Revenge is Best Served After Reborn (James)

Colby dragged the guy straight into the living room. Timothy's eyes darted nervously as he saw Adler with a laptop. Sophie cut to the chase, "Alright, spill it. Who were you planning to send the message to?" "I... I wasn't planning to send it to anyone."

"Don't give me that! Just because you kids think you're tech-savvy doesn't mean I'm clueless. I've been doing this longer than you have."

Adler made short work of the laptop's password.

With a quick setup, Adler projected the laptop's screen onto the TV. It showed an email account ready but with no message typed out yet.

Sophie didn't waste any time, "No need for questions. Just find out who owns this email account."

"It's an international email," Adler noted. "Give me two hours, and I can get the registration details."

"No need. It won't help," Timothy interjected.

Sophie raised a brow, "Why's that?"

"Because that email account is registered under my name," Timothy answered.

Sophie frowned, "What do you mean?"

"I don't want to investigate you guys, but the person behind all this has my family under his thumb. I have to follow his orders, or we won't survive in Summerfield."

Sophie's eyebrow arched, "So, this mastermind is pretty intimidating, huh? Have you actually seen him?"

Timothy hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah, I've seen him."

Sophie leaned in, "We've been digging for ages. The Aldridge family's network combs all of Devonport, and we've found zilch on this guy. What makes you think I'd believe you've seen him?" Upstairs, Gordon watched the scene unfold from the second floor, his wheelchair pushed up against the railing.

Timothy continued, "The guy wore a mask. I don't know his identity, but I remember his voice. He's young. If see him again, I'll recognize him! Ms. Sophie, if you keep me around, I can protect the Spellman family. I can even feed false info to the enemy! Please, I didn't mean to deceive you!"

Timothy's eyes were earnest, his tone pleading.

Jenna chimed in, "He's just a seventeen-year-old kid. His story checks out to me."

Sophie studied Timothy, clearly torn on whether to believe him.

But Colby wasn't buying any of it. He pressed a knife to Timothy's throat, "That stunt at the Pearl Hotel, how did you pull it off?"

"I know Ms. Sophie has her doubts.... but I can't spill the details. That guy had my dad detain Odie. I had to deliver the food myself to warn Ms. Sophie. I don't want to hurt anyone! I swear I'm telling the truth!"

"Is that right?" Colby's knife inched closer to Timothy's throat, his voice icy, "Too bad, I don't believe you."

"Wait!" Sophie interrupted just as

Colby was about to act. "Trust works

both ways. Tget that you want to protect your family, but if you want my trust, you've got to give mea reason. Convince me, and I'll protect you and the Spellman family."