CHAPTER THREE.

Sophie sat on the hard cot in her cell, staring at the peeling paint on the grey walls. Two days. Forty-eight hours of nothing but silence, stale food, and the cold realization that no one was coming for her.

The police had given her no lawyer, no phone call. They’d left her there like a criminal without rights without a voice. When the metal door creaked open on the third morning, she didn’t even look up.

“You’re allowed to see a lawyer now,” the officer said flatly.

Sophie’s head snapped up. “Finally,” she muttered under her breath as she stood, her legs stiff from sitting too long.

The interrogation room was colder this time, Sophie sat across from a rotating series of lawyers, faces that looked her over once, their expressions were guarded, and left within minutes.

The excuses were endless. “It’s a conflict of interest.” “I can’t take on a case of this magnitude.” “I have other commitments.”

But she knew the truth. None of them wanted to cross Edward Flynn, not even in death. His wealth, his name, his influence—they were still powerful enough to haunt her.

On the sixth lawyer, a middle-aged man in an expensive suit sighed as he closed his briefcase. “Mrs. Myers, you don’t need a lawyer. You need a miracle.”

His words hit like a slap. Sophie sat frozen, watching him walk out of the room, the door shutting behind him with an ominous click.

A miracle.

Her mind whirled, desperation clawing at her chest. A name floated to the surface. It was distant but clear. Lucas Carter.

♡♡♡

Sophie leaned against the payphone in the holding area, the receiver cold against her ear. She held her breath as the line rang once, twice. She knew it was a long shot. It had been years since she last saw Lucas.

Back then, they were only acquaintances. Friends, if you stretched the word thin. Lucas was sharp, influential, and connected in places she never thought she’d need. But most importantly, he owed her.

On the fourth ring, someone picked up.

“Sophie?” His voice was deep, familiar, though tinged with surprise.

She swallowed, gripping the phone tighter. “Lucas. I need your help.”

There was a pause on the line. “Where are you?”

“In a police cell,” she said, her voice shaking despite herself. “I’m being accused of Edward’s murder.”

A soft exhale on the other end. “Edward’s dead?”

“Yes.” Sophie’s throat tightened. “I didn’t do it, Lucas. But no one will fight for me. No one—” Her voice cracked. “Please.”

Another pause, heavier this time. “I’ll come see you.”

♡♡♡

Lucas was the same, tall, impeccably dressed, with a sharp gaze that seemed to cut through everything it landed on. When Sophie was brought to meet him in the visitor’s room, she felt a small spark of relief for the first time in days.

“Sophie,” he said, sitting down across from her. His expression was unreadable, but his tone held a note of something softer.

“You came,” she said quietly.

“I owe you.”

The memory lingered between them unspoken. Years ago, Sophie had saved him. He was a man with many friends and even more enemies. But Sophie, Sophie had stepped in when no one else would.

“And now you’re here,” Lucas said, looking at her intently. “Accused of murder. Edward Flynn’s murder.”

“I didn’t do it,” she said firmly.

“I believe you,” Lucas replied without hesitation.

Those words hit her harder than she expected. No one had said that to her yet. Not once.

“But,” he continued, “you’re in deeper than you realize. The police aren’t just looking for the truth—they’re looking for a quick win. And Edward… Edward’s name still carries weight.”

Sophie lowered her head, staring at the scratched tabletop. “I know.”

“What about your family?” Lucas asked.

Her head shot up, eyes filled with pain. “They’re not an option.”

He leaned back slightly, waiting.

“When I married Edward, my mother told me to choose—him or them,” she said, her voice raw. “I chose him.”

“And they never forgave you.”

Sophie nodded. “They won’t help me now, Lucas.”

He studied her for a moment, then exhaled through his nose, as though already calculating the moves ahead. “Fine. Then I’ll help.”

“You will?” Sophie’s voice trembled with relief.

He smirked faintly. “I’m not in the habit of abandoning friends. Besides, it’ll take more than Edward Flynn’s name to scare me.”

That night, as Sophie sat back in her cell, she felt the smallest flicker of hope.

Lucas was powerful, connected, and unshakable. If anyone could fight for her, it was him. But beneath the hope lingered something darker, something unsettling.

Who killed Edward?

She closed her eyes, replaying every moment of the past week. The empty house. The silence. The way everyone had looked at her without answering her questions.

Someone had set her up.

And whoever it was knew exactly how to bury her alive.

♡♡♡

Lucas sat in his car, gripping the steering wheel tightly. The weight of what he had just promised Sophie pressed on him. He couldn’t shake the image of her, defeated but holding on, clutching the sliver of hope he’d just handed her.

His phone buzzed beside him. With a quick glance, he picked it up, scrolling through his contacts until he found the name he needed. The screen flashed as he hit Call.

The line rang twice before a low, measured voice answered, “Lucas. Didn’t expect to hear from you so soon.”

Lucas didn’t waste time. “I need your help. It’s urgent.”

A pause. “What’s the case?”

“It’s a murder charge.” Lucas swallowed hard, his voice steady despite the knot in his chest. “Edward Flynn.”

Another beat of silence. Then, the voice said cautiously, “Flynn? That’s not just any case. You’re treading dangerous ground, Lucas.”

“I know,” Lucas replied quickly. “But I need you to fight this one. It’s really important. Please.”

“Why? What’s the angle?”

“It’s… personal.” His voice wavered, but only for a moment. “You don’t need the details. I just need you to take this case.”

“You’re asking me to go against the system for you.”

“Yes,” Lucas admitted. “And I’ll do whatever you ask of me in return. Whatever it takes.”

The man, on the other end, exhaled sharply, clearly weighing his options. “You’re putting me in a tight spot, Lucas.”

“I know,” he said again, this time with more desperation. “But you’ve done it before. Just this once—please. Help me with this.”

There was a long pause, broken only by the distant sound of traffic on the line. Finally, the voice said, “Fine. We’ll meet tomorrow. Noon. Don’t be late.”

Lucas closed his eyes, letting out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet.” The voice turned sharp.

"Ok."

“Good. And Lucas?”

“Yeah?”

“Make sure this is worth it.”

The call ended with a sharp click, leaving Lucas in silence once more. He dropped the phone onto the passenger seat, running a hand down his face. The stakes were higher than ever, but there was no turning back now.

Tomorrow, the fight would begin.