transform. Without makeup and her long red hair, her face wasn't that much different than a boy's. Her overly thin body was swallowed by Rylan's sweats, and all Sophie had to do was slouch for the full image to take effect. She could almost convince herself that she was an entirely different person. Convincing a stranger wouldn't be hard at all.
Before she could fully take in the image that only a few minor changes had created, she heard the doorbell ring. Her heart felt like it had jumped into her throat, and she froze in place. She wasn't confident she could pull this off, but she was too proud to give up so soon.
A gentle knock on her door was enough to wake her out of her stupor. Sophie ran her hands through her hair one last time, trying to make it as messy as possible. She rushed downstairs after Robert, and came to a sudden halt at the front door.
"They're here already?" Sophie asked breathlessly.
Robert raised his eyebrow, mocking her surprise. "No, the doorbell rang for no reason." He replied with a smirk. "Go wait in the kitchen. I will come get you when Cleo's ready."
"Cleo's here?" Sophie glanced around, feeling overwhelmed.
"She arrived just a few minutes ago. Now go before you blow your cover." Sophie began to turn away, but Robert reached out to grab her arm. "I just want to remind you…" He lowered his voice to a whisper. "I might've made this seem like a joke, but I'm serious when I tell you how important it is that this guest not find out who you are. Don't worry about speaking, we'll come up with an excuse. As long as you don't do anything to draw attention to yourself, you should be fine."
"If this is a test, why are you giving me all the answers?" Sophie asked, her eyes narrowing.
"Don't think of it as an answer. Think of it as a friendly suggestion." He released her as he turned towards the door.
Sophie ducked into the kitchen just as the front door creaked open. She braced herself against the kitchen door, trying to hear what she could from the hallway. She could distinctly make out two voices, both belonging to men. Then, without warning, Cleo's greeting came booming from the living room.
As she waited, Sophie noticed that her hands were shaking.
"Nervous?" Gwyn asked from behind her.
Sophie nearly screamed in surprise.
"I've been here the whole time." Gwyn replied, looking like she was about to smile. "So has Rylan." She motioned to him sitting at the kitchen table. "It's our first time meeting Max, as well." She informed Sophie.
"Max?" Sophie muttered. "Is he Cleo's friend?"
"Friend?" Gwyn winced. "More like enemy…but you can ask her for the details."
Robert entered the room before Sophie could ask her next question. He motioned for them to come to the living room, and Sophie watched as both Rylan and Gwyn exited the kitchen.
"What's the deal with Max?" Sophie whispered curiously, hoping Robert would give her something. "Why can't he find out about who I am?"
Robert paused, his expression turning cold for a moment. "Do you really want to know? It will only make your test harder."
"Tell me." Sophie pressed, ignoring his warning.
In one sudden movement, Robert leaned in until his lips were only inches from her ear. His whisper tickled, as well as sent shivers down her spine.
"Max Canaan is the person who is responsible for your parents death."
Sophie felt her body become numb.
"Now are you ready to meet him?" Robert questioned, looking at her with judging eyes. "The man who murdered them?"
All of a sudden she was filled with more hatred than she had ever known.
She tried to stop the tears, but his comment had been too sudden. Her hands began to shake, and she had to force herself to remember to breathe.
"Take me to him." She whispered through her teeth.
Robert's eyes widened.
"I can do it." She continued, furiously brushing away her tears. "I can face
Before she could fully take in the image that only a few minor changes had created, she heard the doorbell ring. Her heart felt like it had jumped into her throat, and she froze in place. She wasn't confident she could pull this off, but she was too proud to give up so soon.
A gentle knock on her door was enough to wake her out of her stupor. Sophie ran her hands through her hair one last time, trying to make it as messy as possible. She rushed downstairs after Robert, and came to a sudden halt at the front door.
"They're here already?" Sophie asked breathlessly.
Robert raised his eyebrow, mocking her surprise. "No, the doorbell rang for no reason." He replied with a smirk. "Go wait in the kitchen. I will come get you when Cleo's ready."
"Cleo's here?" Sophie glanced around, feeling overwhelmed.
"She arrived just a few minutes ago. Now go before you blow your cover." Sophie began to turn away, but Robert reached out to grab her arm. "I just want to remind you…" He lowered his voice to a whisper. "I might've made this seem like a joke, but I'm serious when I tell you how important it is that this guest not find out who you are. Don't worry about speaking, we'll come up with an excuse. As long as you don't do anything to draw attention to yourself, you should be fine."
"If this is a test, why are you giving me all the answers?" Sophie asked, her eyes narrowing.
"Don't think of it as an answer. Think of it as a friendly suggestion." He released her as he turned towards the door.
Sophie ducked into the kitchen just as the front door creaked open. She braced herself against the kitchen door, trying to hear what she could from the hallway. She could distinctly make out two voices, both belonging to men. Then, without warning, Cleo's greeting came booming from the living room.
As she waited, Sophie noticed that her hands were shaking.
"Nervous?" Gwyn asked from behind her.
Sophie nearly screamed in surprise.
"I've been here the whole time." Gwyn replied, looking like she was about to smile. "So has Rylan." She motioned to him sitting at the kitchen table. "It's our first time meeting Max, as well." She informed Sophie.
"Max?" Sophie muttered. "Is he Cleo's friend?"
"Friend?" Gwyn winced. "More like enemy…but you can ask her for the details."
Robert entered the room before Sophie could ask her next question. He motioned for them to come to the living room, and Sophie watched as both Rylan and Gwyn exited the kitchen.
"What's the deal with Max?" Sophie whispered curiously, hoping Robert would give her something. "Why can't he find out about who I am?"
Robert paused, his expression turning cold for a moment. "Do you really want to know? It will only make your test harder."
"Tell me." Sophie pressed, ignoring his warning.
In one sudden movement, Robert leaned in until his lips were only inches from her ear. His whisper tickled, as well as sent shivers down her spine.
"Max Canaan is the person who is responsible for your parents death."
Sophie felt her body become numb.
"Now are you ready to meet him?" Robert questioned, looking at her with judging eyes. "The man who murdered them?"
All of a sudden she was filled with more hatred than she had ever known.
She tried to stop the tears, but his comment had been too sudden. Her hands began to shake, and she had to force herself to remember to breathe.
"Take me to him." She whispered through her teeth.
Robert's eyes widened.
"I can do it." She continued, furiously brushing away her tears. "I can face
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