52| An Unexpected Threat

It had been two weeks since Martha was discharged from the hospital.

And finally—

Life was returning to normal.

With her mother recovering well at home, Sophie could finally breathe again.

Even the flower shop was back up and running, busier than ever.

They had reopened fully, taking more orders, and had even hired another part-timer to help manage the workload.

Things were finally falling into place.

Martha was doing much better, and soon, she'd be able to return to her usual routine.

Sophie had tried to convince her that she didn't have to go back to work at the preschool, but Martha had simply laughed and waved her off.

"I love being around the little ones. It keeps me young," she had said, smiling warmly.

And really, how could Sophie argue with that?

Still, to ease the burden, the sisters had decided to hire a professional caretaker for their mom.

Ethan had taken care of finding one, and she was incredible at her job.

It made things significantly easier, though Sophie and Lily still took turns visiting their mom—

Because even with someone there to help, they didn't want her to feel lonely.

The extra help at the shop was a blessing too.

Marianne, along with their new hire, had made their workflow smoother, allowing them to balance both their business and their personal lives.

The shop had seen a steady flow of customers since they fully reopened, and Sophie was endlessly grateful for the support from the community.

Even Mia and Lucas had been particularly helpful, often stopping by to check in or lend a hand.

You couldn't convince Sophie that things weren't finally falling into place.

For the first time in a long time, she felt like she could just enjoy the peace.

That was all she wanted.

But life had other plans.

It was one peaceful afternoon, and Sophie was alone in the shop.

Outside, the sky was a dull gray, the rain falling steadily, tapping against the windows in a rhythmic pattern.

She was arranging flowers for a bulk order, humming softly to herself, lost in the calming repetition of her work.

The doorbell jingled.

A customer.

Sophie wondered who was bold enough to brave the rain for a bouquet.

She turned, a welcoming smile already on her lips—

Only for it to immediately falter.

Her breath caught.

Her stomach twisted.

It was five men.

They filled the entrance, blocking any easy way out.

Burly.

Rough-looking.

Their muddy boots tracked filth onto the clean floors of her shop, but they didn't care.

They never cared.

Her heart plummeted as her eyes locked onto the man in the middle.

A familiar face.

A face she hoped she'd never see again.

The loan sharks.

The leader, a man with a scar running down his cheek, smirked at her.

No. Not again.

Sophie's fingers tightened around the counter, her voice sharp—

"What do you want?"

She was alone.

Her new hire wouldn't be in until later.

There were no customers.

There was no one to help her.

She felt trapped.

The leader stepped inside, his boots scraping against the floor, the sound ominous in the otherwise silent shop.

His dark eyes glinted as they landed on her.

"Not so welcoming, are you?"

His smile curled cruelly, his voice low and mocking.

"But you remember us, don't you, Sophie?"

Sophie's pulse pounded in her ears.

She swallowed hard, forcing her voice to stay steady.

"I already paid off my debts. What do you really want?"

The men chuckled, a sound that made her skin crawl.

The leader tilted his head, looking amused.

"Oh, you paid your debts, huh? But did you forget about our interest?"

His grin widened.

"I heard you recently had a fancy marriage."

Sophie's chest tightened.

They knew.

They knew about Ethan.

Her eyes darted around the shop—

No customers.

No Lily.

Thank God.

If Lily saw this—if she knew—

Sophie couldn't let that happen.

"I'm calling the police," she snapped.

She reached for her phone—

But before she could react, the leader lunged.

His hand clamped around her wrist, yanking it away.

Her phone was gone.

Her stomach dropped.

His grip was tight, his voice low and cold.

"No calls."

He leaned in, his breath foul, his eyes dangerous.

"Don't forget so easily, sweetheart—you signed a contract when you borrowed from us."

Sophie stiffened.

Her mind raced.

She had signed a contract—

She owed a lot of money back then.

More than she could even count at one point.

But after getting married, she had paid them off.

She hadn't told anyone—especially not Ethan, who had effortlessly cleared her other debts.

Even with their outrageous interest rates, she had scraped together every penny to settle things with them.

Because out of everyone she had owed money to—they had scared her the most.

So why were they here now?

Her jaw clenched as she glared at him.

"Bullshit. This is a shakedown."

Her voice wavered slightly, but her anger was real.

