Chapter 146

Sophie's POV I felt a rush of nervous energy as I paced back and forth in the empty hallway. It had been a whole damn day, and I still hadn't found my chance to check on that suburban development project. The anxiety was eating me alive. My phone buzzed—Lucian West calling again. Shit. I ducked into a corner where nobody could hear me, my voice barely above a whisper. "Mr. West, please be patient. I'm working on it. These are confidential files and I need special clearance to access them." "Enough excuses," Lucian cut me off, his voice ice cold as he drummed his fingers against his desk. I could practically feel the frost through the phone. "Ms. Hart, if you can't deliver, say so now. Don't waste my time." My face burned with humiliation. I wanted to snap back, but I couldn't afford to lose Lucian as my backer right now. "I assure you, just give me a little more time," I forced myself to sound confident. "I'll get what you need." He made a dismissive sound. "I'll be waiting for your go