Con

CHAPTER 113

Julia’s POV

Adrian stared at me with a puzzled expression, his brow furrowing slightly. “You look really familiar,” he said, his eyes narrowing as if trying to place me.

At that moment, a memory flashed through my mind like a lightning bolt–seeing Adrian at the beach where I’d hit Sophia on the head. I felt myself paling and a wave of dizziness threatened to overwhelm me. I took a deep breath, willing myself to stay calm. Everyone’s eyes were on me–Sophia, Elijah, and Adrian–waiting for my response.

I forced a smile, trying to keep my expression nonchalant. “I don’t think we’ve met before,” I said confidently. “I only know you from Sophia and Elijah’s stories.”

Adrian tilted his head, still looking uncertain. “Are you sure? I could swear I’ve seen you somewhere.”

I shrugged, doing my best to appear casual. “Maybe you saw me in a photo or something. But no, I don’t think we’ve ever actually met.”

Sophia, sitting next to Elijah, glanced between us, her eyes filled with curiosity. Elijah remained quiet, his expression unreadable.

Adrian finally nodded, though he still looked unconvinced. “Maybe,” he said slowly. “It’s just weird. I usually remember faces pretty well.”

I smiled at him, but inside I was seething. But I also wanted to hurry out of there already.

I wasn’t fine. I was back on that beach, reliving every calculated move.

It had been a foolproof plan. Everything had gone perfectly–except for not killing Sophia outright. I could still see her crumpled form on the sand, hear the waves crashing in the distance, and feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins. I had messaged Sophia to come get her daughter, Reese, at the beach, making sure she didn’t know it was me behind the messages.

I was so close to having gotten rid of her, I thought bitterly.

Serena had been so easy to manipulate. After all, she was desperate to have Elijah all to herself. Just a few days before, we had planned to scare Sophia away by kidnapping her daughter. I’d told her I would do the rest. Serena didn’t know that I had intended to eliminate Sophia entirely.

Surprise, surprise!

Earlier that day, Serena had dropped by her favorite bakery and then took Reese away from her school. I had instructed her to take pictures of Reese so I could use them to lure Sophia to the beach.

Everything had been meticulously planned. Serena had no clue about my true intentions. She believed we were just going to frighten Sophia into leaving town.

I remembered the feel of the sand under my feet as I waited, hidden, for Sophia to arrive. When she did, her eyes filled with terror as she saw more of Reese’s pictures. That moment was seared into my

memory.

1/2

+15 BONUS

I had hit Sophia, hard. The sound of the impact echoed in my mind. But then, I heard someone talking in the distance. Panic surged through me. I ran away fast, not getting the chance to finish what I had

started.

“Julia, you sure you’re okay?” Sophia’s voice was filled with concern now, her eyes soft and caring. It made me sick.

“Yeah, just a little tired,” I lied, forcing another smile.

Luckily, I had been wearing Serena’s clothes and shoes, and I had a big hat on. If anyone had seen me, they would have likely identified me as Serena. It was the perfect cover.

Even if something went wrong, I wasn’t worried. I meant the world to my brother Henry and I know that he’s always got my back. He has plenty of connections that can surely get me out of the mess, just in case.

Henry Stanford, my greatest protector and the best brother in the world. Even when we were kids, he would always do everything for me.

I would have wanted Reese to have been gone for more days, but Serena was an idiot. She easily got actually funny that Elijah was the one who found out and had her picked up by the police. That must have been so heartbreaking and traumatic for her!

caught before we could take that little girl further away. It was

And now she’s behind bars. That’s a big bonus for me! I thought with an evil smile.

As I stood there, watching Sophia, a cold determination settled in my heart. I had failed once, but I wouldn’t fail again. No one would stand in the way of what I deserved–not Sophia, not anyone.

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