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"Sounds like you're close."

"He's the only family I really have left. Mom died four years ago, and his dad passed right after. We kind of only have each other now." She tilted her head. "Why are you asking about Russell?"

"Do you think he would do something illegal if he thought it would help your career?"

Code shifted in his seat. He shot me a loo that said too direct, too fast.

Sophie's eyes widened.

"What?" Sophie looked between us. "No. Russell wouldn't—why would you even ask that?"

I moved to sit beside her, trying to soften my dumbass mistake. "Have you talked to him about the roles you didn't get? About being frustrated with auditions?"

"I mean, yeah. He's my brother. Of course I vent to him." Her wariness returned. "What is this really about?"

I took a breath. No way to do this gently now. "Someone created a deepfake video of me. A really sophisticated one, made to look like I was saying racist things about my co-star. About Marcus. They're using it to blackmail me. Threatening to release it unless I drop out of Passing Through Jordan."

Sophie went pale. "What does that have to do with Russell?"

I glanced at Code, silently asking him to take over. He nodded, then leaned forward. "The technology used to create it is military grade. Extremely advanced. Your brother has the technical background to build something like that."

"No." Sophie shook her head. "Russell wouldn't do that. He's a software engineer, not a criminal."

"Not many people have your brother’s expertise," Code said.

"You're wrong." But doubt crept into Sophie's voice. "He wouldn't."

I touched her arm gently. "Has he been acting strange lately? Asking you about whether you still want the role?"

I saw her expression crumble. "We just fought about it at a party," she whispered. "He was asking if I'm ready, if I still want it. If I'm prepared to step into the role. It was like he was picking at a scab and I told him to shut up." She looked up at me, horror dawning in her eyes. "I thought he was just being supportive."

Code's voice stayed level. "Russell's been hiding since we started tracking him. He knew someone was coming. The only reason to run is if you're guilty."

"But blackmail? Destroying someone's career?" Sophie's hands trembled. "That's not who he is."

"People do extreme things for the people they love," I said quietly.

Code pulled up his tablet, and showed Sophie the first few seconds of the deepfake before I asked him to shut it off before Sophie was subjected to more than a few seconds. It still embarrassed me, even though we told her it was fake.

Sophie stared at the blank screen, tears streaming down her face now. "He did this for me. He did this because I complained about losing roles." Her voice broke. "Oh God, this is my fault."

"No," I said firmly. "You didn't ask him to do this."

"But I made him think I needed saving. That I was some pathetic failure who couldn't handle rejection." She looked at me with devastated eyes. "Is he going to jail? Like, real police trouble?"

"Yes," Code said.

"Maybe," I said at the same time, glaring at Code. "We don't know yet."

Code's phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen and his entire body went rigid. He stood abruptly.

"I have to go."

"What's happening?" I asked.

"Activity at the Laurel Canyon house." His voice carried that military edge I'd heard before. He looked at me. "Stay here with Sophie. Don't leave this apartment until you hear from me."

"Code—"

"Promise me, Katherine." The intensity in his gaze stopped my argument cold.

"I promise."

He cupped my face briefly, kissed me hard, then he was gone.

I stood frozen, watching the door close behind him. Sophie's voice pulled me back.

"What's happening?”

"I don't know." But the cold fear in my stomach said whatever Code was walking into, it was dangerous. Very dangerous.

And I'd just promised to be a good girl and wait while he walked into whatever shitstorm was waiting for him at that house.