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The silence is oppressive, feeding my worst fears. Where is she? What if I’m too late?
I round the corner to the back office, and suddenly, I freeze. The scene before me is so unexpected, so surreal, that for a moment, I can’t process what I’m seeing.
Sofia is standing there, alive and seemingly unharmed. But at her feet…
It’s not Gino's body lying there, as I half-expected.
It’s Jonah.
19
SOFIA
My mind feels foggy, disconnected from reality as I stare at Jonah’s still form on the floor. How did I get here? What just happened?
Flashes of memory assault me, disjointed and confusing. My phone buzzing with a text. An unknown number flashing on the screen. The words blurring together.
Meet me at Perfezione. Now. Or else you’ll never see Lou again.
I remember the fear, the urgency. Asking Shawn to watch Lou. The drive here, my heart pounding.
Then… Jonah. His face contorted with rage. Lunging at me. My hands, pushing him away. A struggle. A loud noise. Then… silence.
I blink, trying to focus. The world seems muffled, distant. I can hear someone calling my name, but it’s like I’m underwater, everything distorted and far away.
“Sofia!”
The voice cuts through the haze. Angelo. When did he get here?
I look up, meeting his eyes. They’re wide with panic, fear etched across his face.
“Fee, talk to me. What happened?”
I open my mouth, but no words come out. How can I explain when I don’t understand it myself?
Another flash. Jonah’s hands around my throat. The terror. The desperate struggle to breathe.
I shake my head, trying to clear it. “I… I don't know,” I finally manage, my voice sounding strange to my own ears. “He… he texted me. Said to meet him here.”
Angelo’s hands are on my shoulders now, steadying me. When did I start shaking?
“He attacked me,” I continue, the words coming out in a rush. “I fought back. There was a struggle, and then…”
I gesture helplessly at Jonah’s body. Angelo follows my gaze, his jaw clenching.
“We need to call the police,” he says, already reaching for his phone.
Police. The word penetrates the fog in my brain, sending a jolt of panic through me. “No!” I cry out, grabbing his arm. “We can’t. Lou… what about Lou?”
Angelo pauses, conflict clear on his face. “Fee, we have to. This is self-defense. You were protecting yourself.”
Was I? The memory is so hazy. What if I’m remembering it wrong? What if…
Another flash. Jonah falling. The sickening thud as he hit the ground. The sudden, deafening silence.
Angelo pulls me close, his arms wrapping around me. The warmth of his body, the steady beat of his heart, it anchors me.
“It’s okay,” he murmurs into my hair. “You’re in shock. It’s normal. We’re going to figure this out.”
