Page 65 of Rescuing Sophia

The thought makes my skin crawl. “Of course,” I lie, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Good girl.”Malfor’s voice drips with satisfaction.“I have so many plans for you when you return. You’ve pleased me greatly.”

I want to ask about Luke, to beg for confirmation that my son is safe, but the words stick in my throat.

“Thank you, sir.”

His words send a chill down my spine. I know what awaits me—pain, torture, manipulation. An existence so bleak that, for a fleeting moment, I consider ending it all right here. One final act of defiance.

“Sleep well, my dear.”His voice drips with false tenderness.“Tomorrow, you’ll be back where you belong.”

I take a deep breath, steeling myself for what’s to come. Luke needs me. As long as he’s in danger, I have to endure. I have to survive.

The world spins around me.

Tomorrow.

My last day of freedom, of happiness, of love.

The last day I’ll see Blake’s smile, feel Jenna’s friendly pat on the shoulder, or hear the laughter of the regulars at The Guardian Grind.

For a moment, a wild impulse seizes me. I could run to Blake right now and confess everything. Beg for his protection, for his forgiveness. Tell him about everything I’ve done, even the parts I don’t understand. Surely he could help, could save me from this nightmare.

But then Luke’s face flashes in my mind. My beautiful boy held hostage by this monster. The thought of him suffering because of my weakness is unbearable.

“I’ll be ready.” I’m surprised by the steadiness in my voice.

As I end the call, I slide down the wall, hugging my knees to my chest. Tears stream down my face as the full weight of my situation crashes over me. Tomorrow, I will lose everything. Everything except the crushing responsibility of keeping my son safe.

I allow myself this one moment of weakness, of despair. Then, wiping my eyes, I rise, squaring my shoulders and standing tall. I have one day left. One day to memorize every detail of the life I’m leaving behind. One day to gather strength for the ordeal ahead.

For Luke, I will endure.

For Luke, I will survive.

For Luke, I will destroy any chance of happiness I may have had.

Bile rises in my throat. I wish I could tell Blake. That I could let him know the truth without putting Luke in danger.

Slowly, an idea takes root. I can’t come out and tell him everything—Malfor would destroy Luke in an instant. But maybe… Maybe I could leave subtle hints, breadcrumbs he could follow to unravel everything I’ve done.

It’s a risk, a dangerous game, but it might be the only way to lessen the damage I’ve caused without tipping Malfor off.

TWENTY-ONE

Blake

The next fewdays pass in a blur of activity. We make slow but steady progress on the Greaves case, each small lead bringing us incrementally closer to our goal. But there’s an undercurrent of unease running through HQ.

It starts with small things. A door that should be locked is found open. A security camera glitches for a few seconds. Nothing major, nothing that can’t be explained away by human error or technical hiccups, but it’s enough to set my teeth on edge.

Everyone senses something’s off, even if we can’t quite put our finger on what it is.

By Friday morning, the strain is starting to show. Dark circles under eyes, shoulders hunched with invisible weight, nerves frayed to breaking point.

It’s Gabe who finally breaks the silence as we’re gearing up for another day of chasing shadows.

“You know what we need?” he announces, slapping his locker shut with more force than necessary. “Coffee. Real coffee, not the swill from the break room.”

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