Flashback

"Me?"Sofia's brown eyes shined with confusion, vulnerability, fear. "I don't understand"

"What did you say to him when you've met that day?!" Carl asked. His blue eyes were full of anger and pain. Elio's eyes had the same color. For some reason, it made it even more painful for Sofia. She could feel Carl's hands closing into a tight grip on her thin arms. It was painful but she didn't feel physical pain at the moment, all she could focus on was the pain she was feeling inside.

"What are you talking about?" Sofia was still confused.

"He wanted to confess to you that day. He told me over the phone. He bought flowers and chocolates, he planned to ask you out on a date. Have you rejected him? What if he hurt himself because-" Carl could no longer speak his voice became strained and he covered his face with his hands so Sofia can't see his tears.

Sofia slowly processed what he just said.

And after a moment she started speaking "We never met that day, I had no idea he was planning something. He called me later that night and I didn't pick up. I was at the hospital, my mother was being pronounced dead" Sofia said with a hollow voice.

"What? No" now it was Carl who looked confused, the whole theory about the reason for his brother's disappearance just fell apart.

"Come in. I will make you a tea" Sofia suggested in a defeated voice. She knew Carl isn't a threat. He just really loved his brother.

"Is Paul home?"

"No. He disappeared a few days ago but in his case it's normal"

Carl didn't comment. For the whole process of tea making, he was sitting in complete silence, thinking intensively about something so it was Sofia who decided to speak for now.

"I visited a few places Elio and I used to go but nothing, no trace of him," Sofia said sadly "I wish I picked the damn phone when he called me that day"

"It's not your fault. I'm sorry I blew up like that. I assumed that you rejected him and he had a mental breakdown after this... I assumed that he perhaps hurt himself because... of that"

"Carl, if he said he loves me I would say that I love him back. I would never reject him" Sofia whispered with tears in her eyes.

"Sofia, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't act in this way. I'm really sorry"

"Don't apologize I understand. I want to find him too. Do you have any other theory of what could happen to him?"

Carl started speaking slowly as if trying to fit the puzzle pieces together. "My brother plans to confess, he goes to your house but disappears few hours after your mother is pronounced dead. What if... your mother was drunk and attacked him? She had a drinking problem perhaps he pushed her away and-"

"What the fuck are you talking about?! Mom doesn't attack people for no reason" Sofia said feeling offended.

"It's a most plausible theory" he interrupted.

"The most plausible theory you've got is that your brother killed my mother while trying to defend himself? This is bullshit. No, this can't be right"

"I need facts. What was the cause of death?"

"H-head injury. They said she broke her neck after she tripped and fell"

"Are they sure it was an accident? What if someone helped her? What if someone pushed her? What if Elio-?"

"Stop. This is insane. Stop-" Sofia wanted to cover her ears just to stop hearing this nonsense.

"Sofia, we need to consider all the possibilities. I don't care what he did, how this happened I just need to know he's safe and alive. Do you think I want to consider that my brother murdered someone by accident? No. I don't. But he's gone Sofia and we need to find him we need to know why the fuck is he missing. Why the fuck was he was gone several hours after your mother's death? Insane coincidence don't you think? Those two things are connected I've been trying to tell this to the police are a bunch of idiots"

"I don't understand. Do you really believe that he killed her? Even if by accident do you think he would push her this hard? Elio?"

"Or he was a witness of someone doing it. You said your step-father frequently disappears, right?"

"Yes? What does he have to do with any of this?" Sofia said feeling uneasy about where it was going

"Connect the dots"

🔆🔆🔆

Sofia was in deep denial. She couldn't assume that Paul did something to her mother because that would mean she lives with her mother's killer under the same roof and that would be... No.

Despite her horrible mood, Sofia decided she's going to school today. Every step was too much but she dragged her feet along towards the destination. Her thoughts were preoccupied with what Carl said to her yesterday.

Then her phone called. It was Carl.

"They found him. They found Elio"

"What? Really? Where? Can I talk to him?" Sofia asked with a voice laced with excitement and relief.

"No... They found... they found the body. In a river. I just thought you shouldn't learn about it at school" after saying this Carl hung up on her.

