Reflections in the Night

Sophie lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling as her heart slowly regained its normal rhythm. Her thoughts raced back to what had just happened.

"He called me cutie. Cutie! And he smiled," she thought, frowning. "Why do I feel like he enjoyed teasing me? Is this his idea of fun?"

She shook her head vigorously, trying to erase the memory of how close they had been. "This man is insufferable," she muttered. But then, another thought crossed her mind, and she found herself smirking just a little.

"I did it, though. I spoke up. I didn't let him intimidate me completely." Sophie sat up in bed and clapped softly for herself, feeling a small wave of pride. "I actually told him to keep his distance. That's progress, right?"

She wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead and sighed. "But why does he keep smiling like that? It's like he knows exactly how to mess with my head."

---

A Token from the Past

Just as Sophie was about to turn off the bedside lamp and try to sleep, she heard a soft clink on the floor. Looking down, she spotted something shiny.

It was the ring Adrien had given her—the promise ring they had exchanged under the stars.

Her heart tightened as she picked it up, gently wiping it with the corner of her blanket. The memories came flooding back—the laughter, the stolen kisses, the way Adrien would look at her as if she were the only person in the world.

Holding the ring close to her heart, she whispered, "Adrien… where are you now? Are you still looking for me?"

Her fingers traced the band as tears welled up in her eyes. "You promised we'd get married, remember?" she murmured. "You said we'd have a small house with a garden, and you'd make me smile every single day."

She clutched the ring tightly, her voice breaking. "I wish I could see you again. I wish I could tell you I'm okay… that I'm still holding on to the dream we shared."

---

Dreams of Escape

Sophie placed the ring back on her finger, its presence giving her a strange sense of strength. She lay back down, staring at the faint moonlight streaming through the window.

"If Adrien were here, he'd tell me to fight," she thought. "He'd tell me to find a way out of this nightmare and come back to him."

The thought sparked a small flame of determination within her. "I'll find a way to escape this place," she vowed quietly. "I'll go back to Adrien, no matter what it takes."

But as she drifted off to sleep, a nagging doubt lingered in her mind—could she truly escape Lucien's grasp? Or was she destined to remain trapped in his world, haunted by his enigmatic smile and relentless control?