling across from her. “All right. Spill it.”
Sofia took a deep breath, the weight of the secret clawing at her chest. “It’s about Viktor. And my father.”
Nina’s brows furrowed as she leaned forward. “What about them?”
“I confronted Konstantin tonight,” Sofia began, her words tumbling out in a rush. “About Viktor’s past. About what happened to his family. And he admitted it, Nina. He was involved in their deaths.”
Nina’s eyes widened, her mug forgotten in her hands. “What? Sofia, that’s—oh my God. Does Viktor know?”
“No,” Sofia said quickly, shaking her head. “And that’s the problem. I don’t know if I should tell him. What if it pushes him over the edge?”
Nina set her mug down with a deliberate clink, her expression grave. “Sofia, you can’t keep something like this from him. He deserves to know the truth.”
Sofia’s hands clenched into fists on her lap. “I know that. But you don’t understand how fragile things are between us right now. If I tell him, it could destroy everything.”
“What’s more important?” Nina asked pointedly. “Your relationship or his right to know the truth about his family?”
The question hit Sofia like a slap. Nina softened her tone. “Look, I know you care about Viktor—maybe more than you want to admit. But keeping this from him will only make things worse in the long run.”
Sofia ran a hand through her hair, frustration bubbling to the surface. “What if he hates me for not telling him sooner? Or worse—what if he can’t handle it?”
“You’re not responsible for his reaction,” Nina said firmly. “You’re responsible for being honest. The rest is up to him.”
Sofia closed her eyes, letting Nina’s words sink in. She knew her friend was right. The truth was a ticking time bomb, and every moment she delayed was another second closer to detonation.
But knowing that didn’t make the decision any easier.