Sophia locked the door behind Emma, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. She'd always felt safe with Emma, like she could be her true self without fear of judgment.
As she walked over to the window, Sophia gazed out at the city, feeling a sense of disconnection. She'd built a fragile sanctuary here, a life that was still tentative, still vulnerable to Ethan's manipulation.
Sophia's thoughts turned to Ethan, to the desperation in his voice when he'd called Emma. She knew that desperation, knew what it meant. Ethan was a man who didn't take no for an answer, who would stop at nothing to get what he wanted.
As she turned away from the window, Sophia's eyes fell on the painting she'd bought from Rachel's gallery. The woman in the painting seemed to be staring back at her, her eyes filled with a deep sadness.
Sophia felt a lump form in her throat as she gazed at the painting. She knew that sadness, knew what it was like to feel trapped, to feel like you were drowning in a sea of despair.
But as she looked deeper into the woman's eyes, Sophia saw something else, something that gave her a glimmer of hope. She saw resilience, saw a determination to rise above the pain, to find a way out of the darkness.
Sophia took a deep breath, feeling a sense of resolve wash over her. She knew she couldn't stay hidden forever, knew she'd have to face Ethan eventually. But for now, she just wanted to hold onto this fragile sense of peace, to cherish the sanctuary she'd built for herself.
As she turned away from the painting, Sophia's eyes fell on her phone, which was buzzing with an incoming text. Her heart sank as she saw the message, which was from an unknown number.
"We need to talk," the message read.
Sophia's instincts went on high alert. She knew that tone, knew who was behind the message.
Ethan had found her.