Shattered Sanctuary

Sophia’s POV

The glass shards glitter on the floor like jagged stars, the remnants of the safehouse window that just exploded inward. My heart slams against my ribs, my breath caught in my throat as Julian pulls me down behind the bed, his body shielding mine. The scream from outside“You’re mine, Sophia!”echoes in my ears, a chilling reminder that nowhere is safe anymore. The red laser dot that danced across the wall moments ago still burns in my mind, a predator’s mark. Was it Lucas? His voice, twisted with rage, feels so familiar, yet there’s a chance it’s someone else,someone new, someone worse. My hands instinctively cradle my stomach, protecting the tiny life inside me, Julian’s child, the secret that’s turned my world into a battlefield.

Julian’s arm is a steel band around me, his breath hot against my ear as he whispers, “Stay down, Sophia. Don’t move.” His voice is steady, but I can feel the tension in his body, the coiled energy of a man ready to fight. Asher’s in the living room, his footsteps pacing, his phone pressed to his ear as he murmurs urgently to someone Rob, probably, Julian’s fixer. The safehouse, once a haven, now feels like a cage, the city lights beyond the shattered window mocking us with their indifference.

My mind races, replaying the last hour,Asher’s warning about Emily and Lucas, the photo of Julian’s car, the smoldering cigarette in the stairwell, and now this. Someone knows I’m pregnant. Someone knows I’m here with Julian. And they’re close, too close. My fingers tremble as I clutch Julian’s shirt, the fabric still warm from his body, grounding me in the chaos. “Who was that?” I whisper, my voice shaking. “Was it Lucas?”

Julian’s jaw tightens, his blue eyes scanning the room, calculating. “I don’t know,” he admits, his voice low. “But I’m not letting them get to you.” He pulls out his phone, his thumb flying over the screen as he texts Rob, his movements precise despite the danger. I want to believe him, to cling to his strength, but the fear is suffocating. Lucas’s cruelty has haunted me for years, but this feels different, bigger, like a storm I can’t outrun.

I shift, my knees pressing against the hardwood floor, and a shard of glass bites into my palm. I hiss, pulling back, and Julian’s eyes snap to me, his expression softening for a split second. “You’re hurt,” he says, gently taking my hand. A thin line of blood wells up, and he tears a strip from his shirt, wrapping it around my palm with a tenderness that makes my chest ache. Even now, with danger closing in, he’s thinking of me. It’s a stark contrast to Lucas, whose touch was always cold, controlling, never caring.

“We need to move,” Julian says, his voice firm again. “This place isn’t secure anymore.” He helps me to my feet, keeping me low, away from the windows. Asher appears in the doorway, his face pale, his phone still in hand. “Rob’s on his way,” he says. “He’s got a team tracking the sedan, and he’s pulling security footage from the building across the street. But we need to get out now.”

I nod, my heart pounding, but my legs feel like lead. The thought of running again, of hiding, makes me want to scream. I’ve spent years trapped in Lucas’s prison, fading into the background, and now, even with Julian, I’m still running. But for my baby,for us,I have to keep going. Julian’s hand finds mine, his grip strong, reassuring. “I’ve got you,” he says, and I cling to those words like a lifeline.

We move toward the back of the safehouse, where a private exit leads to a service elevator. Julian’s bodyguards are waiting, their faces grim, hands on their weapons. The hallway is dark, the air heavy with the scent of metal and dust. Every creak, every shadow makes me flinch, my mind conjuring Lucas’s face, his cold gray eyes, his cruel smile. Or Emily, her jealousy a poison that’s festered for years. Or Nadya, Julian’s ex, whose obsession could drive her to madness. The possibilities are endless, and each one tightens the knot of fear in my chest.

The elevator doors slide open, and we step inside, the descent agonizingly slow. Julian stands in front of me, his broad shoulders a barrier between me and whatever’s waiting below. Asher’s beside us, his phone buzzing with updates from Rob. “They found the sedan,” he says, his voice tight. “Abandoned two blocks away. No plates, no prints yet. But the footage shows two figures on the rooftop across the street one with a rifle.”

A sniper. The word hits me like a punch, and I press a hand to my stomach, a wave of nausea rolling through me. Julian’s hand tightens on mine, his eyes meeting mine in the dim light of the elevator. “They won’t touch you,” he says, his voice a low growl. “I swear it.”

The elevator dings, and the doors open to a basement garage, the air cool and damp. Julian’s black SUV waits, engine running, a driver at the wheel. We move quickly, Julian guiding me into the backseat, his body shielding mine as Asher slides in beside us. The driver pulls out, tires screeching as we speed through the underground lot, the city lights blurring past the tinted windows. I lean against Julian, my head on his shoulder, trying to steady my breathing. His arm wraps around me, his warmth a stark contrast to the cold fear gripping me.

“Where are we going?” I ask, my voice barely audible over the hum of the engine.

“Somewhere they can’t find us,” Julian says, his tone resolute. “I have another safehouse upstate, off the grid. No one knows about it, not even Asher.” He glances at his friend, a flicker of suspicion in his eyes, and I wonder if he’s questioning Asher’s loyalty. The thought sends a chill through me ,Asher’s been Julian’s best friend for years, but Emily’s betrayal has tainted everything.

The drive is tense, the silence broken only by the occasional buzz of Asher’s phone. Julian’s hand rests on my thigh, a steady anchor, but my mind won’t stop spinning. The voice outside the safehouse, the laser dot, the shattered window it all feels like a warning, a promise of worse to come. I think of my parents, their indifference when I told them about Lucas’s cheating, their obsession with the company over my happiness. I think of Emily, her laughter when I confessed my pain, her jealousy a constant shadow. And Lucas his cruelty, his possessiveness, his refusal to let me go. Could he really be desperate enough to hire a sniper? Or is this someone else, someone tied to Julian’s past, his revenge against Lucas’s family?

I glance at Julian, his profile sharp in the dim light, his jaw set with determination. He’s promised to protect me, but I know he’s carrying his own burdens,secrets he hasn’t shared, a vendetta that drives him as much as his feelings for me. I want to ask, to demand the truth, but the words stick in my throat. For now, I need him, need his strength, his resolve. But the doubt lingers, a quiet whisper: Can I trust him completely?

The SUV slows as we approach a secluded road, the city giving way to dark, sprawling countryside. The safehouse looms ahead, a modern cabin nestled in the woods, its windows dark, its isolation both comforting and eerie. We pull into the driveway, and Julian helps me out, his hand firm on mine. The air is crisp, the scent of pine heavy, but there’s a stillness that sets my nerves on edge. Asher scans the perimeter, his phone now silent, his expression unreadable.

Inside, the cabin is sparse but secure, with reinforced doors and a state-of-the-art security system. Julian activates it, the soft beep a small reassurance. “You’re safe here,” he says, pulling me close. “I’ll figure this out, Sophia. I promise.”

I nod, but the unease lingers. As we settle in, Julian and Asher step outside to check the perimeter, leaving me alone in the dimly lit living room. I pace, my hand on my stomach, trying to calm the storm inside me. My phone, tucked in my pocket, vibrates, and I freeze. I pull it out, my heart sinking as I see another message from an unknown number. My hands tremble as I open it, revealing a photo of the cabin, taken from the woods, with a single line of text: “You can run, but you can’t hide.”

The phone slips from my fingers, clattering to the floor, as a low, deliberate knock echoes from the back door. Julian and Asher are still outside, too far to hear. The knock comes again, louder, and a shadow moves past the window, tall and menacing. Friend or foe? And how did they find us so quickly?