Sofia sat cross-legged on her new bed, biting her index finger as her eyes stayed glued to the laptop screen, never leaving them for even a second.
Arsenal versus Manchester City was playing.
Her heart thudded with every pass and every near miss. She wasn't a sports freak, at all. But this game wasn't about fandom. It was about money.
$5,000.
She had staked it on an offshore betting site, one that didn't ask questions or report to tax authorities.
Rachel had handed her the cash the morning after their little "chat." It had been five days since then, and Sofia had wasted no time.
She'd gone shopping, upgraded her wardrobe, bought the latest phone and laptop, and stocked up on skincare, makeup, and fragrance. Stuff Elise had lacked. Now, Sofia had everything she needed to feel like herself again.
She had about $13,000 left. It was time to invest.
The match was nearing its end. Arsenal was up by one goal, but Manchester City was pressing hard. Sofia chewed her nail down to the skin, praying her memory hadn't failed her.
She remembered this match from college. Arsenal had pulled off a shocking win. She'd been forced to watch it with a friend, and it had stuck.
"Come on…" she whispered. "Just one more goal."
And then it happened. Just like she remembered.
A player broke through the defense and slipped the ball to the striker. The stadium held its breath. Then from an impossible angle, the net rippled.
"Goal!" Sofia screamed, not recognizing her own voice.
The laptop's tiny commentators exploded as the bet confirmed. She had flipped $5,000 into $31,000. No taxes, no ledgers to explain. Completely Untraceable.
Mami burst into the room, eyes wide with panic. "Sofia! What happened?"
Sofia spun around, breathless. "My team won!"
Mami blinked. "You watch soccer?"
Sofia laughed, and winked at her. "Only when it pays, Mami"
Mami shook her head, muttering something about young people and their strange hobbies.
Sofia collapsed back onto the bed, grinning. Then a knock came at the door.
"Come in" she sat up.
One of the house staff stepped in. "Miss Sofia, you have a guest."
"A guest?" Sofia frowned. "Who?"
"She says her name is Tati. She claims to be your friend."
Mami, who had lingered near the door, lit up. "Tati? Oh, thank God. I've missed her."
Sofia saw the joy on Mami's face and smiled. Elise had only two people she truly loved: Mami and Tati.
"Please, let her in" Sofia said.
Seconds later, the door flew open and a whirlwind of energy stormed in. Tati ran to Sofia like a maniac, arms wide, eyes teary.
"Oh my God, you're alive!" she cried, hugging Sofia tightly. "You scared me with that message. I thought— I don't know what I thought!"
Sofia blinked, stunned. Tati was exactly as the book described—hyper, emotional, and a sun. Like a golden retriever in human form.
"I'm fine, Tati" Sofia said, patting her back awkwardly.
Tati pulled away, inspecting her like a nurse. "You look okay. You smell okay. You're not pale. Okay, good."
Mami chuckled. "She's been eating well these days too."
Tati turned back and pulled Mami into a hug too, then they traded small talk.
Sofia took that moment to drink in Tati.
She smelled like soapy perfume and frying oil, the scent of someone who worked hard and laughed harder. Slim, beautiful, with long brown hair and freckles scattered across her playful face. She looked about twenty-three.
They were about the same height, and for a second Sofia stared at her own reflection in Tati's grin and felt strange kinship.
"…I'll go make something for you two. Catch up."
Tati grabbed her hands, eyes serious now. "Girl, whatsup with that message you sent… I was terrified."
Sofia tilted her head. "Why? I said I was fine."
Tati narrowed her eyes. "Did you lose your memory or something?"
Sofia looked confused.
Shit. What was she forgetting now…?
Tati raised a brow. "We made a promise to always double periods in our messages. That way we know it's really us."
Sofia froze. She had read that in the book, but had forgotten in her rush to calm Tati down.
"Yeah… I'm sorry." she said quickly. "I was panicking. A lot happened"
Tati nodded, looking worried. "Oh my, what happened?"
