19. Sophia
NINETEEN
Sophia
I yank out the thumb drive, my heart thundering in my chest. Eyes darting wildly, I search for a hiding spot. The server banks offer no cover, just endless rows of blinking lights.
Footsteps echo closer. Panic rises in my throat.
There—a maintenance closet. I lunge for it, wrenching the door open. I squeeze inside. The space is tiny, crammed with cleaning supplies. The door clicks shut just as I hear voices enter the room.
“Did you see the game last night?” A man’s voice, casual and unaware.
“Nah, missed it. How’d it go?” Another voice responds.
I curl into myself, willing my breathing to slow. The closet is stifling. The scent of chemicals burns my nostrils. Sweat trickles down my back, my shirt sticking uncomfortably to my skin.
Minutes crawl by like hours. My muscles cramp, protests ignored. I dare not move.
In the darkness, faces flash before my eyes. Luke, my beautiful boy, his future hanging by a thread. Blake’s trust is a warm blanket I don’t deserve. Jenna’s friendship is a lifeline I’m slowly severing.
Guilt twists my stomach. I’m betraying them all, every moment, every breath .
The voices drone on, oblivious to my presence. I check my watch. Fifteen minutes. Thirty. An hour ticks by.
The Guardian Grind will be bustling now. Jenna will be wondering where I am. Another betrayal to add to my growing list.
Finally, after what feels like an eternity, the techs leave. I wait another agonizing five minutes before creeping out, muscles screaming in protest.
I retrace my steps and climb the stairs. Each footfall is a countdown to discovery. At the ground floor, I pause, taking a deep breath before pushing the door open.
The guards from earlier are still at their post. The taller one spots me, waving cheerfully.
“Enjoy your tour?” he calls out.
I force a smile, praying they can’t see how I’m trembling. “Yeah, it was… illuminating.”
“You look a bit flushed,” the shorter guard observes. “Those VR sims can be a real workout, right?”
I laugh weakly. “Something like that. Thanks again.”
I hurry past, the weight of their gazes heavy on my back. Outside, the fresh air does little to calm my nerves.
The flip phone buzzes. I answer with shaking hands.
“Are you out?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Took long enough,” Malfor snarls. “Get to the HR building. Now.”
I scan the sprawling Guardian HQ campus. The HR building sits at the far end, impossibly distant.
A row of golf carts catches my eye. I approach one, Blake’s badge still clutched in my hand from earlier. Without thinking, I swipe it over the cart’s sensor. It chirps to life, the display lighting up. I hop in, my movements jerky with unease.
I shove Blake’s badge deep into my pocket and grip the steering wheel.
The cart hums beneath me as I set off, buildings blurring past—the training center, the mess hall, the dormitories. Agents and staff move about their day, oblivious to the betrayer in their midst. Each familiar face I pass is another knife twist in my gut .
I park at the HR building, its imposing facade looming over me. I’ve only been here once before—Blake took me to get my badge.
Taking a deep breath, I square my shoulders and approach the entrance. Before I step inside, I pull out the phone.
“I’m at HR,” I whisper.
“Good,” Malfor’s voice is cold. “We’re going to clone that badge.”
“Clone it?”
“Yes, you idiot. We’re going to copy Blake’s access onto your badge. It’ll be in their server room. You should know how to do this by now.”
“Okay.” His arrogance and cruelty make me flinch.
Inside, a bored receptionist looks up. “Can I help you?”
“I-I need to update my employee information,” I stammer, forcing a smile.
“Down there. Forms are on the desk.” She waves vaguely toward a hallway.
I head in the direction she indicates. Once out of sight, I scan for stairs. The server room must be in the basement, like before.
I find a stairwell and descend, each step heavy with dread. The basement is quiet and dim. I wander, searching for anything that looks like a server room.
There—a heavy door with a card reader. I pull out Blake’s badge, swiping it with trembling fingers.
Nothing.
Another swipe of the badge. Green light. The lock disengages. I slip inside, surrounded once again by humming machines and blinking lights. My heart races as I pull out the phone.
“I’m in the server room,” I whisper.
“About time.” Malfor’s tone is sharp, impatience dripping from every word. “Find a terminal. I’ll give you the code to input. This will prepare the system for the clone.”
My vision blurs as I stare at the screen, the characters swimming before my eyes. How long have we been at this? Minutes? Hours? Time seems to stretch and warp around me.
My shoulders ache from tension, and my fingers cramp from the careful keystrokes. Each mistake sends a jolt of panic through me, and Malfor’s impatience is a constant threat .
“I-I’m sorry,” I stammer after another error. “Let me try again.”
“You’re trying my patience, girl. Better get it right this time.”
The pressure builds with each passing moment. My breathing becomes shallow, and my chest is tight with anxiety. I force myself to focus, to shut out everything but the code and Malfor’s voice.
Finally, after an eternity, I input the last character correctly. I slump, utterly drained. My hand shakes as I reach for the phone, awaiting the next command.
“Good.” Malfor’s approval does nothing to ease the knot in my stomach. “Now, onto the next step. You need to demagnetize your badge. Hold it against the server tower for ten seconds. The electromagnetic field will do the job.”
My hand shakes as I press my badge against the cool metal of the server. One Mississippi, two Mississippi…
“Done,” I whisper.
“Good. Now go back upstairs to HR. Tell them your badge isn’t working. Say it’s demagnetized. They’ll reissue it, and when they do, that code will clone Blake’s access onto yours.”
The plan clicks into place. My stomach churns. “I understand.”
“Don’t screw this up.” Malfor’s voice cuts through the line, cold and final, before he hangs up.
