The cracked screen of Sophia's phone mirrored her fractured thoughts, each one more desperate than the last. She knew Alexander was on his way, but with every second that passed, the tension in the abandoned building grew suffocating.
Gerald, pacing like a caged lion, exuded a menace that made her skin crawl.
“I admire you, Sophia” Gerald’s voice sliced through the silence, smooth yet sinister, distracting her thoughts.
“Your devotion. It’s almost touching. You’d do anything for your family, wouldn’t you? That’s why you’re here, chasing the ghost of a threat I created.”
She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms as she tried to keep her composure. She couldn’t let him see her fear, couldn’t let him know how close he was to breaking her. She needed to stall him, keep him t
