Reborn in the Enemy's Embrace

Who, in their right mind, would consider selling their own family property to someone else at such a low price? Only a complete fool would even contemplate such a nonsensical action.

Furthermore, this approach had left Martin and the money-grubbing members of the Black family feeling quite uneasy.

Crowdstar Group had officially started the liquidation process. Following its acquisition of the Black Group, it had initiated a significant staff restructuring. While Martin was currently unable to address the situation with Dexter, his animosity toward him must be at an all-time high.

He would certainly take action against Dexter. It was just a matter of timing.

I frowned, but I still stood in front of Dexter. "Mrs. Coleman, regardless of Dexter’s actions, this is a matter for the entire Black family. It’s clear that your son has not been brought up well. If you hadn’t kept the news under wraps so tightly, Damien would likely have become the laughingstock in Huma when Sophia passed away."

Lisa’ expression turned grim as she gazed at me with deep contemplation. "Sofia, get into the car. I think you’ll want to have a conversation with me."

Noticing my indifference, Lisa spoke again. "When I give you a chance, you must cherish it."

I assumed Lisa came to see me because of Damien. But judging from her current state, Damien’s suicide should not have been life-threatening.

"Sophia..." Dexter grabbed my sleeve and adamantly refused to let me go with Lisa.

"Sir," Ewan also arrived, appearing somewhat apprehensive. He leaned in close to Dexter’s ear and whispered.

Dexter’s face grew somber as he cast a glance at Lisa. Then, he whispered to me, "Sophia, there is an issue within the Black Group. I’m going to handle it. Stay home. Don’t leave with her."

Dexter had sold Black Group to Crowdstar Group. What might be causing Dexter to feel so anxious now?

I looked at Dexter, waiting for him to explain to me. As his current "wife", I was also concerned about his situation and safety. But Dexter never seemed to consider my feelings as a "wife".

It felt as though I were a fragile object he held high and protected under glass, not wanting me to know anything.

For instance, Eason and he had devised a plan to visit the asylum to unravel Peter’s situation. He could have informed me beforehand, yet he chose not to do so.

"Listen to me and wait for me to come back home." As expected, he was still the same.

He departed without uttering a single word of explanation to me. I inhaled deeply, remaining silent as I observed Ewan driving him away.

Joel, who was seated in the passenger seat, remained inside the car without stepping out. From his position, he gazed at me with a frown. His expression seemed unwelcoming. I could sense a tangle of emotions reflected in his eyes.

Once Dexter hopped into the car, it appeared that he and Joel engaged in some sort of communication. Although I couldn’t discern their exact conversation, I couldn’t help but feel isolated by them.

The sensation was incredibly uneasy. It resembled a friendship among three individuals, yet two of them congregated and exchanged whispers without including the third person.

"An employee of the Black Group could not withstand the pressure to change its leadership team and tragically committed suicide by jumping off a building. The public opinion, which was once favorable to Dexter, has now shifted," Lisa spoke calmly, addressing my concerns.

I instantly looked up at Lisa.

Lisa sneered. "So Dexter is a sinner and the disgrace of the entire Black Group. Only a fool would behave in such a way."

He believed that selling the company would finally resolve his problem entirely. This decision would have been acceptable when dealing with upright individuals. However, when facing someone as wicked as Martin, it was like playing with fire.

"Dexter is still too young. He can’t handle Martin," Lisa was confident Dexter couldn’t win.

"It’s still unclear who will win. If someone does something unscrupulous, they will be punished sooner or later," I replied with a stern expression.

"Your remarks are simply naive. Losers use such words to console themselves. Across the ages, history has always been shaped by successful individuals. How many siblings did kings throughout history slay when he ascended the throne? How many lives did those leaders sacrifice in their quest to unify the world? Behind every great wealth and power, there lies a trail of blood."

Lisa appeared to be preaching, yet also seemed to be mocking herself. "I know it was Peter who asked you to provoke my son. You both are very successful. He committed suicide. Are you happy with it now?"

I was stunned and looked at Lisa cautiously. "I don’t understand what you’re saying."