I take a deep breath, pocketing both badges. Straightening my clothes, I head back upstairs, rehearsing my lie.
At the HR desk, a different person greets me. “Can I help you?”
I feign frustration, holding out my badge. “My card’s not working. I think it got demagnetized somehow.”
The HR rep nods sympathetically. “No problem, happens sometimes. Let’s get you a new one.”
I watch anxiously as they swipe my badge through a machine. A few keystrokes, a whir of electronics, and then they hand me back a seemingly identical card.
“There you go. All set.”
I force a smile. “Thanks so much.”
Walking away, the weight of what I’ve just done settles over me. In my hand, I now hold the key to all of Guardian HQ—and take another step deeper into betrayal .
“It’s done.” I grip my new badge tightly, feeling every bit the traitor.
“Good. Now get to work before they notice you’re late,” Malfor says, satisfaction coloring his tone.
Late? It’s nearly two in the afternoon. I’m way past late, but the line goes dead. He has no further use for me today.
I hope.
I hurry across the grounds to The Guardian Grind. The lunch rush is in full swing. Jenna’s eyes widen as I burst through the door.
“There you are.” Relief and concern war in her expression. “I was worried sick.”
I force a smile, tying my apron with trembling hands. “Sorry, I-I had some paperwork to fill out. HR stuff.”
The lie tastes bitter. As I move behind the counter, the weight of what I’ve done settles over me. Each smile I give and each order I take feels like a betrayal of everything I hold dear.
And always, always, the fear for my son’s life drives me forward. I’m trapped, a puppet dancing to Malfor’s cruel tune. With each passing moment, the strings only tighten.
The day stretches endlessly, a blur of coffee orders and forced smiles. By closing time, exhaustion weighs on me like a physical thing. I drag myself home, knowing Blake will be waiting.
The thought of facing him, of lying to his face, twists my stomach in knots. But what else can I do? There’s no way out.
When I walk in, Blake’s face lights up when he sees me. That smile—so open, so trusting—hits me like a knife to the heart.
I’m Sophia, the betrayer.
Sophia the liar.
Sophia the traitor.
I take a deep breath, ready to play my part once more.
“Rough day?” He pulls me into an embrace.
I nod against his chest, not trusting my voice. His warmth surrounds me, and for a moment, I let myself pretend. Pretend this is real and that I’m not betraying him with every breath.
But as we settle in for the evening, Malfor’s voice echoes in my head. “Remember, you belong to me. Always. ”
As we lie tangled together in bed that night, I cling to Blake tighter than usual. His hands roam my body, igniting a fire that momentarily burns away the guilt and fear.
“You okay?” Blake murmurs, his voice husky with concern and desire.
“I’m good. Just tired.” I kiss him, pouring all my conflicted emotions into the gesture.
I curl closer to Blake, seeking comfort even as guilt gnaws at me. How long can I keep this up? How much more can I betray before it destroys me completely?
When he takes control, his commands soft but firm, I surrender gladly. For a little while, I forget the weight of my betrayal and lose myself in the safety of his dominance.
Once Blake’s breathing evens out, I carefully disentangle myself from his embrace. The warmth of his skin lingers on mine, a bittersweet reminder of the connection we’ve just shared. Quietly, I slide out of bed, every movement deliberate and cautious, as if afraid the air might betray me.
I retrieve his badge from where I hid it earlier. The cool metal bites against my palm as if it carries the weight of my guilt. With a silent breath, I crouch down beside his side of the bed.
I hesitate for a fraction of a second.
But there’s no going back. I’ve already committed the worst sin.
I slide the badge under the bed, pushing it just far enough so it’s not immediately visible but easy to find. My heart pounds, each beat a countdown to when Blake will discover it.
When he’ll wonder why we missed it before.
I straighten slowly, taking one last look at the hidden badge, my heart aching with the weight of my deceit.
The night deepens around me, wrapping me in its cold embrace as I slip back under the covers beside Blake. Sleep, however, remains elusive, chased away by the gnawing guilt and the ever-present fear for my son’s life.
Tomorrow only brings more lies and more betrayal.
The following day, I wake early, the weight of yesterday still pressing down on me. I slide out of bed carefully, trying not to disturb Blake. I need a moment to clear my head, so I head to the bathroom and start the shower, letting the steam fill the small space.
The water is warm against my skin, but it does little to wash away the anxiety clinging to me.
As I stand under the spray, Blake stirs in the bedroom. The soft rustle of sheets tells me he’s getting up, and my heart skips a beat.
Suddenly, he mutters, “What the hell…” His voice is low, laced with confusion.
My stomach tightens, knowing he’s found the badge.
I quickly finish, wrapping myself in a towel, and step out of the bathroom just in time to see Blake holding his missing badge. His expression is one of confusion mixed with a hint of suspicion.
“Morning, sleepyhead.” My tone is light, but there’s a flicker of nervousness I try to hide. “Is that your missing badge?”
“Yeah,” he replies, still staring at the badge. “It was under the bed. We must have missed it somehow.”
My pulse races as I force a smile. “I told you it would turn up eventually.”
He looks at me, his eyes searching mine for something, but I can’t tell if he’s found what he’s looking for. There’s a tension in the air, a moment of doubt that I can’t quite shake off.
I step closer, placing a hand on his arm. “It’s a relief you found it.”
He nods slowly, but I can see the uncertainty lingering in his expression. “Yeah, I guess so.”
I lean in and kiss his cheek, trying to push away the growing fear that he knows more than he’s letting on. “Let’s not think about it too much. It’s just a badge, right?”
Blake’s arms wrap around me, and for a moment, I relax into his embrace. But the knot in my stomach remains.
I hate lying to him—deceiving him like this.