by Elle, Leen
Before Gwyn could read too much into Sophie's actions, she slipped out of the kitchen, beelining for her room.
Rylan was right that today was going to be a difficult one, but Sophie hoped she would have a better grasp of where she was headed by the end of it.
* * *
"What kind of plan do you have in mind?" Cleo asked, tapping her long, pale fingers on her leg. Her eyes weren't impatient, but filled with curiosity.
The older woman was obviously pleased with Sophie's performance up to this point.
"It's not really a plan." Sophie corrected. "It's more like a crazy idea."
"I'm not new to crazy ideas. I have worked with Robert for a long time."
"Unfortunately, this isn't the good kind of crazy."
"Go on. I'm simply dying to know what has you so worked up."
They'd been speaking with each other for over an hour, rehashing what had happened the previous night. Sophie had left out the details about what Diana had informed her about Robert, simply because she felt like Cleo wouldn't care. Everything else had been closely examined, and Cleo seemed pleased with the results.
"You know that Diana doesn't want to work with you." Sophie didn't think hiding this fact would be in their best interest.
"I suppose she wouldn't. We were never on the best terms."
"That doesn't change anything for me. Even if she feels that I shouldn't work for you, I'll still find those paintings."
"How brave of you." Cleo raised her eyebrows, and her lips curled into a smile.
"I don't know why my parent's stole from you, but I feel that it's time to end this search. I'm only going to ask for one thing in return." Sophie felt her heart clench in her chest. She didn't like speaking with Cleo. Her bosses eyes were frozen and judging.
"Go on."
"I want you to let me leave. Not in five or so years, but immediately."
This request obviously did not sit well with Cleo. Her smile faded to a guarded frown.
"Why?" The question was simple, but it held a lot of weight behind it. If Sophie didn't give a concrete answer, she wouldn't get what she wanted.
"Being a thief isn't what I want anymore. It's not the life I thought I'd be getting into."
"What about your dream?" Cleo's voice remained calm.
"It's not as worthwhile as it used to be." Sophie's eyes hardened. "I thought I could give up everything, but I don't have it in me. There will always be new dreams."
"I'm surprised at the change in you." Cleo whispered. "Did Robert's past really scare you this much?" She smiled in response to Sophie's shocked expression. "I received a phone call from him before I came. You conveniently left out that fact from your report."
"I didn't think it was relevant." Sophie replied.
"You know, he's not as bad as you think he is. Everyone has a past they don't want others to find out about."
"Unfortunately, his past isn't a mistake, or something he can move on from. His past is who he is to the very core. Arrogant, entitled, selfish...he hasn't left behind these qualities even after moving into this life."
Cleo smiled again, seemingly proud of Sophie's anger.
"I'm not here to convince you otherwise. If you're set on being against him, then by all means." She paused, considering what to say next. "Just remember that everything is not always as obvious as it seems."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"If you want the complete truth, just look into his name." Cleo replied cryptically. "Now, it seems we've gotten off topic. What is this crazy plan of yours?"
Sophie tried to refocus herself. Now was the moment where she would either sink or swim.
"Diana will return in two weeks. That's a lot of time to waste not doing anything. From what I've gathered, she doesn't know where the paintings are either. She might have a guess or two, but nothing concrete. She seemed very focused on that letter my father sent Max."
Cleo raised her hand to interrupt. "I've never heard of any such letter. Even if it did exist, Max would've found the paintings if it held any key information."
"Diana knows my parent's better than Max. My father could've hinted at something that she would recognize."
"So, you want me to find this letter?"
"No, asking for it would be too obvious. I want to find it myself."
Suddenly, Cleo realized where Sophie was heading with her request.
"You insane girl. Sneaking into Max's house to find the letter is a suicide mission." For once, Cleo sounded genuinely surprised. "I wouldn't be able to guarantee you the smallest bit of protection."
"I'll have help on the inside. I'm friends with Luke, his thief."
"You're putting a lot of trust in that boy to keep you safe. Have you considered how hard it will be to keep your identity from him? We fooled Max once, but he's not a stupid man."
"I'm not putting my trust in Luke, but in myself. I can do this." Sophie's voice dripped with determination.
"I'm assuming that I'm the first person you've told about this plan?" Her voice had dropped to a whisper. "Robert would have a heart attack if he knew. Not even he would have the guts to rush into the lions den."
"Luke will help me get inside, and we can work together to find the letter. Worst case scenario, he finds out about me and uses me to find the paintings as well." Sophie paused, rethinking her next strategy. "He won't kill his only chance at finding them."
"There are worse things in this world than being killed. Max is nothing like me."
