Fractures and Schemes      

In the next few days, I had been completely absorbed, glued to my laptop, diving into the stock market like it was my personal playground. Short-term, long-term — I was buying and selling stocks without ever leaving my room.

I'd scroll through lists, pick stocks I knew would skyrocket in a few days, then sell them at their peak, just before they crashed. It was a delicate game of timing, and I played it like a pro.

Of course, my memory wasn't perfect. Sometimes I got it wrong, and I'd take a hit. But none of the losses were bad enough to make me flinch.

Still, there was this strange side effect — those blinding headaches hadn't gone away. Every time I remembered something, it was like a lightbulb going off in my head, and suddenly, I'd have an epiphany. I'd know exactly where to invest, like I was seeing into the future.

QuantumLyfe had been one of those flashes of insight.

But if I was going to survive Sinclair's six-month deadline, I needed more than just stock wins — I needed a business that could sustain me long-term. QuantumLyfe still seemed like my best shot at massive returns, but that didn't mean I could let my guard down.

Just as I was about to dive into another investment, a knock on my door snapped me out of my focus. I closed my laptop, irritation prickling at me, and opened the door to find Sophie standing there, smiling far too brightly, a tray of tea and biscuits in her hands.

"My lady, why have you been locking yourself in your room all day?" she asked, her voice sweet, but the question thinly veiled her concern — or rather, her nosiness.

I smirked, leaning against the doorframe. "And since when did you become the lady of the house that I need your permission to lock my door?"

Her lips tightened, her eyes flashing with anger she tried to hide behind a forced smile. "That's not what I meant. We're just worried about your health. You haven't come out of your room at all today."

"Do I need to report my every move to you now?" I shot back.

Sophie was taken aback, her face paling at my words. She wasn't used to me speaking to her like this. Angry? Yes. But never this direct. I'd always kept my frustration in check because I knew she'd run straight to my parents and have me punished.

However, right now, I had no time for her petty games.

Without another word, I grabbed my purse and started to leave.

"Where are you going?" Sophie called out, her voice laced with hidden venom.

"Someplace."

"I'm coming with you."

"Don't bother." I turned back, a smile creeping onto my lips. "Your little brain wouldn't be able to keep up."

Sophie's mouth hung open, stunned as I brushed past her, not giving her a second glance.

I had bigger things to deal with than her meddling. This game I was playing required precision, focus, and no distractions.

And Sophie? She was nothing but a distraction.

=== 🤍 ===

"Ingrate!" Sophie fumed, her face twisted with anger as she stomped around Eve's room, throwing whatever she could get her hands on. Clothes, stuffed toys, anything soft and non-breakable went flying as she roared out her frustration.

But none of it felt like enough — she wanted to break something, to lash out at more than just inanimate objects.

As her gaze landed on Eve's laptop, her curiosity piqued. Maybe there was something in there, some secret she could use against her.

Marching over, she opened the laptop, her fingers poised above the keyboard, only to be greeted by a password screen.

"Of course, she has it locked," Sophie muttered under her breath, biting her thumb as she tried to think. She typed in Eve's birthday — nothing. Cole's birthday — nope. She tried everything she could think of: her parents' birthdays, the name of their dog, even Eve's favorite color. Nothing worked.

An alert flashed on the screen, warning her that after too many failed attempts, she'd have to wait an hour to try again.

Sophie nearly screamed, clenching her fists as she grabbed the laptop, tempted to hurl it across the room. Just as she was about to give in to that impulse, the door creaked open, and her mother, Sophia, stepped inside, her eyes narrowing at the chaos.

"What's going on here?" Sophia asked, her voice calm but cold as she closed and locked the door behind her.

Sophie quickly set the laptop back down, her anger giving way to tears as she ran into her mother's arms. "Mom! I don't want her here anymore! She's so infuriating! I don't want to pretend a maid here anymore!"

Sophia sighed, wiping away her daughter's tears with a gentle hand. "Tell me what happened."

"I was just delivering her food, trying to see what she's been up to, but she insulted me! She said I'm too stupid to understand what she's doing!" Sophie's voice wavered between anger and hurt, her fists balling up at her sides. "She never used to act like this! She's always been obsessed with Cole, chasing after him like a lovesick puppy. She's always been the one who's an idiot. But now . . . she's locked herself in here, ignoring everything and everyone, even skipping her classes!"

Sophia's expression darkened as she processed her daughter's words. Eve had always been predictable, easily manipulated by her affections for Cole. But this shift in her behavior was unexpected and, frankly, concerning.

"That is unusual," Sophia mused, her voice taking on a sharper edge. "Maybe it's time she and I had a little chat."

Her eyes turned cold, mirroring the calculated look on her face. Sophia had never been one to tolerate disobedience, especially not from someone living under her roof. Whatever was going on with Eve, she would get to the bottom of it — and quickly.

"Don't worry, darling," Sophia cooed, patting Sophie's head as she straightened up. "Her little rebellion won't last long. I'll make sure of that."

Sophie sniffled, wiping her eyes and glancing back at the mess she'd made of Eve's room. "What are you going to do?"

A slow smile crept across Sophia's face. "I'm going to remind her of her place."