Chapter 3: Whispers of the Past
The world always looked softer in the morning—like it was pretending to be kind.
But I had learned long ago that kindness was just another disguise for deceit.
The soft hum of the air conditioner filled the quiet room as I sipped coffee from a delicate porcelain cup. Sophie's reflection in the window was calm, polished, and composed. But beneath that calm surface, Amara Cole—the ghost—was awake.
Every breath I took reminded me I wasn't living as myself anymore. I was a stranger wearing another woman's life like a perfectly tailored mask. And today, that mask would smile in the face of the man who had murdered me.
---
"Miss Sophie?" The maid's voice echoed from the doorway. "Mr. Cole and your father are waiting in the boardroom."
My heart stilled for a second.
Mr. Cole.
I smoothed the lapel of my blazer, suppressing the rush of adrenaline. "Tell them I'll be there in a moment."
My reflection caught my eye one last time.
"Showtime," I whispered.
---
The elevator ride felt longer than it should have. Every ding echoed like a warning bell in my head. I'd thought about this moment countless times in the black void of death—the moment I would see Ethan Cole again. The man who kissed me like I was his world and destroyed me like I was nothing.
The doors opened.
And there he was.
He hadn't changed much—still tall, still perfectly put together in that effortless, arrogant way. His eyes were sharp, focused, as he discussed numbers with my—no, our—father. His voice was smooth, precise, and cruelly familiar.
For a moment, the room tilted. The memories rushed back—the betrayal, the poison, the fall. My heartbeat thundered in my ears. But I couldn't afford to falter now. Sophie Alade was supposed to be calm. Sophisticated. Harmless.
I stepped into the room, every movement measured.
Ethan turned—and froze.
It was only for a second, but I saw it: that flicker of confusion in his eyes. Recognition, maybe.
Good. Let it haunt him.
"Sophie," my father said warmly, gesturing toward me. "You remember Ethan Cole, don't you? His company will be merging with ours."
Ethan extended a hand, the perfect gentleman. "Of course. It's been a while, Miss Alade."
I took his hand. His skin was warm—too warm. Electricity shot through me, but I forced a polite smile. "A while indeed."
If only he knew that beneath my smile lay the same woman whose blood he spilled.
Jason watched us quietly from the side, his jaw tight, eyes flicking between us. Something unreadable crossed his face—curiosity, maybe suspicion.
I released Ethan's hand first, turning my attention back to the conversation.
"You'll find I'm quite involved in my father's affairs," I said smoothly. "I like to know who we're trusting."
A subtle challenge.
Ethan's lips curved slightly. "Trust is a rare thing these days."
My pulse spiked. The irony nearly made me laugh out loud.
---
The meeting lasted an hour, though it felt like a lifetime. I played my part perfectly—attentive, charming, professional. Ethan kept glancing at me, the faintest crease forming between his brows each time our eyes met. He didn't recognize me, not truly, but something in his instincts stirred. I could see it.
By the time we wrapped up, I was certain of one thing: Ethan Cole never doubted himself. And that arrogance… would be his undoing.
---
As soon as we left the room, Jason caught up to me.
"So," he said, walking beside me down the hall, "you and my brother seem… familiar."
I didn't look at him. "Do we?"
He grinned, sliding his hands into his pockets. "You had that look. The one people get when they've seen a ghost."
I stopped, turning slightly toward him. "Maybe I have."
He raised an eyebrow, a flicker of amusement lighting his features. "You're interesting, Sophie Alade. Different from the girl I used to know."
I smiled faintly. "Maybe I'm not who you think I am."
He chuckled, but his gaze lingered longer than necessary. Something about him was disarming—open in ways Ethan never was. And yet, there was danger there too, hidden under the ease.
When he left, I leaned against the wall, exhaling slowly.
Jason Cole was a wildcard—one I hadn't planned for. But maybe, just maybe, he could be useful.
---
Later that night, I sat alone in Sophie's study, the laptop open again. The screen glowed cold blue against my face as I scrolled through files—financial records, partnership agreements, contracts between Alade Holdings and Cole Enterprises.
And then I found it.
Cole Enterprises Confidential: Subsidiary Shell Accounts.
Hidden beneath legal jargon was the truth—Ethan had been laundering money through dummy accounts. Not just for profit. For control. He was quietly buying influence in Alade Holdings, ensuring my father's dependence on him.
My pulse raced. This was it. The leverage I needed.
I copied the files to a hidden folder, encrypting them under a new name: Rebirth Project.
Poetic.
---
The next morning, I dressed in black. No reason—just instinct. It felt more like me.
Jason caught me as I headed toward the elevator. "You look like you're going to a funeral," he teased.
"Maybe I am," I said dryly.
He smirked. "Mind if I come along? Father sent me to keep an eye on you."
"Tell him his daughter doesn't need supervision."
Jason stepped in beside me anyway. "Consider me a friend, then."
I gave him a look. "You don't want to be my friend."
He smiled, but his tone softened. "Maybe I already am."
The elevator doors closed. Silence filled the space between us—thick, tense, electric. He didn't know it, but standing this close to Ethan's brother was like standing next to a live wire. Dangerous. Tempting. Addictive.
"Be careful, Jason," I murmured, almost to myself. "Some ghosts bite."
He tilted his head. "And some ghosts… just want to be seen."
---
As the doors opened, I stepped out into the gleaming marble lobby, my heels clicking like a metronome of intent. My first move had already begun—the data, the alliance, the deceit. I would take everything from Ethan the way he took everything from me.
But as Jason's reflection lingered behind me in the glass, I couldn't shake the feeling that revenge wouldn't be as simple as I planned.
Because for the first time in two lives, I wasn't sure who was watching whom.