Sofia is about to fill her in in what's been going on, leaving the secret parts out, of course, but she was interrupted by Tati.
"Damn. This room is noicceee. But… I thought you were in the basement?"
Sofia smiled. "Yup. Part of the perks since I decided to stop letting them treat me like trash. It's a long story… hope you're ready?"
Tati's eyes sparkled. "Hell yeah! You finally grew a backbone."
"Something like that."
Tati leaned forward "Tell me all about it!"
So she did. And as usual, leaving out all the unnecessary parts.
By the time she was done narrating her ordeals, Tati was almost crying. "I'm so proud of you" she cooed, hugging Sofia. "If you need a sidekick, I'm in."
Sofia laughed, and they talked for hours. Sofia found herself genuinely enjoying Tati's company. They flowed together effortlessly, finishing each other's sentences, laughing at the same jokes. It was strange. Sofia felt like she'd known her forever.
Eventually, the conversation shifted to work.
"Sooo we have a gig on Saturday" Tati said, delighted. "There's a bar downtown called Smoke and Mirrors… they're rebranding and all. So they meed cleaners and people to decorate the place." She smiled wider "Aand, they're paying a hundred bucks."
Sofia made a face. "A hundred a head? That's… it?"
Tati shrugged. "It's something."
"I'll give you three hundred to forget this gig, babe."
Tati stared at her, stunned. "Who are you and what have you done with Sofia???"
No, no, no…
Sofia laughed. "I'm just… tired. I get allowance now. So I wanna to enjoy life a little."
Tati nodded. "Fair enough. I'll call the agency and cancel then."
Sofia went to the bathroom while Tati made the call.
But halfway through, Sofia burst out of the bathroom, breathless.
"Nooo!" she shouted, crossing her hands frantically to signal a stop to Tati.
But Tati wasn't paying attention. So before she hung up, Sofia snatched the phone and squeezed the mouthpiece to her ear.
"Sorry, we're not cancelling! We'll be there." she said in a voice that didn't quite match the exhausted girl she'd claimed to be.
Tati blinked. "What was that?"
Sofia tried to catch her breath. "Is this bar located at No- Where's the bar located?" She quickly corrected herself.
"Um… No. 21 Garrett Ave…"
Sofia's heart pounded. "Okay. I'll explain after I pee."
She ran back into the bathroom, her mind already hatching up a plan.
Cinatra Dice Casino. No. 21 Garrett Avenue.
She remembered it vividly. Back in her world, she'd been vacationing in New York with a friend, when a club fight had landed them in a precinct. While there, she overheard two officers discussing a murder.
A body had been found at the Cinatra Dice Casino at 21 Garrett Ave, near Smoke & Mirrors Bar. The murder was too clean, and all they had found were drinks, coke and a stack of invitation cards for the Casino's upcoming Masquerade Ball.
They mentioned the murder being Mafia-related, and quietly added that someone high up wanted the matter closed asap.
The timeline matched. The coincidence felt like fate. Sofia had a window.
She would use the bar as cover, sneak into the casino, and grab two invites. One for her, one for Tati.
Why was she doing all this?
For her grand plan.
She needed to attend the Government Land Auction, coming up in three weeks. She was going there for piece of Texas land.
In her world, Lithium, diamond, and uranium was discovered there in 2017, and the owner became a billionaire overnight.
In this world, the billionaire was gonna be her. And the key was Daniel Prett, brother of Gina Prett, one of the assigned organizers for the auction.
Daniel was a well known womanizer, and he would be at the masquerade ball. She needed to seduce him for an invite.
Out of the bathroom, she laid out the plan for Tati. Outfits, timing, routes, etc.
Tati listened, intrigued. "But why not just ask Mrs. Bubley for tickets?"
Sofia shook her head. "Our relationship is still new. I don't want her thinking I'm a gambler or something…"
Tati nodded. "Alright. So… we're sneaking in?"
"I'm sneaking in. You're covering."
"What if you get caught?"
Sofia scooped Tati's cheeks, with a smile. "Don't let me get caught"