His Secret [Completed]

Chapter Forty-One

The next day as the rain poured, the reality set in that she was back to the cold New York weather. When Sophia entered Kelly's room, a beam of sunshine hit her in the form of a beautifully happy and in love woman. She had her ear pressed against the window. "I love the sound of the rain, it's so calming."

"Not when you're outside in it." Kelly turned to face her friend and noticed she was drenched from the walk to the house from the boathouse.

"Noah knows you're staying here, you don't have to sleep out in the boathouse anymore."

"I know, but I like it. It's peaceful out there."

"That's something I can agree with you on. The sound of the rain hitting the metal roof out there is heavenly." She opened the window and craned her neck outside.

"What is it with you and the rain today?"

"Oh, nothing," she smirked, but couldn't seem to hold in her lie. "Mason kissed me for the first time in the rain. I'd always been talking about a romantic kiss under the stars in the rain and he made that happen. I'm falling for him," she admitted. "I'm falling hard. I didn't think I'd ever feel this way about anyone."

"I'm happy for you, Kells. He's a good guy."

"Yeah, he is."

Sophia felt like telling Kelly she felt the same way about Noah, but decided against it. Instead, she changed the conversation to the real reason she'd gone up to see Kelly. "While we were on vacation, someone broke into the boathouse. They stole my grandmother's letters and the keys to the safety deposit boxes."

"You're joking," Kelly said, her mouth hung open.

"I wish." Sophia gave a fake laugh, trying to lighten the mood, but was rightfully upset. "Somehow they knew exactly where it was, and it was as if they knew what they were looking for. Everything else was pretty much untouched and nothing was stolen. I feel so guilty."

"It wasn't your fault."

"I should've kept the keys on me, or at least taken it to Hawaii. It was stupid to leave something that valuable alone in an empty boathouse. It's not like the boathouse is hard to get into."

Kelly shook her head. "Still, it shouldn't have been easy. We have people monitoring the grounds all the time. Torrance, our security guy, watches the cameras twenty-four seven and when he doesn't, someone else does."

"What are you saying?" Sophia asked.

"I'm saying it must've been someone familiar with the estate. Someone who's always been allowed access without hesitation."

"Like who?"

"I don't know, a gardener? Maintenance men? The guys who give a monthly check-up on the boats? I think we should tell my Dad, he'll know what to do."

"I don't know if I can. I feel like I've let him down."

"This isn't your fault," she said again.

"You keep telling me it's not, but with that amount of money, I should've been more cautious. I shouldn't have been so emotional the day we went to the bank, I should have transferred the money into different accounts. You know, spread it out, make it harder to steal."

"But that wasn't a concern because of the literal fortress we live in. Did you tell anyone about the money?"

"No, I don't have anyone to tell other than you and Jack. Your parents already knew and I didn't tell James until today."

"Then it's not your fault. This was probably going to happen regardless of whether you transferred it around or not."

The women were interrupted by a knock on the door and James walked inside. "Alan wants to speak to you," he said and gave Sophia an apologetic look, and she knew from that instant that he had gone against her wishes and told Mr McKenzie. She knew she would have told him... just when she would was something she wasn't sure of. Sophia gave him a look of disappointment and stood to leave the room "I'm sorry Soph, but he had a right to know."