Chapter 311
The afternoon sunlight streamed through the tall windows of the Laurent estate, casting long shadows across the marble floors. Sophia Hill sat in the plush living room, swirling a glass of fresh milk absentmindedly. Twenty minutes had passed since Zoe Vanderbilt disappeared upstairs with Lillian de Arma, and the silence was beginning to weigh on her.
Just as she took another sip, the sound of polished shoes clicking against the floor made her look up. Her lips instantly flattened into a thin line.
Lucas Laurent stood before her, his dark eyes scanning her with obvious disdain. "You?"
Sophia wiped the milk mustache from her upper lip, unimpressed by his judgmental stare. She knew exactly what he was thinking—another desperate woman his mother had dragged home in hopes of matchmaking.
"Trust me, I wouldn't be here if Zoe hadn't insisted," she shot back, just as footsteps descended the staircase.
Zoe appeared, her expression unreadable. Sophia immediately set her glass down and stood. "Zoe, what did Lillian say?"
Zoe barely glanced at Lucas before responding, her voice steady but distant. "Enough."
Lucas stepped closer, his gaze lingering on Zoe's face. "I didn’t expect you to seek out my mother after all this time."
"I came for answers about my mother," Zoe replied coolly. "Now that I have them, I'm leaving."
Sophia shot Lucas a glare before following Zoe out. The moment they stepped into the car, Zoe's composed façade cracked.
The city blurred past the window as Zoe stared blankly, lost in thought.
Lillian confirmed Mom didn’t die of illness. But even she doesn’t know the full truth about the de Armas and the Goldmanns.
Nathan warned me about the danger tied to his bloodline—how his great-grandfather's affair with a Stoslo princess marked them as enemies of the crown.
If I stay with him, will I really be putting myself at risk?
"Zoe!" Sophia's sharp voice snapped her back to reality.
The car had pulled over. Sophia studied her with concern. "You zoned out completely. I asked where you wanted to go next—back to the studio?"
Zoe exhaled shakily. The studio? With everything swirling in her mind, she couldn’t focus on work.
"Let’s get a drink," she muttered.
Dusk Lounge
The bass thrummed through the air, vibrating under their feet. Neon lights flickered over the packed dance floor, where bodies moved in sync with the pulsing rhythm.
Sophia guided Zoe to the bar, frowning as her friend downed her first glass too quickly. "You never drink like this. What did Lillian say to shake you up?"
Zoe twirled the empty glass between her fingers. "My mother didn’t die of cancer. But even Lillian doesn’t know how she really died. And the history between the de Armas and the Goldmanns?" She laughed bitterly. "Too tangled for anyone to unravel."
Sophia's grip tightened around her own drink. "Then we’ll figure it out. Together."
Zoe didn’t answer. The music drowned out her thoughts, but not the fear creeping in.
If the past is this dangerous… what does that mean for my future?