“I can’t flirt with him,” Ilias deadpanned.
“But you can tell him the truth,” Sofia countered. “Open your heart. I’ll keep Yasmine and Thomas busy.”
“Are you okay talking to him alone?” Ghita asked, tilting her head.
“I’m not letting you do that,” Ilias said, crossing his arms. “He’s an asshole. He’ll try to hurt you.”
“He’s already hurt me as much as he ever could,” Sofia replied calmly. “He has no power over me anymore. I’ve survived the worst heartbreak of my life—and I’m not talking about his betrayal. I can survive him.” She paused, then softened. “My Papà told me to tell him to fuck off. And I intend to.”
Her eyes found Ilias’. “You helped me understand who I am. You fixed parts of my heart you never broke. You made mebelieve love exists, and that it’s this. Us. And because I love you, I need to handle Thomas alone. I need to say everything I never did.”
“What if—”
She stopped him with a look. “He has nothing on me. Thomas has money. I just texted Asma to send me a search warrant for him, right now. If it comes to that, I’ll show it to him. He’ll stop acting like an idiot.”
“You really think so?” Ghita asked, glancing toward the entrance. “Because he looks like a fucking prick.”
Sofia followed her gaze and inhaled sharply as Thomas strolled in like he already owned the place. Trailing behind him was a small, mousy man she recognized instantly—Jeremy. Thomas’ favorite lawyer. The man almost tripped over one of the rugs as he hurried to keep up.
“Maybe we’ve been blessed,” Sofia murmured, smiling. “That’s Jeremy. If Asma’s warrant arrives in time, he’ll shut this down fast.”
“Are you sure?” Ilias and Ghita asked in unison.
“I hope so,” Sofia said, standing. “I’ll buy you time. You call Emir. I’ll face the Hydra.”
“The what?” Ilias frowned.
“Greek mythology,tesoro. We’ll get you caught up.” She smirked, kissing his cheek. “Charm your stepbrother.”
“I’ll do my best, habiba.”
The kiss wasn’t enough for him. Ilias met Thomas’ gaze, then grabbed Sofia’s waist, spun her toward him, and kissed her deeply. It was dizzying, consuming, one of the best kisses she’d ever felt from him. When they finally pulled apart, her breath came shallow, her cheeks flushed.
“The rest,” Ilias murmured against her ear, smirking. “you get at home. After we fuck these people over.”
She nodded, grounding herself, then turned to face Thomas just as his voice cut through the room. “What the fuck are you doing here, Sofia?”
60
ILIAS
Casa Mia - Ghali
LeavingSofia alone with Thomas didn’t sit right with him. Not even a little. But Ghita had offered to stay behind, promised she’d intervene if things went south, and he trusted Sofia’s judgment, even if every instinct in his body screamed to stay.
As he stepped outside the restaurant, he shot Thomas one last glare—daggers sharp enough to kill, not very mature, he knew—then pulled out his phone. The number Ghita had given him stared back. He hesitated, and hit call.
He had no idea what he was supposed to say to Emir.
They had never really spoken. Not after that night. All he knew was that Emir was his stepbrother, fifteen, living in Casablanca for school, and apparently obsessed with surfing. A final gift from their father, passed down to all of his children. Unless there were more out there, something that wouldn’t surprise him in the slightest. José Antonio Ríos had lived his life like a hippie in the worst possible way. As a husband. A father.A businessman. Not the peaceful, flower-child kind. The selfish, consequence-free kind.
Ilias leaned against the whitewashed façade overlooking the Bay. The ocean stretched out in front of him, steady and indifferent, waves rolling in with the same rhythm they always had. For a second, he let himself imagine he wasn’t trapped in this mess, wasn’t juggling grief, guilt, and other people’s futures, but about to wax his board and head down to surf.
“Salam?” Emir answered.
“Salam, Emir. It’s… Ilias.” He hesitated. How the fuck do you introduce yourself? Stepbrother? The son of the man who hurt your mother? The surfer who almost punched your dad two years ago?
Luckily, Emir spared him.
