Chapter 2: The Letter Sophia POV

"Who even does this?" I grumbled as I locked the door to my tiny room behind me and turned the letter I had just picked up over in my hands. My heart was still beating, but I couldn't help but be curious, even though the stranger who had dropped it by my door was long gone.

The envelope was white, unmarked, and hefty enough to suggest that its contents were more substantial than paper. I traced the flap with hesitant fingers. Was I wrong? Was this supposed to be given to someone else?

I shook my head and said to myself, "No." I knew that man had purposefully dropped it by my door. He wanted me to have this.

As I opened the envelope, I sat on the side of my bed, gasping for air. I felt a chill go down my spine as soon as I opened the paper.

Sophia,

You are not who you think you are.

You are Sophia Sinclair, the rightful heir to Sinclair Global and its fortune.

As I kept reading, I froze. My eyes totally fixed on the page.

Victor Sinclair has spent the last twenty years ensuring you would never learn the truth. Your true name, your inheritance, and the life that should have been yours. Do not trust anyone in the Sinclair family, they will destroy you if they discover you know. Be careful. More details will follow.

There was no signature, no suggestion of who had written it. I gripped the letter with shaking hands, tears welling up in my eyes and causing the words to blur.

"Sinclair?" I could hardly say it out loud, so I whispered, "This... this has to be some kind of joke."

It didn't feel like a joke, though. With a thousand thoughts racing through my head, my heart was pounding. Who sent this? Why now? And how is this even possible? I was Sophia Grant, Victor Sinclair's niece and charity case, viewed as merely an unwanted shadow in their beautiful, dazzling life.

I surveyed my tiny, empty room. Victor and Vanessa had failed to celebrate me at all on my 25th birthday. I was seldom tolerated by the Sinclairs. To them, I was nothing. But according to this letter, I was their company's heir?

I was shocked back to reality by the buzzing sound of my phone. I took it from the nightstand and wiped my eyes.

Jake: We’re here! Open up!

I looked at the time. I had convinced my boyfriend and a couple of friends not to worry, but they insisted on celebrating my birthday. They had good intentions, but after the day I'd had, I wasn't in the mood for a party. After this letter, no.

I couldn't ignore them, though. I tucked the letter beneath my pillow, stuffed it back into the envelope, and forced a smile before making my way to the door.

"Happy birthday!" With a bottle of wine in one hand and a tiny cake in the other, Jake embraced me with a broad smile. Melissa and Brian, both holding a present bag, waved behind him.

"Guys, you didn’t have to do this," I said, and then I stepped away to give them space.

Melissa responded, "Nonsense," and put her purse on the table. "For once, you deserve to be treated. And you don't turn twenty-five every day."

I didn't want to recognize how painful her remarks were. I whispered, "Yeah, well, it’s just another day for me," and shut the door.

Jake replied, "Not anymore," and planted a kiss on my cheek. "We're celebrating tonight. No excuses."

I forced another smile, allowing them to draw me in with their eagerness. I didn't want to spoil their evening because they were making an effort.

After an hour, the room was filled with laughter as the cake was sliced and the wine was served. I let myself unwind for a while as Melissa and Brian shared awkward college memories.

But the letter was a persistent presence in the back of my thoughts that I was unable to get rid of.

Jake was the first to notice my distraction. "Hey," he said softly as he leaned in. "You okay?"

I gave a short nod. "Yes, I'm alright. I guess it's just fatigue."

"You sure?" I could see the worry in his eyes as his brow wrinkled. "You’ve been a little... off tonight."

"I’m fine," I pressed, faking a smile.

After a while, Melissa and Brian made the choice to end the evening. Jake and I were left alone after they said their goodbyes with hugs. He turned to face me as soon as the door shut behind them.

"Okay, what’s going on?"

I paused, looking into the bedroom. The letter was still there, calling to me despite being hidden. The one person I had full faith in was Jake. He was the one who could help me understand this.

"Something happened today," I mumbled quietly, scarcely raising my voice above a whisper.

"What kind of something?"

I breathed deeply before going to my room and pulling out the letter. I gave it to him, and as he read it, his face changed from one of attention to one of disbelief.

Finally, he looked up at me and whispered, "This... this can't be real. Where did you get this?"

"Someone slipped it into my bag on my way to the café, and the other outside my door just this evening" I said. His face was obscured from my view. He just... just did it and vanished."

Jake ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. "This seems crazy, Soph. Well, the Sinclairs. Why would they hide such a thing? Nothing about it makes sense."

"I don’t know," I said, my voice breaking. "But what if it's real? What if I've been misled by them throughout my life?"

"Come on," he whispered in a gentle but doubtful tone. "This is most likely a strange person who thinks he has information on your family. People like the Sinclairs don't just give their wealth to someone they've been mistreating like that."

"Like garbage," I said with a sour tone.

Although he cringed, Jake did not deny it. "Even if it's true, do you have evidence? Is there any evidence to back this?"

"No," I answered with a headshake. "Just this letter. But whoever delivered it was aware of certain facts about my parents and me. I've never told anyone some things."

With a groan, Jake put the letter on the table. "Look, I understand your frustration, but you must not let this rule your thoughts. Most likely, it's nothing."

I wanted to believe him. I wanted to ignore it with a joke and go on. But in the back of my mind, the letter felt... authentic.