Chapter 16 Loyalty Has Teeth

• SOFIE
• As we approached the black car, Stephen opened the door with effortless courtesy. The polished surface gleamed under the sunlight. Inside, the soft leather seats enveloped me, a reminder of the new world I was stepping into. Across from me, James tapped sharply on his tablet, the furrow in his brow still etched from our fight.
• Stephen slid into the driver’s seat, his posture shifting as if he sensed the tension.