Just Once

Chapter12-Zayden

The car ride back was quiet, but it wasn't comforting-it was charged, brimming with unspoken thoughts. Sofia sat beside me, her posture rigid, her gaze fixed on the city lights flashing past the window. She hadn't spoken since we left the gala, but the tension rolling off her in waves spoke volumes.

I couldn't help but glance at her. The blood on her hand, faint but visible, was a stark reminder of what had just transpired. Sofia Volkov was many things-ruthless, calculating, terrifying-but tonight, she had been something else entirely.

Impressive.

"You're quiet," I said, breaking the silence.

Her head turned slowly, her eyes sharp as blades. "I'm thinking."

"About what?"

"About how we've been letting them play us," she said, her voice like steel. "And how that ends tonight."

I smirked, leaning back in my seat. "Bold statement, Petal. Got a plan to back it up?"

She didn't dignify that with a response, and I didn't push her. Sofia wasn't someone you prodded for answers. She gave them when she was good and ready-and when she was sure they would land like a well-aimed dagger.

The car pulled up to her penthouse, the towering building a monument to her power. She opened the door without waiting for the driver, stepping out with the kind of grace that made people forget she was just as dangerous as she was beautiful.

"Coming?" she asked, her tone daring me to decline.

I followed her inside, the elevator ride to her penthouse filled with the kind of silence that wasn't empty but brimming with anticipation.

The moment we stepped into her living room, she turned to face me, her expression cold and calculating.

"We need to figure out who's behind this," she said, pacing like a caged tiger.

"We already know it's The Society," I replied, leaning against the back of her pristine white sofa.

"Knowing it's them isn't enough," she snapped, her eyes flashing. "We need names. Faces. Weaknesses."

I nodded, crossing my arms. "And how do you propose we get that? Another round of scaring lackeys in dark hallways?"

Her lips curved into a dangerous smile. "If that's what it takes."

I couldn't help but chuckle. "You're relentless, Sofia."

"And you're not?" she shot back, her tone daring me to deny it.

Fair point.

She walked over to a sleek black desk, pulling open a drawer, and retrieved a file. She tossed it onto the coffee table in front of me.

"What's this?" I asked, picking it up.

"Everything I've gathered on The Society so far," she said, sitting down opposite me. "Every connection, every whisper, every anomaly in their movements."

I flipped through the pages, impressed despite myself. Sofia's attention to detail was unparalleled. I had more information than she ever could find but right now she didn't need to know that. I only needed to know who was again behind the chair of The Society.

"This is good," I admitted. "But it's not enough."

"It's a start," she said firmly. "And with your resources, we can fill in the gaps."

I raised an eyebrow. "My resources?"

She leaned forward, her gaze piercing. "You want them gone as much as I do, Zayden. Don't pretend otherwise."

She wasn't wrong. The Society had been a thorn in my side for years, their meddling threatening to unravel everything I'd built. And now, they'd crossed a line by targeting Sofia.

"Fine," I said, closing the file. "We'll work together. But on one condition."

Her eyes narrowed. "What condition?"

"I'm not your pawn, Sofia," I said, my voice low. "This is a partnership. Equal footing."

She studied me for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Finally, she nodded.

"Deal," she said, extending her hand.

I shook it, her grip firm.

"Good," she said, standing up. "Then let's get to work."

We spent the next few hours dissecting the file, cross-referencing it with what I knew about The Society. I slowly let out pieces of information as we worked. Giving everything to her all at once would only prove me too trusting. It was grueling, tedious work, but Sofia didn't falter. Her focus was razor-sharp, her mind a weapon as lethal as any blade.

As dawn began to break, casting a pale light over the city, we finally hit a breakthrough.

"There," she said, pointing to a name buried in a sea of data.

I leaned in, reading it aloud. "Marcus Lang."

"A middleman," she said, her voice tinged with triumph. "He's been moving funds for them. If we can track him, we'll find the rest."

I nodded, a smirk tugging at my lips. "Looks like we've got our next target."

Sofia leaned back in her chair, a rare look of satisfaction crossing her face.

"Good," she said. "Because I'm done playing defense."

I couldn't help but admire her in that moment. Sofia Volkov wasn't just a force to be reckoned with-she was a storm, and she was about to unleash hell.

And for the first time in years, I felt a spark of something I hadn't allowed myself to feel in a long time.

Excitement.

I looked at her. My eyes drifted to her lips for once then back to her eyes. heavy silence descended upon us. Suddenly the the silence felt suffocating

I stood and leaned down, my breath tickling the side of her neck. "You're so firey, petal."