Page 138 of Auctioned Innocence
She tosses a flashbang grenade with perfect timing, blinding the assault team just as Marco’s men execute a coordinated counterattack. Her aim is beautiful and deadly.
“Fuck me,” Marco breathes, watching his sister drop two attackers while simultaneously maintaining her digital assault on Lorenzo’s networks. “When did she become…”
He stops mid-sentence as Sofia performs a reload that would make a Navy SEAL proud, never breaking rhythm in her defensive coordination. Her movements are fluid, confident, completely natural—like this is exactly what she was meant to do.
“She was always this,” I say quietly, covering her position as she works. “You just couldn’t see it through your need to protect her.”
More of Lorenzo’s men pour in through the upper levels, but Sofia’s already adapting her strategy to account for the increased pressure. I watch her face as she processes multiple situationssimultaneously—no panic, no hesitation, just cold calculation and flawless execution.
“Teams three and six, converge on level four,” she commands while hacking through another layer of Lorenzo’s security. “Use the construction scaffolding for elevated positions. Make them pay for every inch.”
The firefight that follows proves her point. Our people don’t just hold—they dominate, using every advantage Sofia’s tactical genius can provide. She’s turned a defensive position into an offensive masterpiece, grinding Lorenzo’s forces down through superior strategy and coordination.
Then Sofia’s voice cuts through the chaos with deadly calm, “Emergency Protocol Seven-Seven-Alpha.”
Hidden defense systems throughout the estate whir to life. Reinforced barriers drop to seal corridors. Emergency lockdown procedures engage. Automated security measures that turn our home into an impregnable fortress.
“How?” Marco demands as enemy forces find themselves trapped and isolated by the building’s own defenses, his voice carrying a new note of respect—not just for his sister, but for the commander she’s revealed herself to be.
“Dad showed me some emergency protocols when I turned eighteen,” Sofia says, still typing rapidly while coordinating the systematic capture of Lorenzo’s remaining forces. “Said every Renaldi should know how to protect the family home. You were away on that mission in Boston, remember?”
I watch understanding dawn in Marco’s eyes as he takes in the full scope of what his sister has accomplished. Not just surviving the attack, but turning it into a complete victory. Not just fighting alongside us, but leading us. Not just holding her own, but exceeding every expectation.
“You planned this,” he says slowly, watching her coordinate the final sweep of the building. “Not just the defense—all of it. You wanted them to attack here.”
“I needed them concentrated in one location,” Sofia confirms, shrugging as she pulls up the evidence she’s gathered during the battle. “Needed Lorenzo confident enough to commit his full resources. Needed to prove to the Council exactly what he’s capable of.”
“You used yourself as bait.” Marco’s voice carries a mixture of horror and admiration. “Used our entire family as bait.”
“I used our strengths against his weaknesses.” She meets his eyes steadily. “Just like you taught me.”
The silence that follows is heavy with implication. Marco stares at his sister—reallystares at her, seeing not the girl he’s spent his life protecting but the woman she’s become. The tactical genius. The natural leader. The warrior who just orchestrated a flawless defensive victory against overwhelming odds.
“Sofia.” Lorenzo’s voice crackles through the emergency speakers again, but there’s less confidence now, more desperation. “You think you’ve won? You think you’ve outsmarted me?”
“I know I have.” She pulls up financial records, communication logs, video evidence—all gathered while simultaneously commanding a battle. “I’ve got everything, Lorenzo. Every crime, every betrayal, every alliance. The Council will see it all.”
“Then you underestimate how deep my reach goes,” Lorenzo’s voice carries renewed menace. “James may be exposed, but he still has access to systems you can’t control from down there.”
My blood runs cold. Through our restored security feeds, I can see James in the estate’s main security office—not here withus, but three floors up, with full access to the building’s core systems and a clear view of our positions.
“We should have secured that location first,” Marco mutters, his face grim as we watch our former head of security on screen.
An explosion bigger than the others rips through the building’s upper levels. Through our monitors, I watch James’s fingers fly over the master control panel, systematically overriding safety protocols with the expertise of someone who helped design them.
“He’s triggering emergency protocols,” Sofia realizes, her face paling as she recognizes what James is attempting. “He’s trying to activate the building’s self-destruct sequence.”
“Son of abitch,” Marco growls, watching the man who betrayed us attempting to destroy everything. “Five years of loyalty, all an act.”
“He’s been planning this for months,” Lorenzo’s voice carries cruel satisfaction. “Every security briefing, every protocol change, every defensive measure—James has been reporting it all back to me. And now he’s in position to finish what we started.”
Sofia’s response is immediate and devastating. Her fingers blur across the keyboard as she fights James for control of the building’s systems, turning her knowledge of our security against his administrative access.
“Not if I get there first,” she mutters, launching a digital assault that makes her earlier hacking look like child’s play.
I watch her battle for our lives through lines of code, sweat pouring down her face as she matches James’s years of system access with her own superior skills and intimate knowledge of the network architecture.
“Team seven, I need eyes on the main security office,” she orders while simultaneously writing code to counter James’ssabotage attempts. “Non-lethal takedown only—I need him alive to answer questions.”
