Rocky waited until Sophia's figure disappeared at the top of the stairs before withdrawing his gaze.
"Seems like the other side is making their move," Kent remarked, raising an eyebrow with an intrigued smile.
"He'll regret crossing us," Rocky narrowed his green eyes, just barely concealing the sudden sharp glint within them.
"Sounds pretty interesting. Mind if I join in?" Susan chimed in enthusiastically, glancing between the two.
Both Rocky and Kent were taken aback by her voice. Damn it!
How could they have forgotten about Susan, who loved to jump into the action? This was trouble!
"Can we say no?" Kent made a last-ditch effort.
Susan smiled sweetly. "No."
"If Big Brother finds out you're personally involved in something dangerous, he'll never forgive me. Unless…" Rocky deliberately paused.
"Unless what?" Susan took the bait.
"Unless Big Brother agrees. Otherwise…" He tossed the problem back where it came from, and the issue would be resolved.
"As long as he agrees, you'll let me participate, right?" She sounded quite confident.
He quickly nodded. "Right."
"Good. Remember to count me in." Susan spoke as if it were already settled, then happily went off to prepare.
Rocky and Kent exchanged a resigned look. Aside from Big Brother, no one could really handle her.
Kent stood up. "They'll contact Sophia within the next day or two to set up a meeting spot to retrieve the photos and negatives—and probably silence her for good. I'll gather our men and handle the gang members on the periphery. You take care of the boss and play the hero saving the beauty. Guaranteed, Sophia will love you even more."
He finished with a deliberate wink at Rocky.
Rocky rolled his eyes in exasperation, then let his thoughts drift.
He really didn't like that Sophia was hiding something so serious from him—something that could cost her life. If he hadn't already known about this three months ago, and if she had gone alone… wouldn't that be like sending a lamb into a tiger's den? He highly doubted the other side would kindly let her go.
Rocky couldn't help but shudder. After this was resolved, he absolutely had to have a serious talk with her.
"Something on your mind?" Rocky asked, already knowing the answer.
He had stayed by her side all day precisely to keep track of her movements.
"N-no, not at all!" she stammered nervously.
The photos and negatives were already on her—she was just waiting for the man to call and tell her where to go to exchange them for Zoey. But with Rocky right beside her, she was afraid she might slip up during the call and ruin all her efforts to keep him in the dark.
"Glad to hear it." His long arm reached out, pulling her possessively onto his lap.
Suddenly, her phone rang again.
Ring…
She froze.
No doubt, this was the man who had taken Zoey. But Rocky was right behind her…
"Answer it," he reminded her with a smile.
She had no choice. Snapping back to attention, she quickly answered, "Hello?" She had to weigh every word carefully.
"Couldn't find Zoey, could you?" A smug laugh followed through the phone.
Sophia stayed silent.
She really hadn't been able to find Zoey yesterday—no one knew where she had gone.
"Got the stuff ready?" The man cut straight to the point.
"Yes. How is Zoey?" Sophia chose her words carefully, not wanting to raise Rocky's suspicion.
After a long pause, she finally heard Zoey's voice through the phone: "Sophia, be careful."
She felt slightly relieved. "Are you okay?" Zoey sounded mostly normal, just a bit scared.
"I'm fine. They—" Before she could finish, the man's voice cut in: "You heard her. Bring the photos and negatives now, and you'll see her." He gave an address. "Someone will bring you to us when you arrive."
"Alright." She had no choice but to go.
Then, the caller hung up.
"Is Zoey feeling better?" Rocky's eyes gleamed with understanding, though his tone remained casual.
"Uh, much better. Just a cold." She put her phone away and slid off his lap. "I'm going to check on her." She hoped he wouldn't notice her unease.
Rocky nodded. "You should visit her." He paused, then asked offhandedly, "Want me to come with you?"
He knew she would refuse, but he asked anyway.
Sophia guiltily lowered her eyes. "No need."
"Alright. Drive carefully, and don't stay out too late."
He gave his usual reminders.
"I will." She turned and hurried downstairs.
As the car slowly pulled out of the Smith estate, Sophia finally relaxed and let out a sigh of relief.
She freed one hand to pull the photos and negatives from her pocket, glancing at them with a sense of helplessness.
How could it be such a coincidence? That night, she had accidentally captured the moment of their illegal exchange. At first, she hadn't thought much of it, but given how desperately they wanted the photos, the black briefcase in the image must have contained something illegal. That was why they took Zoey—to destroy the evidence.
About ten minutes later, she arrived at the spot the man had specified. Before she could even park, she saw two men waiting nearby.
She slowed down, parked, and rolled down the window. Before she could speak, one of the men spoke first.
"Get out."
"Alright." Seeing no way out, she agreed. She found a parking spot, grabbed the photos and negatives, and immediately got out, walking toward them.
"Get in." The man opened the door of the car behind him and roughly pushed Sophia inside.
"Where are you taking me?"
"To see our boss and your friend." The driver glanced at her through the rearview mirror.
"Your boss?" She paused. Were they part of an organized crime group?
The man looked at her again. "Our boss is the leader of the Axe Gang." Anyway, she wouldn't live long enough for it to matter.
"Why didn't you just come after me instead of taking my friend?" She didn't quite understand.
"We tried. But you usually have that green-eyed guy around—hard to get to you. Plus, we already searched your old place and found nothing. So, we had to switch targets and go through your friend." The driver spoke bluntly.
Green-eyed guy? He must mean Rocky.
"It was you." So… they were the ones who had torn her home apart and left it in ruins.
It never occurred to her that a single accidentally taken photo would cause so much trouble for her and Zoey. "So, if I hand over the photos, will this all be over? You won't bother me or my friend again?" She clutched the photos and negatives tightly to her chest.
The man burst out laughing. "You're being way too naive!"