Chapter 146

Sophie’s POV
I felt a rush of nervous energy as I paced back and forth in the empty hallway. It had been a whole damn day, and I still hadn’t found my chance to check on that suburban development project. The anxiety was eating me alive.
My phone buzzed—Lucian West calling again. Shit.
I ducked into a corner where nobody could hear me, my voice barely above a whisper. “Mr. West, please be patient. I’m working on it. These are confidential files and I need special clearance to access them.”
“Enough excuses,” Lucian cut me off, his voice ice cold as he drummed his fingers against his desk. I could practically feel the frost through the phone. “Ms. Hart, if you can’t deliver, say so now. Don’t waste my time.”
My face burned with humiliation. I wanted to snap back, but I couldn’t afford to lose Lucian as my backer right now.
“I assure you, just give me a little more time,” I forced myself to sound confident. “I’ll get what you need.”
He made a dismissive sound. “I’ll be waiting for your good news, then.”
After hanging up, I finally allowed myself to breathe. Since I couldn’t get anywhere with Ryan, there was only one option left—Kane.
Kane might have lost his influence, but he was still a Blackwood. His word would carry more weight than mine ever could.
I went home to change first, slipping into something more flattering before heading to Kane’s private villa. The man barely had any real power these days. When he wasn’t keeping the old lady company at the family estate, he was holed up here.
We’d worked together before. I wasn’t thrilled about crawling back to him, but desperate times called for desperate measures.
Standing outside his locked gates, I took a deep breath and pressed the buzzer.
Minutes later when the door opened, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. I’d worried he might refuse to see me altogether.
Inside, I found him sitting in his wheelchair, nursing a drink. I plastered on my most charming smile as I approached him.
“Mr. Blackwood, it’s been a while.”
Kane barely glanced up at me, not bothering to respond.
“Drinking alone?” I purred, reaching for the bottle to pour myself a glass. “Doesn’t that get lonely?”
That finally got a reaction—a cold laugh.
“What’s wrong? Not having a good time with Ryan anymore, so you’ve come crawling back to me?”
Perfect opening. I sighed dramatically, swirling the amber liquid in my glass.
“Ryan’s a heartless bastard. All he cares about now is that Serena woman. He doesn’t give a damn about me.”
I leaned closer, letting my perfume waft toward him. “I’ve realized he’s not worth my time. He could never measure up to you, Kane.”
I clinked my glass against his, making sure to arch my back just so, letting my dress pull tight across my chest.
Kane looked me up and down with undisguised contempt. “Cut the crap. Why are you really here?”
I smiled, dropping the act. No point trying to fool him.
“To work with you again, of course. To bring down Blackwood Enterprises.”
Kane raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. “Do you understand my current situation, Sophie? I’m hardly in a position of power.”
The last time he’d tried to take down Ryan, he’d nearly ended up in prison. If the family matriarch hadn’t intervened, he’d be behind bars instead of in this luxurious prison of his own making.
“Are you really going to let one setback stop you?” I moved closer, my voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.
“That’s not the Kane Blackwood I know. Last time we failed because we didn’t understand his weaknesses. But what if we found something he couldn’t escape from?”
“Weaknesses?” Kane’s eyes lit up with interest as he turned to face me. “Don’t tell me you think Serena is his weakness. I don’t need you to state the obvious.”
“I’d never insult your intelligence like that,” I waved dismissively. “I’m talking about internal projects within Blackwood Enterprises. There must be something that could bring Ryan down.”
Kane leaned forward slightly. “Be more specific. What internal projects?”
I laughed nervously, scrambling to elaborate on my lie.
“I’ve heard rumors about some projects from ten years ago that had… irregularities. If we could find evidence of tax evasion or under-the-table dealings, Ryan wouldn’t be able to escape the consequences
I trailed off, watching his face carefully. His interest was definitely piqued. Good.
“Think about it—our chances of success would be so much higher.”
Kane studied me. “If you’ve thought this through so carefully, why haven’t you investigated yourself?”
“I’ve tried! But these files are classified. I can’t access them without help.” I let my voice take on a plaintive tone. “If I could handle this alone, I wouldn’t be bothering you.”
“So what do you need from me?” Kane asked flatly.
“I need your authorization slip.”
“You mean… Ryan’s authorization?”
I hesitated. “Yours should work too, right?”
I wasn’t even sure if Kane’s credentials still had any power, but if Ryan’s were out of reach, Kane would have to find another way.
Kane didn’t seem offended by my suggestion. Instead, he appeared thoughtful.
“I can get you authorization, but you need to tell me which specific project from ten years ago you’re interested in.”
I shifted uncomfortably, having no intention of revealing my true motives.
“I only heard rumors, honestly. We’ll have to check several of them.”
“Is that so?” Kane’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “Then don’t bother. Even with authorization, you can only access one or two project files at a time.”
Kane knew the procedures well from his time at headquarters. I couldn’t fool him. Finally, I gritted my teeth and mentioned the suburban development project.
“The suburban development from ten years ago?” Kane narrowed his eyes. Something flickered across his face—recognition?
“Do you know something about it?” I asked eagerly. “If you remember details, maybe I wouldn’t need to investigate at all.”
Kane studied me with growing suspicion. “Why are you so interested in this particular project?”
“I’m not,” I lied quickly. “I just heard rumors.”
Kane clearly wasn’t buying it. “I don’t recall the details,” he said coolly.
I tried to hide my disappointment. “Then I’ll have to check for myself. About that authorization slip