ログインThe room didn’t just go quiet—it locked in.Sophia stood there, phone in her hand, but her focus wasn’t on the screen anymore.“It’s time to get my father involved.”No hesitation.No emotion.Just decision.Dominic felt it immediately.This wasn’t Sophia reacting.This was Sophia ending it.Patrick leaned forward, elbows on his knees, eyes sharp.“Then we stop playing small,” he said. “Because what she’s doing isn’t messy anymore—it’s dangerous.”Sophia nodded once.“I know.”Her phone buzzed again.She didn’t look at it.Didn’t flinch.Didn’t react.That alone said everything.“She crossed every line,” Sophia said, her voice calm—but colder now. “She showed up. She put her hands on me. She’s using access she shouldn’t have. And she’s not stopping.”Dominic swallowed hard.“Then we make her stop,” he said.Sophia turned to him.“This isn’t about forcing her,” she said. “This is about removing her ability to keep doing it.”That landed.Patrick nodded slowly.“That’s how you shut som
The message sat there for only a few seconds before the phone lit up again.Then again.Then it stopped—just long enough to feel deliberate.A reply came through.“You already know what I want.”Sophia didn’t touch the phone right away.Patrick watched her carefully.“Don’t rush it,” he said quietly.She nodded.Then picked it up.“Say it.”Send.The response came faster this time.“I want to talk to Vincent. Not through you.”“You don’t get to control that.”Dominic shifted where he stood, tension creeping back in.“She’s not getting access to me,” he said.“She’s not,” Sophia replied calmly. “But she doesn’t know that yet.”Another message.“You had me arrested. Do you really think I’m just going away?”Sophia typed again.“You showed up at my house.”Pause.Then—“Because he’s in there.”Sophia glanced at Dominic briefly, then back to the phone.“That’s not your concern.”The typing bubble stayed longer this time.Thinking.Adjusting.Then—“It is my concern when someone is lying t
That night didn’t end.It just… stretched.Sophia set her phone on the nightstand.Face down.But it didn’t matter.The calls still came through.Over and over.Vibration after vibration.Relentless.Dominic sat on the edge of the bed, staring at his own phone.“She’s still going?” he asked.Sophia let out a tired breath. “All night.”As if on cue—Another call.Declined.Another one.Then another.“She’s not going to stop,” Dominic said quietly.Sophia didn’t answer right away.Because she already knew that.“She works for the city,” Sophia finally said. “She has access. Numbers, records… she’s not just guessing.”Dominic looked at her. “So even if we change everything—”“She’ll find it again,” Sophia finished.Silence.Heavy.Another call came through.Dominic muted his phone.Sophia didn’t even bother picking hers up.“I’m done playing defense,” she said suddenly.Dominic looked at her.“What does that mean?”Sophia sat up straighter, something shifting in her expression.Focused.
Morning didn’t feel like a fresh start.It felt like the aftermath.Quiet. Still. Heavy in a different way.Sophia was already awake when her phone buzzed.Patrick.“You up?”She stared at the message for a second, then replied.“Yeah.”Three dots appeared immediately.“Come grab a drink with me. Somewhere quiet. You shouldn’t be sitting in that house replaying everything.”Sophia glanced toward the living room.Dominic was still asleep on the couch.For a moment, she hesitated.Then—“Give me 30.”The place Patrick picked was low-key. Not crowded. Just enough noise to not feel empty.Sophia slid into the booth across from him.He looked at her for a second before saying anything.“You look like you didn’t sleep,” he said.“I didn’t,” she replied.He nodded. “Figured.”They ordered drinks.Nothing strong.Just something to take the edge off.For a while, they didn’t talk about it.Not directly.Just small things. Breathing space.Then Patrick leaned back slightly.“You handled that be
Sophia stood there a moment longer after the door closed behind Patrick.The silence wasn’t uncomfortable.It was… earned.She turned back toward Dominic, who hadn’t moved. He was watching her—not cautiously, not defensively—just present.“What now?” he had asked.Sophia exhaled slowly, letting the last of the adrenaline leave her system.“We take it one step at a time.”Dominic nodded, but he didn’t look away this time.“Then let me start with something real,” he said.Sophia didn’t interrupt.“I messed up,” he continued. “Not just with her… but with you. With us.”There was no hesitation in it now.No softening.Just truth.Sophia crossed her arms lightly—not closed off, just holding her ground.“Yeah,” she said. “You did.”He accepted it.Didn’t argue.“I let something small turn into something it shouldn’t have,” he said. “And I didn’t shut it down when I should’ve.”Sophia watched him closely.“Why?” she asked.Not accusatory.Just… direct.Dominic looked down for a second, then
The noise outside dulled to a distant blur—voices, radio chatter, the shuffle of movement as everything was pulled under control.Inside, the house felt still again.Too still.Sophia stood a few steps from the door, her breathing finally slowing, the adrenaline starting to fade.A knock came—firm, controlled this time.“Hey… it’s me,” Patrick’s voice called through.Sophia unlocked the door and opened it.Patrick stepped inside quickly, closing it behind him like he was sealing the chaos out.For a second, he just looked at her.Really looked.Taking in everything—the tension, the way she was holding herself together, the fact that she was still standing there after all of that.“You’re okay?” he asked, softer now.Sophia nodded once. “Yeah.”He didn’t hesitate.He stepped forward and pulled her into a hug.Tight.Protective.Familiar in a way that caught her off guard.Sophia stiffened for just a second… then let herself settle into it.Not because everything was okay.But because,
Sophia’s expression changed when she reached that part.Not softer.Just… unguarded.“I booked my flight to Texas fully prepared to be disappointed,” she said.Lily tilted her head. “Meaning?”“I assumed he’d be late. Or distracted. Or not show up at the gate.”Jacob frowned. “Why would you assume
Sophia stared at the floor for a long moment before speaking again.“There’s something else,” she said quietly.Jacob and Lily exchanged a look but stayed silent.“I wasn’t supposed to marry at all,” she continued. “Not officially. Not publicly.”Lily frowned slightly. “What do you mean?”“My fathe
Sophia didn’t answer Dominic again that night.Instead, she texted one person.Jacob.Are you in town?Three dots appeared almost instantly.For you? Always.She almost smiled.Jacob had been in her life longer than Dominic. College. First apartment. First real job. He had watched her build herself
Sophia didn’t tell them because she needed comfort.She told them because she needed calibration.Laura’s kitchen was quiet except for the hum of the refrigerator. Lilly sat at the island. Kathy leaned against the counter, arms crossed. No one interrupted when Sophia finished speaking.She didn’t d