"I can do this." Sophie pleaded. "Give me a chance."
"Reckless, stubborn girl." Cleo closed her eyes, firmly considering her plan.
This was farther than Sophie had hoped she'd get, which gave her hope. When the thought had crossed her mind the night before, she'd felt like it would never have a chance. The fact that Cleo was considering it was plausible was all the encouragement she needed.
"I know it's crazy, but it's also the best strategy we've got. From the beginning, we were working with nothing. The paintings could be anywhere, but finally we've got some direction."
"Are you willing to die for something so pointless?"
"It's not pointless to me." Sophie replied with confidence. "I don't intend on dying either."
After a few minutes of silence, Cleo slowly began to speak. "Talk to the thief...Luke. See what his thoughts are, and if he knows anything about this letter. If he can get it without you risking your safety, then that'll be our plan. If not...then I'll look into what to do next."
It wasn't a yes, but it wasn't an outright no either. Sophie smiled, satisfied with Cleo's answer.
"I asked him to come over today. He should be on his way as we speak."
Cleo sighed as she pushed herself up from her chair. "Robert's going to kill me for letting you do this without him."
"Robert's not in charge of this mission. He doesn't need to know."
Cleo paused for a moment, staring down at her with searching eyes. "You've changed a lot, Sophie. The girl who first walked through that front door would never consider doing something like this."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
Sophie walked Cleo outside, and waved as the older woman drove away.
She was running out of time to convince her. If Robert returned home and found out, she wouldn't be allowed to leave.
Sophie had to work fast, and diligently to get what she wanted.
Bringing up every ounce of her courage, she stiffened her posture.
Now, she needed to focus on Luke.
* * *
"You seem...different." Luke began. He'd been watching her closely since arriving, possibly noting her fake smile and cold eyes.
"Last night's mission took a lot out of me." She replied.
Sophie had informed Luke of everything she'd learned about Robert over the phone. He hadn't needed to know, but she felt that telling him would bring them closer.
"I know you're angry at him, but this is a bit much." Luke followed her in
to the kitchen, but she refused to look him in the eye. "You had to know he was hiding something."
"There's a difference in hiding something...and hiding that."
"He may be one of them, but he's also one of us." Luke said wisely.
"I know that. I know it was childish of me to storm out, but it does change things. Maybe not everything, but the things that mattered."
"I don't like seeing you like this." Luke crossed his arms, his eyebrows knitting together.
"Luke, I trusted him." Sophie felt like she was tired of explaining herself to what seemed like everyone. "He was the first person I really trusted after my grandmother passed away. I put all of my faith in him...I leaned on him as my support. It just feels like he lied to me."
"You think he shouldn't have let you trust him?"
"He should've kept his distance, or told me the truth from the beginning." Her smile had all but faded away.
"I don't like this." Luke whispered, causing her to look up. Their eyes met, and something unexplainable passed through his eyes. "I don't like him hurting you like this."
"Well, we can't change that." Sophie replied, trying to smile the serious moment away. "Just let me believe in you, okay? If you have any dark secrets, this would probably be the time to get it out in the open."
Luke stepped towards her, reaching out to lift her in his large hands. One-second Sophie knew she was standing on firm ground, and the next she was being sat on the kitchen counter. Luke had placed her eye-level with himself, and she couldn't avoid his dark gaze.
"I'm attracted to you." He said simply.
Sophie's mouth dropped open. This wasn't the reaction she'd expected.
"I like you, so I don't want you to be hurt by him. You can trust me." His voice was steady.
Sophie felt uncomfortable being so close to him. She'd never seen him this closely before.
"I'm sorry..." She whispered, not knowing how else to reply.
"Don't be." He smiled warmly down at her. "I'm not asking you for anything, I was just telling you. If you need support, I can be that."
Sophie closed her eyes, feeling dizzy all of a sudden. "You seriously just ruined my plan."
His eyes widened in confusion. "What plan?"
"I was going to ask you for a favor, but now I feel like I'd be using you."
Luke laughed, and his smile returned. "I wouldn't mind being used by you at all. Go ahead and ask me."
"It's not something you'll want to help me with. I don't want to start an argument, or put you in a difficult situation."
"Sophie..." Luke whispered, exasperatedly. "I've been in more than one difficult situation because of you, and I keep coming back. That has to mean something, right?"
"You're making me rethink everything." Sophie complained, wincing.
Until this point she'd been confident in her plan. By switching to Max's team she would be able to find the letter, avoid working with Robert, and come even closer to her goal. She'd ignored the fact that she would be betraying the kids, and asking Luke to do something so dangerous.
