a haunting presence

Sophia was still in shock, staring at Paul as if trying to piece together how he had found her.

"What? I'm not here to hurt you," Paul said with a grin, his gaze locked onto hers.

Sophia's expression hardened. "Are you the one who sent those men after me?" Her sharp eyes narrowed in suspicion.

A flicker of nervousness crossed Paul's face. He struggled to find a quick denial, but before he could say a word, Sophia pressed on.

"You sent those street thugs after me. Why?"

Paul hesitated, clearly caught off guard. He exhaled, then said, "I was only looking for you. I never asked anyone to go after you."

Sophia didn't waver. "Why are you looking for me? What do I owe you?"

Paul's grin returned, but this time, there was something unsettling about it. "I thought you were supposed to be pregnant."

A heavy silence filled the room.

Paul tilted his head. "Oh? Did you get rid of it? Or was it just a rumor?" He chuckled, his words laced with mockery.

Elena, who had been watching quietly, frowned in confusion.

Before she could ask anything, Sophia suddenly clutched her stomach and bolted for the restroom.

"What? Sophia, what's wrong?" Elena called after her, alarmed.

Paul smirked. "Tell her when she comes out that I'll be back. And she shouldn't worry—her family is doing well. I'm here for her safety." He turned to leave.

Elena scoffed. "Her safety? You don't exactly look like a Good Samaritan. Just don't bring her more trouble—she's been through enough."

Paul paused briefly, as if he had heard her, then walked out without another word.

A few moments later, Sophia returned, her face unreadable.

"Sophia, are you okay?" Elena asked, but her eyes flickered to Sophia's stomach.

Sophia noticed and instinctively crossed her arms over her belly. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Elena grinned slightly. "Tell me that guy was just messing around. You were never pregnant, right?"

Sophia's lips pressed into a thin line. "I don't want to talk about it." She walked past Elena and sat down.

Elena folded her arms. "So… that means it's true. You had an abortion?"

Sophia exhaled sharply. "Yeah. Judge me if you want—I don't really care."

Elena was quiet for a moment before speaking again. "Why would I judge you? It's not the end of the world. But I just hope you know what you're doing… because, well, abortion is like—" She stopped mid-sentence, noticing the change in Sophia's expression.

Elena quickly backtracked. "Forget it. You had your reasons. I won't judge you."

A silence settled between them.

After a while, Elena walked over to Sophia. "We should go join the others at the farm."

Sophia nodded, pushing herself up. Together, they packed their things and headed out.

When they arrived at the farm, Sophia's lips curled into a soft smile as she looked around. The crops had flourished, a sign of all their hard work.

"This is it," she murmured, a sense of pride washing over her. "Soon, we won't be struggling anymore."

Elena chuckled. "I'm really proud to have a friend like you, Sophia. None of this would have been possible without you." She rested her head on Sophia's shoulder, sighing contentedly.

Sophia smiled, feeling a rare sense of peace.

Sophia playfully nudged Elena's head, laughing as they exchanged grins.

That night, as usual, they all gathered by the riverside, where they spent their free time unwinding and enjoying each other's company.

In the middle of their conversation, Zara suddenly tensed up, her eyes locking onto something in the distance.

"Guys… I think we've got company," she said, her voice laced with panic.

Elena followed her gaze. "I hope it's not those street thugs again."

"No, it can't be," June interjected. "Not after they got exposed."

They all stood together, watching the approaching vehicle. The headlights illuminated the path as the car slowed to a stop.

The driver stepped out, and a familiar figure emerged—Graham.

Zara let out a sigh of relief.

"Brother," Jude called, stepping toward him.

Graham glanced at them before offering a small smile. "I see you're all having fun."

"Yeah, we are. What brings you here?" June asked, his expression unreadable. "Or do you want to join the fun?"

Graham shook his head. "Actually, I came to warn you. You need to be more careful now." His tone turned serious as he stepped closer. "I found out that the guys who were after you before… they weren't just random thugs. They were sent by someone looking for Sophia."

A heavy silence fell over the group.

"And from what I gathered," Graham continued, "it seems like that person wanted to force her into aborting a pregnancy."