"We've been fine all this time, and now you suddenly remember I owe you?"

The leader laughed, his grip tightening, pulling her closer.

His face was inches from hers now.

"I guess your mouth isn't as pretty as it seems," he sneered.

He lifted his free hand, his fingers grazing her chin.

Sophie jerked her head away, rage bubbling inside her.

"Get your hands off me!"

Her voice echoed through the shop.

The other men chuckled, their eyes watching like this was some kind of show.

The leader didn't flinch.

He simply snapped his fingers, and one of his men handed him a file.

"Show her the document," he ordered.

A stack of papers was shoved into her hands.

Sophie's eyes scanned the numbers—

Her stomach plummeted.

They had piled on an absurd amount of interest.

Her blood ran cold.

She had signed the contract.

Shit.

She had been so desperate back then.

She had been so naive.

The leader's smirk widened as he watched her face change.

"You have a week."

Sophie's jaw tightened.

She forced herself to stand tall.

"Then you'll be hearing from my lawyers soon."

Silence.

Then—

Laughter.

Deep, cruel laughter from the group of men.

"Lawyers?" the leader mocked.

"Come on, Sophie. We both know you don't have lawyers."

His eyes gleamed with something worse than greed—

Amusement.

"But we do know something."

His smile turned sinister.

"You have a rich husband."

Sophie's stomach twisted.

No.

No, they weren't going to drag Ethan into this.

The leader took another step closer, his voice dropping.

"Why are you making such a fuss, sweet Sophie?"

His eyes flickered over her, slow and demeaning.

"Just ask him for the money. With that cute ass of yours, I'm sure you can get anything you want."

The men laughed, nudging each other.

Like this was funny.

Like she was some joke to them.

Rage burned through Sophie.

She snapped—

Her hand struck out, shoving him away.

Her voice sharp, furious, unshaken—

"How dare you?"

The leader stumbled back slightly, his amusement vanishing as his face twisted into irritation.

Sophie glared up at him, refusing to let him see her fear.

And then—the bell above the door rang.

The sound echoed like a lifeline.

Mia and Lucas walked in, their expressions shifting instantly as they sized up the situation.

Mia's eyes widened in alarm.

Lucas's expression darkened, his entire body tensing when he saw the way Sophie was being cornered.

His voice cut through the tension like a blade—

"What the hell is going on here?"

The leader turned to face him, his grip on Sophie loosening slightly.

His brow arched, his smirk returning as he looked Lucas up and down.

"None of your business, pal. This is between us and her."

Wrong answer.

Lucas stepped forward, his stance firm, unwavering.

"It becomes our business when you start harassing our friend."

His voice was low, dangerous, carrying a weight of authority that couldn't be ignored.

"Leave now, or I'm calling the police."

Mia rushed to Sophie's side, her arm wrapping around her protectively.

Her whisper was urgent, worried—

"Are you okay, Sophie?"

Sophie nodded, though she was still visibly shaken.

Her heart pounded, adrenaline still racing through her veins.

"I'm okay, now that you're here."

The loan sharks exchanged glances, their bravado faltering. Outside, the crowd of onlookers was starting to gather, peering through the windows, murmuring amongst themselves.

The leader clicked his tongue in frustration, eyes flicking between Lucas, Mia, and the unwanted attention their scene had attracted. He scoffed, shoving his hands into his pockets.

His teeth clenched as he pointed a warning finger at Sophie.

"This isn't over."

His voice was low, filled with cold promise.

"We'll be back."

With that, the group of men shoved Lucas, disappearing into the drizzle outside.

The door slammed shut behind them, but Sophie didn't feel relief.

She exhaled sharply, but her hands were still trembling.

Lucas turned to her, his expression softening slightly.

"Are you okay?"

Sophie nodded, swallowing hard.

"Thank you so much."

Her voice was raw, unsteady.

She looked between him and Mia, her eyes filled with gratitude.

"I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't shown up."

Lucas gave her a reassuring smile, his usual smugness absent for once.

"Don't worry about it, Sophie. We've got your back."

Mia pulled her into a tighter embrace, rubbing soothing circles on her back. "It's okay now, Soph. You're safe."

Sophie leaned into her, her body finally registering the weight of what had just happened.

She wasn't safe.

-------

Don't forget to vote and leave a comment

🩷🩷