Novel-novel oleh Atuu_

The morning light crept in slowly, but Sophie was already awake, sitting by the window, legs pulled up to her chest, eyes far away. She hadn’t said much after watching the video the night before, just went quiet, her thoughts clearly louder than anything else. Drake had stayed, close enough to make sure she was okay, far enough not to smother her.She turned her head slightly when he walked in, fresh from a shower, towel around his neck, shirt damp near the collar.“We’re going somewhere,” he said.Her voice was hoarse. “Where?”He paused, met her eyes. “Where it all started.”And for a moment, she didn’t even need him to say it—she already knew.Edward’s mansion.Her heart sank a little. That place used to be her entire world. Not just brick and glass and luxury, but memories, laughter, screams behind closed doors, and love too—yes, love that somehow still lingered in the echoes of those walls. It had been home. It had been heartbreak. And Edward… Edward had once loved her so deeply,

The screen flickered to life, the shaky camera showing Edward’s study dimly lit, the light from the desk lamp casting long shadows on the walls, Edward looked like he hadn’t slept in days, his eyes were bloodshot, there was sweat on his forehead, and his hands trembled as he reached forward and adjusted the camera.“If you’re watching this,” his voice cracked, barely steady, “then I’m probably already dead… or missing.”Sophie froze, her breath caught in her throat, Drake moved closer behind her, staring over her shoulder, both their eyes glued to the screen, not a single sound passed between them except the buzz of electricity and Edward’s shaking voice.“I need you to know… I was never the real target,” Edward said, glancing behind him like someone might burst in any second, “they made me believe I had something they wanted, but this—this is bigger than me, Sophie, bigger than anything I thought I was involved in.”Her heart thumped against her chest like it wanted to escape, she tu

Being in this world alone sucks, but being in this world around people who think you’re a fool is the worst.Sophie was on the verge of insanity, her mind was going in circles, and she trying to make sense of everything in her life. First, there was Lucas, then, definitely not Drake, but he was the only hope she had left, so she couldn’t quite count him out.She huffed out a resolute sigh and walked into his bedroom, finding him sitting and working on his laptop.She sat down next to him.“Drake?” she called softly.He replied with a distracted hum, his eyes still glued to the screen.“Could you keep the laptop aside, please?” she muttered, her tone mockingly sweet.He nodded, closed the laptop, and turned fully to her.Being in this world alone sucks, but being in this world surrounded by people who think you’re a fool? That’s worse.Sophie was on the verge of insanity. Her mind kept going in circles, trying to make sense of everything happening in her life. First, there was Lucas. A

The mansion felt suffocating. Sophie had spent hours trying to find something—anything—that could tell her where Lucas had gone. But the security system was useless. The footage was gone, wiped clean like the night had never happened. Whoever had taken Lucas had planned this too well. She tried again, typing commands into the security system’s console, digging through the data logs. Nothing. The last recorded footage had been from the previous evening. After that? Blackness. Drake was leaning against the wall, watching her with his usual unreadable expression. “You’re wasting your time.” Sophie clenched her jaw. “So we just do nothing?” Drake exhaled through his nose. “There are other ways to find him.” She turned in her chair. “Like what?” Drake didn’t answer. Instead, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out, glanced at the screen, and swore under his breath. Without a word, he walked out of the room. Sophie let out a frustrated sigh. She knew one thing—Drake was kee

The mansion felt wrong. Sophie had spent enough time there to recognize the subtle shifts in the air, the way silence could stretch too thin, the way emptiness could settle in like a living thing. But this? This was different. She knew it the second she stepped into Lucas’s room. The bed was empty. The blankets had been tossed aside, the pillows slightly dented, as if someone had left in a hurry. The lamp beside the bed was still on, casting weak light across the dark wooden floors. Sophie’s pulse spiked. “Lucas?” Silence. She moved deeper into the room, scanning for anything—any sign of where he might have gone. The window was shut. The closet door was slightly ajar, clothes hanging haphazardly. His shoes were still there. But his jacket? Gone. A sick feeling twisted in her gut. Lucas had barely been able to sit up on his own earlier. There was no way in hell he could have just—walked out. Not without help. Or not without being forced. Sophie’s st

Sophie knew she should stop.She should leave it alone.Lucas was healing, albeit slowly, and she had done more than enough by bringing him back to the mansion, making sure he had everything he needed. But something didn’t sit right with her.It wasn’t just about Lucas anymore.It was about the way things didn’t add up.The way everyone around her kept acting like she was being irrational for questioning things.Drake had told her to stop.Lucas had avoided answering anything directly, even when she had pressed.And the more they tried to push her away from the truth, the more she felt the urge to dig deeper.She wasn’t a fool.Something was going on.And she wasn’t going to stop until she figured out what it was.“You’re being reckless.”Drake’s voice cut through the thick tension in the room.Sophie barely spared him a glance as she placed a glass of water on the nightstand beside Lucas’s bed. The man in question was half-asleep, his injuries still keeping him weak.“I’m taking care