13
1227 Words
SOPHIE
Leaving the house today felt good,it felt like freedom,it made me realize how much I missed driving at night,going to bars,grabbing coffee.
It took days of pleading with Lorenzo he was quiet at first,at some point he had his men going shopping with and buying food and stocking up the freezer.I guess he saw the frustration,my boredom and above all he probably noticed I won’t back off so he gave in,I feel ontop of the world I just made Lorenzo De Luca give in,but there was a condition one I didn’t mind.
When I said I didn’t mind, I wasn’t expecting to see men already waiting by the time I step outside, dressed in civilian clothes but unmistakable all the same no smiles nothing just small nods when I pass them. Their posture gives them away. Their eyes scan constantly, never resting. Two cars. One in front. One behind.
I slide into the back seat and stare out the window as the gates open, sunlight spilling in like it’s been waiting for me.It shouldn’t feel this good to leave a house,with everything going on.
But it does.
The mall is crowded, loud, alive. Normal people everywhere laughing couples, crying children, groups of friends sprawled across benches with shopping bags at their feet. Life moving on, people unaware of underground empires and our world.I feel the security details closing in as soon as I step out of the car, and my chest tightens.
“Please,” I say quietly, turning to the nearest one. “You’re drawing attention.”
He hesitates. “Mr. De Luca said..”
“I know what Lorenzo said.” I soften my tone. “Just please … be more discreet. I don’t want people staring.”
A brief exchange of looks follows. Silent communication. Then a nod.
“We’ll keep our distance,” he says. “But we don’t disappear.”
“Thank you”
Inside the boutique, the air smells like vanilla and polished wood. Soft music hums in the background. I trail my fingers over silk and satin, grounding myself in textures,I visit the lingerie section and two lace set caught my attention I couldn’t help but to add them to my cart after all it’s on Lorenzo’s card which he insisted I use.
After picking out few dresses I headed to the back to try them on,and then I noticed her again she’s beautiful,dark hair pulled into a low bun, minimal makeup,with a baby. Her husband stands a few steps behind her, hands in his pockets, eyes flicking across the room.
Something twists in my stomach.I tell myself I’m paranoid. That not everyone is a threat. That Lorenzo’s world is bleeding into my perception.The woman smiles at me when our eyes.
“Those colors would look stunning on you,” she says, gesturing to the rack I’m standing near. Her accent is neutral. Impossible to place.
“Thank you,” I reply politely.
She steps closer, her baby gurgling softly. “You have a very elegant presence. Are you shopping for an event?”
“No,” I say. “Just… everyday things.”
She laughs lightly. “Everyday elegance, then.”
She reaches out, fingers brushing a gown. Too casual. Too comfortable.
My skin prickles.
Her questions are subtle.
“Is your husband joining you?”
“You must be important to have security outside.”how did she know about them that has me thinking but then those men weren’t exactly discreet.
When she moves toward the changing rooms, she gestures for me to follow. “Let’s try things together. It’s more fun that way.”
I hesitate.
Then nod.
Because people are allowed to be friendly. Because not every instinct deserves obedience. Because I refuse to live in fear.
Inside the fitting room, she hums as she flips through dresses, holding some up against me thoughtfully. Complimenting my taste and my figure.
When I leave, bags in hand, she waves goodbye like we’re old friends.
Her husband meets my eyes for the briefest moment.
There’s no warmth there.
Only calculation.
The drive home passes quietly.
I buy lunch for Lorenzo and me, imagining his expression when I surprise him. The idea steadies me and excites me.
When I step inside the house, he’s already waiting in the living room.
Relief floods me.
“You’re back,” he says,as he walks towards me giving me a tight hug and a quick kiss.
“I brought food,” I smile.
For a moment, the world feels normal again.
We eat together. He listens as I chatter about the mall, the boutique, the dresses. He doesn’t interrupt. Just watches me with that focused intensity that always makes me feel seen.
Afterward, I carry the shopping bags upstairs, eager to show him what I bought.
“Try them on,” he says, settling into the armchair. “I want to see.”
I change in front of him without hesitation. A skirt. A blouse. His approving nods make warmth bloom in my chest and the dark look in his eyes each time I pull a dress off did something to me down there.
Then I reach for the gown.
It’s soft. Elegant. Deep emerald.
As I pull it over my head, something flutters to the floor.
A small rectangle of paper.
I bend automatically, picking it up before it can land fully.
Two words stare back at me.
LEAVE HIM.
The room tilts.
My fingers go numb. My breath disappears.
“What is it?” Lorenzo asks sharply.
I don’t answer fast enough.
He’s already standing beside me, already taking the paper from my trembling hand. His eyes scan it once.
Something in him shuts down.
“I’ll be right back get some rest ,” he says.
He’s gone before I can speak.
The locks engage. I hear them. One by one.
Minutes stretch into hours.
Voices bleed through the walls. Raised. Controlled. Dangerous.
Phones ring endlessly. Orders are given. Names I don’t recognize. Accents from places I can’t identify.
I hear my name.
When Lorenzo finally returns, it’s past midnight.
He lays beside me, resting on his elbow.
“The woman you described,” he says quietly. “She doesn’t exist.”
I turn to stare at him. “What do you mean… doesn’t exist?”
He exhales slowly. “The name she gave no records. No birth certificate. No immigration trail. The baby has no hospital record. Her husband’s face doesn’t match any database.”
My stomach drops.
“She was trained,” he continues. “This wasn’t coincidence.”
Images replay in my mind. Her smile. Her touch. The note hidden perfectly inside the gown.
“That’s how she got in,” I whisper.
“Yes.”
Fear coils tightly in my chest.
Lorenzo’s voice softens. “They wanted you scared.”
I look at him. “Did they succeed?”
A beat passes.
“No,” he says. “But they won’t try again.”
I hear movement downstairs. More orders.
Lorenzo didn’t leave my side that night,he kissed me and hugged me to sleep whispering sweet words in my ear.
The note is gone.
But the message isn’t.
I walked into a boutique.
I walked out with a warning.
And somewhere out there, a woman who never existed knows exactly how close she came.
- Writer
