Elizabeth POV
Elizabeth froze, her grip tightening on the phone.
"Ellie? I’m in trouble." Sophia’s small, trembling voice pierced through her like a knife.
Her mind raced. Sophia, in trouble?
A sunny afternoon flashed in her mind—the park, Sophia’s giggle as Elizabeth held up fingers to represent the numbers. “You might need to know this. Just in case,” Elizabeth had said with a playful wink. Matteo had laughed, teasing that Sophia was too young to remember, but Elizabeth had insisted.
“Five-Five-Five-Eight…” Elizabeth had sung, trying to help Sophia remember her number. Now, she was glad she had.
“Sophia, where are you?” Elizabeth asked, her voice steady even as her heart pounded in her chest.
“These bad men came—and Mommy left me,” Sophia sobbed quietly. “I—I took one of their pho