"I always sensed that he was alert and cautious around people, but now he’s determined to restore order within the family and is resorting to silencing them..." Lisa murmured to herself.

I could see her veins bulging as she fought to control her anger.

"Meet me at Coast Restaurant at 6 o’clock to discuss the new terms. If you fail to come, I cannot guarantee my patience with you." Lisa was giving me an ultimatum.

As soon as her car drove away, I swiftly ran toward the trash can. I was determined to find the envelope that Dexter had discarded. It held the photos that Juliet had brought with her.

Despite the photos being torn to pieces by Dexter, I painstakingly pieced them back together. Within the photo, there was undeniable evidence that Sofia and Peter had met.

The photo captured a secret meeting between Sofia and Howard with Peter. There was also a photo of Sofia introducing a homeless child to a stranger. No... Not a stranger.

I managed to put the photos together as best as I could, my breath trembling. Sofia brought the homeless child to meet the man, who was the second victim in the mutilation case. Rumor had it that he was involved in import and export trading.

Combined with what Lisa said about the consequences, it seemed that Sofia’s identity was indeed more complex than I had imagined.

I arrived at the Coast Restaurant ahead of time, before six o’clock. To my surprise, Lisa was already there, patiently waiting for me.

She was an exceptionally resilient woman. My mother had often mentioned her, stating that the Coleman family relied solely on her. Her husband, Damien’s father, on the other hand, contributed very little.

She was also a pitiful woman. She lived a life akin to that of a widow, yet she wasn’t one. Ever since she had Damien, her husband was rarely present at home. During my time with the Coleman family, I rarely had the chance to catch a glimpse of her husband.

Lisa asked calmly, "How much money did Peter give you to pretend to be Sophia, get close to Dexter, and deceive him into selling the Black Group and ruining the Black family? What’s the next step? The Coleman family?"

I was momentarily stunned and did not argue. But, instead, I was contemplating her words. She believed that Peter sent me and that he intentionally asked me to get close to Dexter and Damien.

"I don’t understand what you’re talking about," I replied seriously.

Why did Peter want to eliminate the Coleman and Black families?

Lisa scoffed disdainfully. "No point in pretending, Sofia. I won’t come to you if I don’t find enough information about you. Do you truly believe I spent my time away on a vacation? Peter has taken care of everyone who needs to be taken care of. Do you really think I will just sit back and surrender?"

I frowned and said nothing.

Lisa casually asked, "I looked into your background. Do you know why you resemble Sophia? Do you know why he selected you to mimic her? It’s because, in a way, you both share the same genes." 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

I looked at her in shock. "What do you mean..."

She took a sip of wine and smiled playfully. "You need to tell me Peter’s conditions in exchange for a secret of equal value."

I had a headache and was completely clueless about the agreement made between Sofia and Peter. "All I can recall is that there was a classmate named Howard. He mentioned something about Sir asking us to do something, but I can’t remember the details."

I was uncertain if that "Sir" happened to be Peter.

Lisa said confidently, "It’s very likely that Peter has your handle. Knowing Peter, he might brainwash you and then implant Sophia’s memories under hypnosis. When you wake up, you’ll believe you are Sophia."

She then murmured, "He’s certainly a lunatic."

I remained silent, pondering the implications of Lisa’s comment about sharing the same genes.

"Charles’ wife is unable to conceive, and he has been diagnosed with azoospermia, which means that they are medically unable to have biological children together," Lisa explained in a low voice, looking at me.

Lisa’s unexpected news stunned me. It turned out that Sofia was not their biological child as well.

"Back then, Charles and his wife begged Sophia’s mother to help them have a child. Sophia’s mother carried out an in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer for Mrs. Miller, resulting in an embryo with the same genes as Sophia. That’s all I know for now." Lisa frowned.

She only knew that Sophia and Sofia were embryos frozen in the laboratory for experimental purposes. Sophia’s mother only mentioned them because they shared the same original genes.

"After I married Dexter, Peter didn’t ask anyone to contact me or give me any tasks. Everything that happened was natural. Whether you believe it or not, Damien’s suicide was a result of his own choices, and it has nothing to do with me." I tried to explain.

However, it was clear that Lisa would not trust me.