When Love Calls

Prologue

Sophie had always been a creature of habit. She woke up at the same time every morning, drank the same cup of coffee, and took the same train to work. She had a routine, a plan for her life, and she was happy with it.

But when her boyfriend of five years suddenly broke up with her, Sophie's world turned upside down. For weeks, she moped around her tiny apartment, wondering where she had gone wrong. She tried to convince herself that everything was going to be okay, that she would find someone else, but the truth was that she was lost.

It was on a whim that Sophie decided to take the job at the writer's retreat. She had always loved reading, and the idea of living in a beautiful old estate in the English countryside, surrounded by books and nature, seemed like the perfect way to escape her troubles.

As she drove down the winding country road towards the estate, Sophie couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation. The trees were just starting to turn golden, and the crisp autumn air filled her lungs. For the first time in weeks, she felt like she could breathe.

When she arrived at the estate, Sophie was struck by its grandeur. The stone walls rose high into the sky, and the ivy that climbed their surface was a riot of reds and oranges. A large wooden door creaked open, and Sophie was greeted by a man who introduced himself as the caretaker.

He showed her around the estate, pointing out the rooms she would be responsible for, the gardens she would tend, and the library where she would spend most of her time. It was a stunning room, filled with leather-bound books and plush armchairs. Sophie couldn't help but imagine curling up with a book and a cup of tea on a rainy afternoon.

But as she made her way back to her small attic room, Sophie couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. She felt like she was being watched, like there was something lurking in the shadows just out of sight.

Little did she know, her life was about to take a turn she could never have predicted. She was about to meet the estate's owner, a man who would change her life forever.