Chapter 34 The Calm Before The Storm

• Sophia didn’t sleep that night. The weight of Victoria’s threat hung over her like a dark cloud, refusing to dissipate even as the morning light filtered through the curtains. She sat in the kitchen, nursing a cup of coffee that had long since gone cold, her mind racing through every possible scenario, every potential threat.
• Ethan entered the room quietly, his footsteps barely making a sound on the hardwood floor. He paused in the doorway, watching her for a moment before crossing the room and taking a seat across from her.
• “You should rest,” he said gently, though his own exhaustion was evident in the dark circles under his eyes.