The kids trusted her so much, and Luke was innocent. She couldn't jeopardize those friendships for her own gain. It might be who Robert was, but she couldn't become that person.
Cleo was right that she'd changed since coming here. She'd even changed in the last 24 hours. Robert's lie had been a catalyst for her new plan, and she'd almost been fully committed to it.
"If it's something you want, or something you really need, I'll do it." Luke grinned at her, completely supportive of the plan he didn't even know. "Anything for you. Anything."
"You're too good." Sophie reached out to touch his cheek. "So different from Robert."
The moment her hand brushed against his cheek, he leaned into her. His lips briefly touched her forehead, her nose, then finally her mouth.
Chill-bumps raced up her arms at the contact.
"Tell me, please." He whispered.
Sophie felt her heart sink. She wanted to apologize to him a thousand times. She knew exactly where his thoughts were headed, but she simply couldn't follow him there.
She loved Luke, in a way that was irreplaceable. However, it was the kind of love that was completely opposite of the kind he wanted from her.
She could've hidden her feelings and pretended to be the same as him. Except, that wasn't the kind of person she was either.
"If I don't like you the same way, would it be cruel to still ask you to help me?" Her voice was pained.
"No." His answer was confident. "I told you I'm not asking for you for anything, I just wanted you to know. Now tell me what you want."
"I don't think you'll agree." She whispered.
"Sophie." He said again, closing his eyes. "When I said anything, I meant anything."
It wasn't a request she was willing to make, but his eyes were urging. She knew the moment she really stared at him that he would agree. He wasn't like Robert, who would do what he thought was best. Luke would do what she wanted, because he liked her.
Sophie wasn't okay with asking him to help. She would never be okay with requesting things from Luke because he was so out of her league.
Luke was too perfect, kind, sweet, and innocent. She didn't stand a chance against him.
"Promise me you'll think about it." She asked, reaching out to squeeze his hand. "Tell me honestly if you think you can't do it."
He nodded, his eyes warming her heart yet again.
Reluctantly, she closed her eyes, and began to tell him her plan.
* * *
Three days was all it took for everything to fall in place. The moment Luke agreed to help her had solidified her desire to leave.
Other than him and Cleo, Sophie hadn't told another soul about her plan. She'd been grateful for Robert's absence, knowing he would've caught on if he'd been around.
Gwyn, the most perceptive of the kids, knew something was up, but she hadn't been able to place what was wrong. All the kids were concerned about Sophie, but she forced herself not to think about them.
Leaving was hard enough without having to say goodbye.
Luke had proven to be the most valuable asset she had on her team now. He'd smoothly persuaded Max to give her a shot after analyzing her profile. Max normally only used one thief, but Luke had him believe that Sophie would be enough to out smart Robert.
Max's pride and greed gave him in the incentive to recruit Sophie. Cleo also followed up on her end of the deal, going through negotiations to trade Sophie over. Cleo was a pro when it came to acting, and Max never suspected a thing.
Sophie had spent the days preparing for her transfer. She'd all but memorized Slavsky's file, knowing it wouldn't be smart to take it with her. Cleo had promised that the moment she found the letter Sophie could return here. All deals with Max after that would be dealt with flawlessly.
She had two main tasks the moment she entered Max's residence. One was, of course, to find the letter, but the other was to keep her identity a secret. It was going to be nearly impossible, but Robert had proven that he could make miracles happen, and so could she.
On the morning of her departure, Sophie woke early so that the kids wouldn't be awake when she left. If one of them was up, she had the perfect excuse to use.
All the belongings she was taking were stuffed into a small duffle bag. Luke had promised to provide anything she needed once she arrived. Max's home was located three hours away, and Luke had offered her drive her there.
Unlike Cleo, Max required Luke to live with him in his large home. This was the reason Cleo hadn't believed Sophie would be able to keep her identity a secret. However, Sophie was determined to succeed. This new mission would mean acting 24-7 without slipping up, and while Cleo doubted her, Sophie knew she didn't have a choice but to deal with it.
She always worked better when she had no other choice but to succeed.
The moment everything was ready, Sophie prepared her duffle bag, and silently headed for her bedroom door.
; She paused, and glanced one last time at her room. The signs of her life here surrounded her. Each wall represented one of the people she was leaving behind. Her eyes trailed to the handprints which Teddy, Gwyn, and Rylan had left on her wall.
Her throat closed as she wondered what they would think when she was gone. Cleo had sworn not to tell anyone about her move, including Robert. Would they think she ran away like Gwyn's mother, or would they worry that she was kidnapped?