Chapter 101

• Sophie’s heart pounded with an unsettling mixture of anticipation and dread as they drove inside the sprawling gates of the estate where Vanessa’s house was located. She had debated whether or not to bring Lisa on this trip, and in the end, she had relented and told her everything. Lisa supported her even though she felt it was dangerous. But she agreed to help.
• The high, wrought-iron fence stood like a silent sentry, enclosing the mansion hidden behind thick rows of ancient trees. The building looked more like a castle than a home, with its towering stone exterior and intricate carvings that could only belong to someone with both wealth and an obsessive attention to detail. Lisa reluctantly parked close to the gate as they had agreed, and Sophie went in alone. Her face was a mixture of concern and curiosity, as Sophie had insisted she wait in the car.
• The grand house, perched at the end of a long, winding driveway, exuded an air of coldness, its windows dark and uninviting, much like the woman who resided there. Sophie swallowed hard. She hadn’t come here to beg or apologize. She was here for a different reason, and she knew this confrontation would push them both to their limits. Sophie needed to face Vanessa alone to show her that she wasn’t afraid.