MTLNOVEL Chapter 83: Her Plans
Helene shifted uncomfortably, her fingers tightening around the edge of the blanket.
Caleb caught the change instantly.
'She knows something… Is there something they're not telling me?' His eyes narrowed slightly as he studied her face.
"Plans…" Helene started, her voice a little uneven. "Well, I can't really say we had any plans. As for why we met you… I don't know much. Sophia told me about Julia's death. She was a good friend, so I had to be there for the funeral."
Her tone wavered near the end. Caleb didn't need the system to tell him—she was hiding something.
But pressing her now wouldn't work. So he switched tactics.
"Well," he said casually, leaning back a little, "I talked with Sophia earlier. She didn't seem too happy with my idea… She doesn't want us to go against X."
Helene's head snapped toward him, her eyes wide.
"She doesn't?" Her voice carried genuine surprise, like she hadn't seen that coming.
"Yes," Caleb replied evenly. "That's why I wanted to ask if you might know the reason why."
Helene blinked, and for a moment, Caleb caught something flicker in her expression—guilt? Fear?
But then, almost as if she realized she had slipped, her face smoothed over. When she spoke again, her voice was calm.
"Well, I understand her… She might just be scared. Don't worry about it—I'm sure she was only joking." Helene forced a smile, but it looked stiff and unnatural.
'What is she trying to hide?' Caleb thought, a heavy sense of unease settling in his chest.
Her behavior was too off. She was definitely keeping something from him.
He was just about to press further—maybe push her until she slipped—when the door suddenly clicked open.
"Helene, you're still awake?" Sophia stood at the doorway, her expression lined with worry.
"Yeah, I haven't slept yet… I was just talking with Caleb." Helene replied softly, wearing a faint smile that looked almost too innocent.
Caleb sat with his back to Sophia, but he didn't need to see her face to know this wasn't a coincidence.
'No way. She came here to interrupt us.' He pinched the bridge of his nose in silent frustration.
Sophia stepped inside, her voice laced with teasing. "Is that so? Caleb, you really are a night owl… It's this late and you're still roaming the house. Or…" She smirked, her eyes glinting as she drew closer. "Do you two have other plans?"
Helene's face flamed red instantly. She shrank back, clutching the blanket as if it could hide her embarrassment.
"N-No! We don't have any plans!" she blurted, her voice pitching high with panic.
Sophia chuckled softly, amused by her reaction. "Caleb, you really are a man for all women… For even Helene to like you, what kind of things have you been doing to her?" she added, resting a hand casually on his shoulder.
Caleb didn't react. He stayed calm and composed, already knowing what Sophia was trying to do.
Helene, on the other hand, was blinking red like a broken traffic light.
"I want to sleep!" she yelled, yanking the blanket over herself and burrowing into the soft foam like it could swallow her whole.
Sophia laughed lightly.
Caleb rose to his feet, his tone steady and polite. "I only asked her a few questions. She answered, so I was about to take my leave." He turned to Helene, who peeked out nervously from beneath her blanket.
Their eyes met, and Caleb gave her a warm smile. "Thank you for the information. I'll be going now."
Helene's cheeks burned as she whispered from under the blanket, "You're welcome."
Caleb walked toward the door, but before stepping out, he paused and glanced at Sophia.
"Well, aren't you supposed to be in bed too? I mean, you've practically been everywhere with me today," Caleb said, his tone calm but edged with meaning.
Sophia held his gaze, her face unreadable. "I just needed a drink of water before heading back to bed. Then I heard some noise… I was worried about my sister, so I came to check." She shrugged casually, as if her excuse was nothing more than the truth.
Caleb didn't push. Instead, he simply faced the door again and said smoothly, "Hmm… seems like you hear quite a lot." With that, he stepped out of the room.
As his silhouette disappeared down the hall, Sophia's lips pressed into a thin line.
'Did he figure out what my powers are?' she wondered, unease creeping in. 'No… it's not possible. I'm probably just overthinking.'
Caleb walked back to his room quietly, his mind still circling around Sophia.
He still didn't know what cards the two sisters possessed—or what powers they held. But one thing he was sure of: both women were influential and wealthy.
He couldn't just come out and ask them. At the end of the day, the three of them were still strangers, working together for one common goal. And trust? That was a luxury none of them had.
Especially Sophia.
He didn't trust her—not after their short discussion in the car. She wasn't on board with his plans, and that made her a potential obstacle… maybe even an enemy if things went south.
In truth, none of them would reveal their abilities willingly. And Caleb? He had no intention of exposing his own hand either.
That meant he had only one option: observe. Watch their moves. Piece the puzzle together from the little time they spent together.
And the more he thought about it, the more suspicious things seemed.
Sophia knew too much about them before even meeting them. Then, after his heated moment with Naya, she just appeared—out of nowhere. And now, with Helene… again, perfect timing.
Too perfect.
It felt almost as if she always knew what was happening, no matter where she was.
'Is that her ability?' Caleb wondered as he reached his room.
He opened the door quietly—and found Naya already fast asleep.
Caleb walked to the other side of the bed and turned on the bedside lamp, its warm glow replacing the harsh brightness of the main light. He grabbed the remote and switched the overhead lights off completely, casting the room in a soft amber hue.
Sitting down, he pulled out his phone and opened the browser.
‹Sophia Gracia›
He typed the name and hit search.
No results.
At least, nothing significant. Just her social media pages—with plenty of followers, sure, but nowhere near Naya's level. Not even close.
That alone surprised him.
'Weird… for someone like her?' Caleb frowned.
He tried the second name.
‹Helene Gracia›
The results loaded instantly.
‹A well-known software engineer… 80% share in NOS Company. Net worth: $12 million›
Caleb wasn't too shocked.
Helene had the brains. And the looks.
And the fact that he'd made $60 million—five times her net worth—proved the data wasn't outdated.
But when he went back to Sophia's case… nothing added up.
'She doesn't own any business?' he thought, brows knitting.
If she had a card—and he was sure she did—where was the money?
Caleb didn't like the mysterious air surrounding Sophia.
It only made everything harder.
How were they supposed to predict her next move? How could they know what she was really cooking up?
More importantly—how could they be sure they weren't already playing straight into her game?
She approached them for a reason. That much was certain.
'She said it was to protect Naya… but that can't be the only reason. If she's not interested in going against X, then what's her real goal?'
Helene's reaction earlier replayed in his head—how shocked she'd been when he mentioned Sophia didn't want to fight X.
'Just what the hell is that girl planning?'
The more he thought about it, the heavier the unease sat in his chest. He couldn't read her. Couldn't tell what she was plotting.
And worst of all—she was always one step ahead.
Caleb hated that.
He exhaled slowly and switched off the lamp, letting darkness swallow the room. His head sank into the pillow, eyes fixed on the blank ceiling above.
"Sophia," he muttered under his breath, voice low and sharp, "you'd better not do anything stupid in this life."
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Meanwhile in the room, even after Caleb had gone, Sophia was still in the room.
She didn't leave immediately.
She turned back to Helene after Caleb's door clicked to a close.
Helene quickly sat up straight as well.
"Did you tell him anything?"
"Well, I didn't tell him anything relating to your plan"
"Good" Sophia said calmly as she turned to leave.
"Sophy" Helene's voice called out to her making her halt.
"He said you don't want to go against X, is that true?" Helene asked calmly.
Sophia's gaze darkened as she stood in front of the door.
'That parrot!' she cursed inwardly.