Mutual agenda's

It was pride that turned angels into devils

"Where can she be?" Bella said aloud to her husband Karl. Sophie had always been a perfect A student. She'd always stuck to rules and been incredibly sensible, so it wasn't like her to go out all day and not contact anyone, especially Damien.

Rose was upstairs trying to settle the children, but her mind was doing overtime. She kept having flashbacks of the night she and the children kidnapped. They still didn't know who or why they had been taken as nothing had been stolen, and they'd let them go after 13 hours. Jack would've given whatever they asked for, but this wasn't necessary as they had pushed them out of the side of a van onto a sidestreet, Rose still wearing the blindfold they had put on when they had rushed them out of the house with not even so much as a nappy for the little one. It never even entered her mind that Sophie could have found out what was going on between herself and Damien. She didn't want to call the police as she knew her husband wouldn't appreciate that and would never give her the divorce she wanted or full parental rights if she sent them sniffing around his beloved club. The velvet lounge was his pride and joy, and she knew it wouldn't be in her best interests to pass him off right now as he had plenty of people that could track her down in a heartbeat with her still being in the same small town. She just hoped her sister was safe, but it was so out of character that her mind couldn't rest.

Meanwhile, Damien was out searching the streets. He had already been to all the friends he could think of and had rang around local hospitals but nothing. 'She seemed fine last night, and there is no way she would have us all worried like this if she were safe,'he thought.

Sophie was actually living it up in the strippers changing room of Jack's nightclub. Jack had gone to look for her, but she was still in the shower, door locked, and sad songs blasting so he'd come back downstairs to let his staff in. By the time Sophie emerged, the girls were all in doing their hair and makeup, and Sophie soon made herself 12 best friends. The girls thought Sophie was incredibly funny. The wine had got to her head, and by the time hair and makeup were complete, she had been taught a full 15-minute pole routine. Sober Sophie would have cringed at the thought, but the wine had helped her let her hair down, and she was genuinely having fun for the first time in a long time. It never even entered her head that everyone back home would be worried sick. After seeing the missed calls earlier, she had intended to message back once she had had time to think about how she wanted to deal with the mess she found herself in.

Bella tried to call again, but the phone rang 3 times, then went back to voicemail. "Sophie, if you get this, please let me know. You're okay. Nobody is angry, and you don't have to come straight home just please, please, please let us know you are safe, I'm going out of my mind with worry" She broke into huge sobs, her husband rushing over to comfort her. "She's a sensible girl Bella,try not to worry. She's probably fallen asleep at a friend's or lost her phone. She'll be home soon. " Bella prayed he was right. "Let's try to get some rest, and if she isn't back in the morning, then we will come up with a plan of action."

Damien had also headed back to his own flat. He wanted to be there. I'd Sophoe returned but couldn't deal with Rose right now. He was feeling incredibly guilty and knew Rose could be quite selfish at times. Thinking about it, he wasn't sure why he had let her persuade him to think about leaving Sophie. She was quite a plane, Jane, next to Sophie, who was stunning and did he really want to be with someone that could betray her own sister without a second thought. The regret was hitting hard, and he knew when Sophie came back, this was the end of him and Rose. He had felt quite lonely lately, and Rose had offered the attention he didn't feel he were getting from sophie it had just got out of hand and he had felt backed into a corner after they had slept together the first time. Having to sneak around were draining, and he wished he could turn back time. The grass really is never greener on the other side, he thought while dropping to sleep with a Sophies onstagram profile picture on his phone screen.

Rose had managed to settle the children and went to check Sophies room to see if she or Damien were back home. The house felt unusually silent and cold, and she could use some company. Nobody was there, though, so she came back out and closed the door, then reopened it as her mind registered the screwed up piece of paper on the floor. She went in and picked up the note, unscrewing it. On one side were Rose's telephone number with a question mark above it. She thought it a bit strange but starting to feel tired herself dropped it into her pocket and went back to her room. Sophie was a big girl. She'd be fine. Although initially she had been a bit worried, she felt everyone were overreacting because their precious Sophie were missing. I bet they weren't this concerned about me she thought that even though deep down she knew her family loved her and the children and had done everything possible to accommodate and keep them safe, she kind of hoped Sophie would stay away a while so she could get the time she felt her and Damien needed to make their getaway plans and finally be together. She went to sleep thinking about all they would do when they finally had their own space, not so much a second thought for the fact it would tear her stepsisters heart in two.