Mia's suitcase was a chaotic explosion of colors, with half of her clothes hanging out like they were making a desperate escape. Sophie sat on the bed, hugging a pillow, her expression a mix of disbelief and betrayal.
"I still can't believe you're leaving me," Sophie whined, her voice cracking slightly.
Mia rolled her eyes as she struggled to zip the overstuffed luggage. "It's not like I'm abandoning you in a haunted house, Soph. I'm going to Harvard! HARVARD! Do you know how rare this opportunity is?"
"Yes, yes, Harvard," Sophie grumbled. "The fancy school where geniuses like you go to leave their best friends behind."
Mia paused, looking at Sophie with an exaggerated pout. "Don't make this harder than it already is. I'm going to miss you too, you know."
"Yeah, right," Sophie retorted, throwing a pillow at her. "You're going to forget all about me the moment you meet some tall, nerdy guy who speaks Latin and quotes Shakespeare."
Mia caught the pillow mid-air. "First of all, rude. Second, I prefer my men fluent in sarcasm, not dead languages."
They both laughed, but the humor didn't last long. The reality of Mia leaving hung heavily in the room.
---
Airport Madness
The day of Mia's departure was a blur of tears, hugs, and chaos. Sophie insisted on driving her to the airport, which turned out to be a mistake because:
1. Sophie got lost despite GPS guidance.
2. She spilled coffee on herself during an emotional rant about friendship.
3. They almost missed Mia's flight.
"You'd think I'd be better at goodbyes," Sophie muttered as they sprinted through the airport.
Mia smirked. "You're better at clinging."
As they reached the gate, Mia turned to Sophie, her usual teasing replaced with genuine emotion. "You're going to be okay, you know that, right?"
Sophie crossed her arms, trying to appear nonchalant. "Of course. Who needs you, anyway?"
"You do."
Sophie sniffled. "Fine, maybe I do a little. But don't think I'll admit it again."
They hugged tightly, the kind of hug that said more than words ever could. As Mia disappeared into the terminal, Sophie stood there, feeling a mix of pride and heartbreak.
---
A Lonely Return
Back home, the silence was deafening. Sophie sat on the couch, staring at the blank TV screen. The emptiness of the apartment felt like it was mocking her.
Her phone buzzed with a message from Mia:
> "Landed safely. Stop moping and start solving your mystery, Nancy Drew. Love ya!"
Sophie rolled her eyes but couldn't help smiling.
She glanced at the dining table, where the clues about her mother were spread out like a detective's case file. The cryptic notes, the old photographs, and the mysterious mentions of Margaret Winters taunted her.
"Fine," Sophie muttered to herself. "If Mia can go halfway across the world for answers, so can I. Metaphorically, of course."
---
Meanwhile, in Tokyo
Ethan was sitting in a boardroom, staring at a presentation he had zero interest in. His assistant leaned over and whispered, "Sir, you're glaring at the projector again."
Ethan sighed. "Am I?"
"Yes. And you've scared three interns already."
Ethan leaned back in his chair, his thoughts drifting to Sophie. He hated how things had ended between them, but his pride wouldn't let him reach out.
A colleague interrupted his thoughts. "Mr. D'Angelo, your input on the merger?"
Ethan smirked. "Let's just say if they mess up, I'm ready to buy them out."
The room laughed nervously, but Ethan's mind was elsewhere.
---
Back to Sophie
Desperate to fill the void left by Mia, Sophie decided to immerse herself in her mother's mystery. She visited the archives, scoured the internet, and even tried decoding the notes again.
One evening, she found herself in an old library, surrounded by dusty books. An elderly librarian approached her.
"Looking for something specific, dear?"
"Answers," Sophie replied, showing the librarian the notes.
The woman adjusted her glasses. "These phrases… they remind me of an old poem about roses. Let me find it for you."
Sophie's heart raced. Could this be another clue?
---
A New Revelation
As Sophie read the poem, she noticed certain lines mirrored the clues she had received. It mentioned a hidden garden, secrets buried beneath the soil, and the courage to uproot the past.
She left the library with a renewed sense of purpose.
Standing under the streetlights, Sophie looked up at the sky. "Mia's chasing her dreams, Ethan's chasing money, and here I am, chasing ghosts. Great."
But deep down, she knew this journey was hers alone. And she was ready to face it, no matter how crazy it got.