Everyone turned to Sophia in confusion.

"Pregnancy?" Zara echoed.

"Is she… pregnant?" June asked.

"No," Elena interjected quickly.

June frowned. "Then why would someone want her to get rid of a pregnancy that doesn't exist? Sophia, say something—we're in the dark here."

Zara crossed her arms. "Even if she was pregnant, why would anyone care enough to send people after her?"

Sophia lowered her head, her fingers curling into fists. A quiet voice escaped her lips.

"…It's true. I was pregnant."

Zara's eyes widened. "So where is it?"

Sophia turned away. "I… aborted it."

Jude's face twisted in shock. "What? You did what?"

"I had to," Sophia muttered. "I wasn't sure who the father was."

A tense silence followed. Then, with a low tone, Elena spoke. "Were you raped?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.

Sophia swallowed hard before nodding. "Yes." Her voice trembled as she continued. "I never saw his face… I tried to fight, but he was stronger. I screamed, but no one came." Tears welled in her eyes.

Tom, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke. "Was it the same night the Caldwell house was robbed?"

Sophia nodded. "Yes, it was."

June's expression darkened. "Then that means whoever sent those men is responsible for it."

Elena's mind reeled. "A man came to our shop today," she recalled. "He knew Sophia's full name. He also asked about her pregnancy."

Zara's expression hardened. "Sophia, you never told us any of this."

June turned back to Graham. "Were you able to find out who sent them?"

Graham sighed. "No. Whoever they're working for is careful. They wouldn't expose their identity so easily."

"But what about that man at the shop?" Graham pressed. "Do you know him, Sophia?"

Sophia exhaled, her grip tightening on her arms. "I've heard of him before. I didn't recognize him at first, but someone told me he's close friends with the bastard who's trying to steal my family's company. He's probably working as a spy for him."

Elena added, "He also told me to tell Sophia that he's here for her safety."

Graham's jaw clenched. "If that's true, then he's still around." He scanned the area before continuing. "Keep your eyes open—he likely knows more about you than you realize. I'll regroup with my people and get to the bottom of this."

Tom crossed his arms. "If that's the case, staying out here late at night isn't safe anymore."

Graham nodded. "Go home. You don't need to be out here for long. Always keep your phones with you—if anything happens, call me. And don't worry, I'll have my people keep an eye on you."

June raised an eyebrow. "I thought you said you couldn't go back to them. And how do you know they won't turn on you? The last pot bellied guy was bought easily."

Graham's expression remained firm. "I still trust the Street Monkeys. Not all of them can be bought. Sure, there are bad ones, but most of them are loyal. They don't know the full story, so I lied—I told them I was one of the escapees that the police arrested."

Sophia barely heard their conversation. Her mind was spinning.

What kind of trouble have I dragged my friends into?

As she and Elena walked home, the others slowly dispersed.

"I think I need to leave before anyone else gets hurt because of me," Sophia muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.

Elena grabbed her hand tightly. "Don't talk like that. You're not getting anyone hurt. And even if you did leave, where would you go? You think running will make this problem disappear?" She squeezed Sophia's hand. "We're in this together. No matter what."

Sophia's eyes burned with a new resolve. She exhaled sharply, her fingers curling into fists.

"I need to find Paul and confront him." Sophia's voice was firm, laced with determination.

Elena shot her a wary look. "You really think he's still watching?"

Sophia's gaze darkened. "I know he is."

Without hesitation, she stepped forward and shouted into the night, "You bastard! I know you're out there! Why don't you come out and face me?"

Elena's grip tightened around Sophia's wrist. "Sophia, stop! You'll make security think you've lost it. Just calm down," she hissed, pulling her back.

Then, from the shadows, a pair of headlights flared to life.

Their breath hitched.

A sleek black car rumbled to life, its engine low and controlled.

Neither of them moved.

The car inched forward, creeping past them at an agonizingly slow pace.

Its tinted windows concealed whoever was inside.

Sophia and Elena stood frozen, their hearts pounding in sync with the steady hum of the vehicle.

Then, just as mysteriously as it had appeared, the car rolled past and disappeared into the night.