Chapter 4: The Trap That Failed

Sophia couldn't stop thinking about the message.

"Be careful around Emily Jones."

The words echoed in her mind long after she returned home.

Who sent it?. Why now?

And most importantly,

How did they know?

Sophia sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the unfamiliar number.

In her previous life, someone had tried to warn her.

Again and again.

But she had been blind.

Too trusting. Too foolish.

By the time she realized the truth, it was already too late.

This time, she wouldn't ignore the warning.

But before she could investigate further, her phone rang.

Emily. Again.

Sophia's eyes darkened.

She answered.

"Hello?, Sophia!"

Emily's cheerful voice came through immediately.

For someone who had been crying yesterday, she sounded surprisingly happy.

"Are you free tomorrow?"

Sophia remained silent.

In her previous life, she had never noticed these little details.

The contradictions. The inconsistencies.

The lies hidden behind every smile.

"What do you need?" Sophia asked.

Emily hesitated. Just for a moment.

Then she laughed softly.

"My birthday party."

Sophia froze. Birthday party.

The memory hit her instantly.

The second trap. Five years ago.

Emily had invited Sophia to a private birthday celebration.

Only close friends were attending.

Sophia had spent hours choosing a gift.

She even arrived early to help prepare.

Then everything went wrong.

A priceless diamond necklace suddenly disappeared.

The guests searched everywhere.

Panic spread through the room.

And then, the necklace was found.

Inside Sophia's handbag.

Sophia still remembered the shocked expressions.

The whispers. The accusations.

The disappointment in her parents' eyes.

No matter how much she denied it, nobody believed her.

Emily had cried and defended her.

Pretended to be kind.

Pretended to be forgiving.

The perfect victim. The perfect friend.

The perfect liar.

Meanwhile, Sophia became a thief in everyone's eyes.

The scandal followed her for years.

A cold smile appeared on Sophia's lips.

So Emily wanted to repeat history.

Unfortunately for her,

History had already changed.

"I'll be there," Sophia said.

Emily sounded relieved.

"Great! I'll send you the address."

The call ended.

Sophia slowly placed the phone down.

Then she opened her laptop.

If Emily wanted to play a game...

Sophia intended to play it better.

The next evening.

The birthday party was already in full swing.

Music filled the luxurious villa.

Guests laughed and chatted.

Crystal lights illuminated the grand hall.

Everything looked exactly as Sophia remembered.

Almost.

The difference was that this time, she knew what was coming.

Across the room, Emily spotted her.

A bright smile appeared immediately.

"Sophia!"

Emily walked over and hugged her.

Again, Sophia remained still.

Emily's smile flickered.

Only for a second. But Sophia noticed.

She always noticed now.

"Thank you for coming."

"Happy birthday," Sophia replied.

Emily glanced at the gift box in Sophia's hand.

For some reason, disappointment flashed across her face.

Interesting. Very interesting.

Thirty minutes later.

The party was proceeding normally.

Too normally.

Sophia knew the trap was approaching.

Then she noticed it.

A waiter.

Not one she recognized.

He moved carefully through the crowd.

His attention wasn't on the guests.

It was on her.

Sophia's eyes narrowed.

She watched as he slowly approached.

Closer.

Closer.

Then he accidentally bumped into her.

"I'm so sorry, miss."

Sophia smiled.

"It's okay."

The waiter quickly walked away.

Too quickly.

As if he couldn't wait to leave.

Sophia lowered her gaze.

And saw it.

A small velvet jewelry box sticking out of her handbag.

Exactly as she remembered.

The necklace. The evidence. The trap.

Five years ago, she never noticed.

Five years ago, she was doomed the moment the box entered her bag.

But not today.

Sophia calmly picked up her drink.

Then she quietly slipped the jewelry box into her pocket.

No panic. No confrontation. No scene.

Not yet.

Ten minutes later.

Emily suddenly gasped.

The room fell silent.

"My necklace..."

Tears instantly appeared in her eyes.

"My birthday necklace is gone."

There it was.

The performance.

The beginning of the show.

Guests immediately began searching.

Panic spread through the room.

Exactly as before.

Emily looked heartbroken.

"I can't find it."

Sophia almost admired her acting skills.

Almost. A guest spoke up.

"Should we check everyone's belongings?"

Several people agreed.

Emily shook her head dramatically.

"No, no. I trust my friends."

Sophia nearly laughed.

She remembered those exact words.

Word for word.

Then, just like before, someone insisted.

And eventually everyone agreed.

The search began.

One by one. Bag after bag.

Nothing. Nothing. Nothing.

Emily's confidence slowly started fading.

Sophia watched calmly.

Waiting. Finally, Sophia stepped forward.

"Perhaps you're looking for this?"

The room froze.

Sophia held up the velvet jewelry box.

Emily's face instantly lost all color.

The reaction lasted less than a second.

But Sophia saw it.

Pure shock. Pure panic. Pure fear.

"Where did you find it?" Emily asked.

Sophia smiled sweetly.

"Funny enough, someone slipped it into my bag."

Silence.

The atmosphere became tense.

Dangerously tense.

Sophia opened the box.

The missing necklace sparkled under the lights.

Then she looked directly at Emily.

For the first time.

Without fear. Without hesitation.

Without weakness.

"And I'd really like to know who did that."

Emily's smile became stiff.

Very stiff.

Because for the first time since meeting Sophia, one of her traps had failed.

And she had no idea why.

Later that night.

Emily stood alone in her room.

Her nails dug into her palms.

Her entire body trembled with anger.

Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

Sophia wasn't supposed to notice.

Sophia wasn't supposed to fight back.

Sophia wasn't supposed to change.

Yet somehow, she had.

Emily stared into the mirror.

A dark expression appeared on her face.

If the smaller traps weren't working anymore...

Then perhaps it was time for something bigger.

Something far more dangerous.

Meanwhile, across the city, Sophia's phone vibrated once more.

Another message from the unknown number.

This time it contained only four words.

"The game has begun."

Sophia's heartbeat quickened.

Because deep down...

She knew those words weren't a warning.

They were a promise.

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