Chapter 39
Sophie jerked awake, her breath catching in her throat. She blinked rapidly, her eyes trying to adjust to the dim light.
Her surroundings were unfamiliar, and panic began to bubble inside her chest. Where was she?
Her hands shot up, her fingers brushing against cold, hard surfaces. The floor beneath her was rough, like concrete. Her body tensed, and she tried to move, only to find her limbs stiff and uncooperative.
Suddenly, a voice broke the silence. It wasn’t a voice she recognized, but it sent a chill down her spine.
“Stay away from Adam Monroe.”
The words were sharp, harsh. The voice was gruff—too gruff, almost like a man’s. But Sophie knew it wasn’t. It had been modulated, altered somehow.
Her heart pounded in her chest as she tried to make sense of the situation. Who was this? What was going on?
“Who are you?” Sophie demanded, her voice trembling despite her best efforts to remain calm. “What do you want from me?”
The voice didn’t answer immediately. Instead, there was a brief pause, as though the person on the other end was deciding how to respond.
“I’m telling you for your own good,” the voice continued, colder now, “You stay away from him. Or next time, we won’t just warn you. We’ll make sure you never see him again.”
Sophie furrowed her brows, trying to make sense of the words. She tried to sit up but found herself bound to a chair, her wrists aching from the restraints.
“I’m done with Adam. I just want my divorce finalized,” she said, her voice firm but laced with confusion. “I don’t need anything from him. I’m done, okay?”
A dark laugh followed, but it wasn’t reassuring. It sounded menacing, almost mocking.
“You think I’ll believe that trash?” the voice asked, amusement tinged with malice. “Stay away from him, ok?”
Sophie’s pulse quickened as a thought crossed her mind. She narrowed her eyes, the pieces of the puzzle starting to click.
“Is this Brenda?” she asked, her voice a mixture of anger and disbelief. “Is this you?”
For a moment, there was silence on the other end. Sophie’s breath hitched in her throat as she waited for a response, but nothing came.
She strained her ears, hoping to hear the voice again. But it was gone. Completely silent.
“Brenda?” Sophie repeated, but there was no answer. Her suspicion had bloomed into certainty. There was no mistaking the tone, the threat.
It had to be Brenda behind this, but why? What did she want from her? Why was she threatening her like this?
Before Sophie could think any more on it, the door swung open with a loud creak.
Two large men stepped in, their heavy footsteps echoing in the room. Sophie’s breath caught in her throat as she recognized the look in their eyes—cold, unfeeling, like they were only here to do a job.
Her stomach churned in fear.
“No,” Sophie whispered, her body tensing. “What are you doing?”
Without warning, the two men grabbed her roughly by the arms. Sophie yelped, her body fighting back against their strength, but they were too powerful.
They yanked her to her feet, and before she could react, one of them slapped a hand over her mouth, muffling her protests.
“Get her to the car,” one of the men growled, his grip unyielding. Sophie’s eyes widened in horror as they dragged her toward the door, and she realized she had no choice but to comply.
If she didn’t, there was no telling what these men would do to her.
The car ride was a blur. She was shoved into the backseat, her body still weak and disoriented.
The men sat on either side of her, their silence heavy and suffocating. Sophie tried to steady her breathing, but every bump in the road made her heart race faster. She had to think, had to escape. But how?
As the car swerved through the streets, Sophie’s mind raced. Who was behind all of this? And why was Brenda so determined to keep her away from Adam?
Before Sophie could make sense of anything, the car suddenly stopped.
The abrupt halt sent her sliding forward, her body jerking against the seatbelt. She barely had a chance to brace herself before the door was flung open, and the men dragged her out of the car.
“No!” Sophie shouted, struggling with all her might, but her efforts were futile.
They threw her to the ground with a harsh shove, and she landed hard on the asphalt.
Her body skidded across the rough surface, scraping her arms and knees as she cried out in pain.
The men didn’t say anything as they got back into the car, and within seconds, the vehicle was gone.
Sophie lay there for a moment, breathing heavily, her mind still in a haze. She tried to gather her strength, her hands shaking as she pushed herself up from the ground.
What just happened? Was this it? Were they really just going to leave her here, abandoned in the middle of nowhere?
Tears pricked the corners of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. No, she couldn’t break down now. She had to keep it together. She had to think.
She looked around, her heart pounding in her chest as she searched for any sign of where she was. Her surroundings were unfamiliar—dark, deserted. The streetlights flickered overhead, casting eerie shadows across the empty road.
She pushed herself to her feet, wincing as her sore body protested and she fell to the ground, unconscious.
