CHAPTER 37: VALUABLE INTEL

KE Café.

Sophia arrived bundled up in a low-key outfit, disguising herself as much as possible.

Tomorrow she was set to marry Lucas—and every woman on the outside would gladly tear pieces of flesh from her just to vent their rage and jealousy.

From across the café, Aiden spotted her immediately.

"Over here."

He’d chosen a quiet corner. Sophia walked over and sat down.

"Mr. Hilton, you dragged me all the way out here. What’s so important?"

"Does Miss Morgan always speak so bluntly?"

Sophia pulled off her hat and leveled her gaze at him.

He hadn’t come to her before, yet here he was on the eve of her wedding. She wanted to see what exactly he was trying to pull.

"Mr. Hilton, I don’t like wasting time. If you have something to say, just say it. I don’t play games."

Aiden chuckled. "Straightforward—just as I heard. Sophia, I came to talk about tomorrow’s wedding. If you back out at the last minute, refuse to marry him, I’ll personally give you one hundred million dollars."

"One hundred million? Mr. Hilton, that’s very generous of you."

What a joke.

If someone could seize Hilton Group, it was worth trillions. A mere hundred million was pocket change in comparison.

"If you don’t marry Lucas, he’ll be forced to hand Hilton Group over according to the will."

"As far as I know, Hilton Group only reached its peak because of Lucas. He’s the one who built its subsidiaries and made it the number one global corporation."

Her lips curved, her eyes glittering as she added smoothly, "So tell me, Mr. Hilton, what makes you think I’d give up the title of Mrs. Hilton and the countless wealth that comes with it, just to take your one hundred million?"

The comparison was laughable.

Aiden’s face darkened. "Do you really think marrying into the Hilton family means living the life of a pampered society wife? My brother will never approve, and neither will my sister-in-law!"

Sophia’s brows drew together ever so slightly. She hadn’t heard much about Lucas’s parents. Strange.

"Tomorrow’s wedding won’t be blessed. Anthony and Nancy aren’t coming back for it!"

"You mean Lucas’s parents?"

Realizing his slip, Aiden sneered. "So Lucas never even mentioned them to you?"

Anthony Hilton and Nancy Perry had handed the company over to their son years ago and gone traveling the world. No one knew where they were now.

"If they find out Lucas went behind their backs to marry you, can you imagine the consequences?"

"They’ll adore me."

Sophia answered with ease, and Aiden’s blood pressure practically spiked.

"Sophia, have you no shame? I’m trying to reason with you. Don’t say I didn’t warn you."

His tone grew harsher, his natural authority pressing down on her like a weight.

But Sophia only tilted her lips in a knowing smile, her eyes flashing with unreadable light. "You know something about my mother, don’t you?"

It was like she had dangled bait on purpose. Aiden nodded. "That’s right. I know everything. If you want answers, you’ll leave Lucas."

"My biological father killed my mother. I was deceived for years, and you expect me to just accept that? Mr. Hilton, when I walked in here, I noticed a van parked outside by the curb. No headlights on. In the middle of a district full of luxury cars, that van stuck out like a sore thumb. What’s the plan—kidnap me?"

Aiden’s eyes flickered. "I don’t know what you’re talking about."

"Don’t know? Then I’ll take my leave. As for the coffee you ordered for me, let’s just say... it doesn’t taste authentic. Why don’t you try it yourself?"

She picked up the untouched coffee in front of her and slid it across the table to him.

From beginning to end, Sophia hadn’t taken a single sip.

Aiden’s face hardened, his gaze locked on her hand.

"Mr. Hilton, let’s be honest. I’ve lived through more than you might think. Don’t try to play smart with me, or you may very well end up like them."

She tilted her chin, motioning toward the window.

Outside, police officers were dragging men out of the suspicious van and hauling them away in handcuffs.

Sophia’s lips curved into a polite smile. "Relax. At the very least, you’ve reminded me of something—when I finally meet my future in-laws, I’ll make sure to bring them a gift they’ll never forget. Goodbye, Mr. Hilton~"

She set the coffee back down and walked out of the café.

Outside, Harper waved her over. "Well? How did it go?"

"Pretty good. But two names came up that I didn’t expect."

"Who?"

"Lucas’s parents."

Lucas had never once mentioned them to her, so she hadn’t given it much thought. But it hit her now: a son’s wedding and yet no sign of them? Was that deliberate—or did they trust Lucas so completely they didn’t need to show?

"Harper, do you still have that jewelry I asked you to keep for me?"

She’d bought two rare sets abroad—one she’d left with Harper, the other stored away. The only two in the world, both in her hands.

"In my bedroom. Do you want it now?"

"Yes. Better safe than sorry."

If Lucas’s mother, Nancy, suddenly showed up, Sophia refused to be caught empty-handed. As for his father, Anthony, she already had a newly designed suit in mind as his gift.

Sophia went with Harper to her house. Coincidence or not, William and his parents were sitting stiffly in the living room, mid–family meeting.

"Dad, Mom, William... were you all having a little conference?"

William’s mother’s stormy face brightened immediately when she saw Sophia. "Sophia, you’re here! You’re getting married tomorrow, and I don’t have much of a gift prepared, I’m afraid."

Beside her sat William’s father, a slightly heavyset man in glasses, his expression stern.

Sophia knew their dynamic well—one played the good cop, the other the bad.

The truth was, the one who disapproved of her most was Mrs. Carter. Not outright hatred—just a simmering discontent whenever William got too close to Sophia.

In her eyes, Sophia was still nothing more than a mother of six children with no respectable father in sight.

Sophia smiled gently. "Tomorrow, it’s enough if you both attend. No need for gifts."

She gave Harper a subtle nudge, signaling her to head upstairs and fetch the jewelry.

"Sophia," Mrs. Carter said cautiously, "I know it isn’t my place, but Lucas has a difficult temperament. Cold, moody... don’t let him fool you."

"Thank you for the warning, Auntie. But Lucas treats me well. He won’t deceive me."

"If that’s true, then good. William’s even preparing a generous dowry gift for you, so you’ll have face when you step into the Hilton family." She gave William a pointed glance.

Sophia caught it instantly but chose not to expose her.

Once Harper came back down, Sophia stayed a few minutes longer, then found an excuse to leave.

In the car, she leaned against the window, her expression unreadable.

"Sophia, you know my parents... they just—"

"I know," she cut in softly. "I’m friends with you, not them. I won’t overthink it. But right now... I can’t shake this feeling. Like I’ve walked straight into the lion’s den."

Yet life had a way of getting even harsher when you were already on edge.

When Sophia stepped back into Silver Lake Villa, two figures were waiting for her inside—dressed in wealth, radiating power and presence.

Lucas’s parents.