Sofia's phone slipped from her fingers and fell straight on the ground. She followed dropping on her knees, trembling. Her breath was uneven and she was crying, no, wailing loudly, she couldn't control it.

How is this her life? This is hell. This can't be happening to her. Mom dead? Now Elio is dead? No.

Some stranger kneeled down in front of her and was trying to calm her down but nothing was working she didn't hear anything or anyone.

She didn't realize how much of a spectacle of herself she's making. People started forming in a circle watching her and an older man who was trying to console her without much success. She was in a trance until she heard someone saying "We should call an ambulance"

"No. No, I'm fine" she said and stood up on shaky legs someone touched her arm and she yelled, "Don't touch me!" And started running towards the house. She needed to be alone.

🔆🔆🔆

For the next few days, Sofia was lying in bed. Doing nothing. She wasn't going to school, she didn't feel like eating and she was prepared to die in that room.

Then she heard the door opening. Did Paul come back?

"Look at this place, looks nice. I have no idea how that ragged bitch could afford this she must've come from a nice family"

The male voice said. Sofia didn't recognize it.

"Who knows? She never talked about them but they were loaded I assume" Paul responded.

"You were right, that restaurant is the best for shipping. Near the border of this shithole town. No one will bother to check what we're doing here. And we've got the new investor after we changed our shipping magazine to something decent. I was shocked to learn Cazaretti wants to join. Italians usually don't engage in the business with non-Italians" the man with a rough voice responded.

"Time changes. This man is a visionary, trust me" Paul responded. "Do you want something to drink?"

"No. Let's just get these papers. He might be a visionary or nobody who will be killed off in a week. We can't mess with them, we're leading low scale operation"

"Our business is expanding, isn't it? Stay positive" Paul said. "It's time to start thinking big now that we got rid of all the obstacles. We can't just rely on working girls. Joachim wants us to start selling them in larger numbers. The first batch from Mexico is coming we will redistribute them across the country, very soon we will be extremely rich people"

"What about that daughter of yours? She can find out what we're doing any time and she will realize her mommy's death wasn't an accident"

"I will sell her right after she's over 18. Just a few months and she's out of our way"

"We can sell her now, why wait?"

"Minors disappearances are treated differently. After she finished 18 years old none will give a fuck about one adult woman gone"

"You're right boss, as always"

Sofia could barely breathe. She was hiding under her bed, thankfully Paul didn't check her bedroom assuming that at that hour she's at school.

He left the house soon after he finished retrieving some documents from her mother's office.

Sofia crawled out of her bed and quickly leave the house. She was running like never before to her neighbor's house. She needed to talk with Carl. It was days since the news of Elio's death broke out.

"Mrs. Harper I'm sorry to bother you but can I speak with Carl? It's really important"

"I'm sorry sweetie Carl left for college"

"So soon?" She said in disappointment.

"I was surprised too. He left us the letter that it's too hard for him to stay... he left the one for you as well to apologize for being rude. I'm sorry sweetie it's been just so hard for him. He even got you a late birthday present" her voice broke down and she started crying Sofia was crying as she received the package and the letter from Maria's oldest son.

Sofia thanked the woman. They were hugging each other for a long time.

With shaking hands she was reading the letter Carl left for her.

Dear Sofia,

If you're reading this letter something went wrong. Don't look for me, it's too dangerous. If they found me I'm dead by now.

I know what happened that night. Elio went to your house to give you flowers as we discussed. He heard your mom arguing with that bastard and he filmed it, probably to show the evidence of abuse to the police. What he didn't anticipate is that he is filming a murder.

I've managed to get a hold of the video and I plan to inform the police about it. In case something happens to me I've left money and the phone with a video in the gift box. Don't turn it to the police they might be involved in covering the tracks. Don't do anything with it for now. Just keep it as evidence until the time comes. As soon as you can, escape Paul. You can't stay at this house.

Please don't watch the video.

End of the flashback

Hi guys,

I realized I don't like to read in cursive so I decided to leave the text in normal font. This is the last flashback of Sofia's past for a long while.

I hope you enjoy the drama. I'm super excited to find out what you think about the story so far. I hope you will let me know ❤️