Chapter 74: Rekindling
Sophie’s POV
The café was tucked away on a quiet side street, the kind of place that attracted more locals than tourists. I’d chosen it deliberately for its privacy—small tables spaced far apart, soft music playing in the background to muffle conversations. I arrived early, claiming a booth in the back corner, as far from the windows as possible.
My mother entered fifteen minutes later, her eyes scanning the room until they found me. She looked older somehow, the lines around her eyes more pronounced, her shoulders slightly stooped. The weight of decades of deception, I supposed. The weight of our broken family.
She slid into the booth across from me, setting her purse on the seat beside her. For a moment, neither of us spoke, the air between us thick with unspoken words and shared history.
"You’re okay," she said finally, relief evident in her voice. "I was worried."
"I’m fine," I assured her, though "fine" was perhaps the least accurate word for how I felt. Exhausted, terrified, guilt-ridden—but physically unharmed. "Thank you for coming."
She reached across the table, her hand hovering uncertainly before settling over mine. "What happened with Liam? What did you find?"
I glanced around the café, ensuring no one was within earshot, then reached into my bag. "These," I said, sliding the folder of documents across the table. "Offshore accounts, money laundering, fraudulent business deals. And this," I paused, pulling out the deed to the mansion, "proves he transferred the house solely to his name, even though he and Diane bought it together."
My mother’s eyes widened as she leafed through the documents. "Sophie, how did you get these? Did he just... give them to you?"
"No," I said, a mirthless laugh escaping me. "I drugged him and broke into his safe while he was unconscious."
The shock on her face might have been comical under different circumstances. "You did what?"