generous. Now you'll have plenty of time to explain to Cleo how you failed before I get home."
Robert's expression darkened and Sophie grinned.
"I didn't realize it before, but messing with people is kind of fun. Thanks for bringing me out tonight, I learned a lot." Sophie waved at him as she turned towards the street ahead of her. Without waiting for him to make his next move, she bolted down the sidewalk.
He wouldn't catch up to her now, not in the middle of this storm. Robert might've been a good thief, but he was also smart enough to know when he'd lost.
Sophie grinned at the realization that he had lost. He'd thrown her under the bus to get what he'd wanted, and she'd survived by using her own skills. She acknowledged that her victory had been mostly due to luck and Luke's odd personality, but she didn't let that dampen her elated mood.
She'd finally found her footing in this world made for thieves, and the realization was enough to block out all the terrifying moments she'd experienced.
* * *
The feeling that she'd won followed Sophie all the way back home. As she sat in the back of the cab, she shivered in delight at what she'd just accomplished. Nothing was sweeter than the realization that she'd beat out two trained thieves for the painting.
She wondered what Cleo would say when she found out how Sophie had taken control of the risky situation. All thoughts of the repercussions of her actions flew to the back of her mind, as she basked in her pride.
By the time she'd reached home, Sophie was bursting with the news she'd yet to share. She rushed through the door with a wide a smile on her face, clutching the backpack in her arms protectively. She had no doubt in her in mind that Robert had arrived home before her, with all the time she'd had to wait for the cab to arrive. Sophie wouldn't have put it passed him to have something else up his sleeve, so she'd already come up with a worse-case scenario plan.
The house was eerily silent as she entered through the large oak door. The atmosphere inside was tense, tipping Sophie off to the fact that everything was not as it should be.
"Welcome home." Gwyn said as she passed through the hallway.
Sophie's suspicions died down as she examined the was no different from normal.
"Is Robert here?" Sophie asked, squeezing the soaked backpack in her arms.
"Yeah, he's upstairs changing." Gwyn was unsurprised by Sophie's drenched clothes. Robert must've informed her of their mission.
"Did he say anything about tonight?" She pressed, trying not to sound too interested, but failing miserably.
"Nope." Gwyn shrugged, before brushing passed Sophie into the kitchen. "Oh." She paused for a moment, and motioned upstairs. "He said he wanted to see you when you got back."
Sophie nodded, realizing this was going to be part two of the fight they'd started this evening. As she was still feeling the aftereffects of her victory over him, she decided it wouldn't hurt to see what he was up to. She felt confident he wouldn't be able to take away the backpack. At least, not with her death grip around it.
Walking up the stairs two at a time, Sophie made a short stop in her bedroom to discard the wet backpack. Inside was a gray, metal case. Sophie noticed that the case was unlocked, though she wasn't surprised. A thief like Luke probably understood that locks wouldn't hinder people like Cleo or Robert who could disable security systems with ease. She opened the case, peeking inside to check on the painting. She smiled as another wave of happiness swept her anxiety away.
After spending another few moments deciding on her next course of action, Sophie decided it was time to face her mentor. She climbed the second flight of stairs to the top level of the house, where Robert's room was located.
Sophie had never been allowed to go to the top floor, nor had she ever really wanted to explore it. The curiosity of
Robert's expression darkened and Sophie grinned.
"I didn't realize it before, but messing with people is kind of fun. Thanks for bringing me out tonight, I learned a lot." Sophie waved at him as she turned towards the street ahead of her. Without waiting for him to make his next move, she bolted down the sidewalk.
He wouldn't catch up to her now, not in the middle of this storm. Robert might've been a good thief, but he was also smart enough to know when he'd lost.
Sophie grinned at the realization that he had lost. He'd thrown her under the bus to get what he'd wanted, and she'd survived by using her own skills. She acknowledged that her victory had been mostly due to luck and Luke's odd personality, but she didn't let that dampen her elated mood.
She'd finally found her footing in this world made for thieves, and the realization was enough to block out all the terrifying moments she'd experienced.
* * *
The feeling that she'd won followed Sophie all the way back home. As she sat in the back of the cab, she shivered in delight at what she'd just accomplished. Nothing was sweeter than the realization that she'd beat out two trained thieves for the painting.
She wondered what Cleo would say when she found out how Sophie had taken control of the risky situation. All thoughts of the repercussions of her actions flew to the back of her mind, as she basked in her pride.
By the time she'd reached home, Sophie was bursting with the news she'd yet to share. She rushed through the door with a wide a smile on her face, clutching the backpack in her arms protectively. She had no doubt in her in mind that Robert had arrived home before her, with all the time she'd had to wait for the cab to arrive. Sophie wouldn't have put it passed him to have something else up his sleeve, so she'd already come up with a worse-case scenario plan.
The house was eerily silent as she entered through the large oak door. The atmosphere inside was tense, tipping Sophie off to the fact that everything was not as it should be.
"Welcome home." Gwyn said as she passed through the hallway.
Sophie's suspicions died down as she examined the was no different from normal.
"Is Robert here?" Sophie asked, squeezing the soaked backpack in her arms.
"Yeah, he's upstairs changing." Gwyn was unsurprised by Sophie's drenched clothes. Robert must've informed her of their mission.
"Did he say anything about tonight?" She pressed, trying not to sound too interested, but failing miserably.
"Nope." Gwyn shrugged, before brushing passed Sophie into the kitchen. "Oh." She paused for a moment, and motioned upstairs. "He said he wanted to see you when you got back."
Sophie nodded, realizing this was going to be part two of the fight they'd started this evening. As she was still feeling the aftereffects of her victory over him, she decided it wouldn't hurt to see what he was up to. She felt confident he wouldn't be able to take away the backpack. At least, not with her death grip around it.
Walking up the stairs two at a time, Sophie made a short stop in her bedroom to discard the wet backpack. Inside was a gray, metal case. Sophie noticed that the case was unlocked, though she wasn't surprised. A thief like Luke probably understood that locks wouldn't hinder people like Cleo or Robert who could disable security systems with ease. She opened the case, peeking inside to check on the painting. She smiled as another wave of happiness swept her anxiety away.
After spending another few moments deciding on her next course of action, Sophie decided it was time to face her mentor. She climbed the second flight of stairs to the top level of the house, where Robert's room was located.
Sophie had never been allowed to go to the top floor, nor had she ever really wanted to explore it. The curiosity of
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