Chapter 2

As they made their way through the dark and deserted hallway, Ethan couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. He kept looking over his shoulder, expecting to see someone lurking in the shadows.

Sophia seemed to sense his unease and took his hand, her grip tight and reassuring. "What's wrong?" she whispered, her eyes scanning the hallway.

Ethan hesitated, unsure of how to respond. He didn't want to alarm Sophia, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

"I don't know," he admitted finally. "I just feel like we're being watched."

Sophia's eyes narrowed, her expression serious. "Let's get out of here," she said, tugging on his hand.

They quickened their pace, their footsteps echoing through the hallway. Ethan's heart was pounding in his chest, his senses on high alert.

As they approached the front door, Ethan could feel a sense of relief wash over him. They were almost safe.

But just as they reached the door, Ethan heard a noise behind them. It was a faint whispering sound, like someone was talking in hushed tones.

Ethan's heart skipped a beat as he spun around, his eyes scanning the hallway. But there was no one there.

Sophia's eyes were wide with fear as she tugged on his hand. "What was that?" she whispered.

Ethan shook his head, his mind racing. "I don't know," he admitted. "But we need to get out of here. Now."

They flung open the front door and sprinted out into the night, not stopping until they were safely inside their car.

As they sped away from the estate, Ethan couldn't shake the feeling that they had narrowly escaped something. But what, he had no idea.

Sophia's eyes were wide with fear as she turned to him. "What's going on, Ethan?" she whispered. "What's happening?"

Ethan shook his head, his mind racing. "I don't know," he admitted. "But I promise you, we'll get to the bottom of it."

As they drove through the night, Ethan's phone suddenly buzzed with an incoming text. He hesitated for a moment before picking it up.

The message was from an unknown number, and all it said was: "You shouldn't have married her."

Ethan's heart skipped a beat as he felt a chill run down his spine. Who was this, and what did they want?

He showed the message to Sophia, who gasped in shock. "What does it mean?" she whispered.

Ethan shook his head, his mind racing. "I don't know," he admitted. "But we're going to find out."

As they drove through the night, Ethan couldn't shake the feeling that they were in grave danger. But he was determined to protect Sophia, no matter what it took.

Little did he know, their nightmare was only just beginning.

As they drove through the night, Ethan's mind was racing with questions. Who was behind the mysterious text message? And what did they want?

Sophia's eyes were wide with fear as she turned to him. "What are we going to do, Ethan?" she whispered.

Ethan took a deep breath and tried to reassure her. "We'll be okay," he said. "We'll figure out who's behind this and put a stop to it."

But as he glanced in the rearview mirror, Ethan's heart skipped a beat. A black SUV was following them, its headlights gleaming in the darkness.

Ethan's instincts kicked in, and he floored it, speeding down the highway. The SUV kept pace with them, its tires screeching as it took the turns.

Sophia's eyes were wide with fear as she turned to him. "Ethan, what's happening?" she whispered.

Ethan gritted his teeth, his mind racing. "We're being followed," he said. "But I'm not going to let them catch us."

He took a sharp turn, the tires squealing in protest. The SUV followed, its driver expertly navigating the turns.

Ethan's heart was pounding in his chest, his senses on high alert. He knew they had to lose the SUV, but he wasn't sure how.

Just as he was starting to feel desperate, Ethan spotted a gap in the traffic. He floored it, speeding through the gap and leaving the SUV behind.

As they emerged on the other side, Ethan let out a sigh of relief. They had lost the SUV, but he knew it was only a temporary reprieve.

Sophia's eyes were wide with fear as she turned to him. "What just happened?" she whispered.

Ethan shook his head, his mind still racing. "I don't know," he admitted. "But we need to get to the bottom of it."

As they drove through the night, Ethan's phone suddenly buzzed with an incoming call. He hesitated for a moment before answering.

"Hello?" he said, his voice cautious.

There was a pause on the other end of the line, and then a voice spoke up. "Ethan, you're in grave danger," it said. "You need to get out of there, now."

Ethan's heart skipped a beat as he recognized the voice. It was Marcus, his best friend and former business partner.

"What's going on, Marcus?" Ethan asked, his voice urgent.

"I'll explain later," Marcus said. "Just get out of there, Ethan. Trust me."

Ethan hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to do. But something in Marcus's voice told him to trust his friend.

"Okay," Ethan said finally. "We're getting out of here."

As he hung up the phone, Ethan turned to Sophia. "We need to get out of here," he said. "Now."

Sophia's eyes were wide with fear as she nodded. "Where are we going?" she whispered.

Ethan shook his head, his mind racing. "I don't know," he admitted. "But we'll figure it out."

As they sped through the night, Ethan knew that their lives would never be the same again. They were in grave danger, and they needed to find a way out.

But as they drove, Ethan couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. He glanced in the rearview mirror, but there was no one there.

Or was there?

As they drove through the night, Ethan's senses were on high alert. He kept glancing in the rearview mirror, expecting to see someone following them.

But every time, there was no one there.

Sophia's eyes were wide with fear as she turned to him. "Ethan, what's going on?" she whispered.

Ethan shook his head, his mind racing. "I don't know," he admitted. "But I think we're in danger."

Sophia's eyes widened even further. "What kind of danger?" she whispered.

Ethan hesitated, unsure of how to respond. He didn't want to alarm Sophia, but he couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched.

"I don't know," he admitted finally. "But I think we need to be careful."

As they drove through the night, Ethan's phone suddenly buzzed with an incoming text. He hesitated for a moment before picking it up.

The message was from an unknown number, and all it said was: "You can't escape me."

Ethan's heart skipped a beat as he felt a chill run down his spine. Who was this, and what did they want?

He showed the message to Sophia, who gasped in shock. "What does it mean?" she whispered.

Ethan shook his head, his mind racing. "I don't know," he admitted. "But I think we need to get to the bottom of it."

As they drove through the night, Ethan's eyes scanned the road ahead, searching for any sign of danger. But the roads were empty, and the only sound was the hum of the engine.

Suddenly, Sophia gasped and pointed to the GPS screen. "Ethan, look!" she whispered.

Ethan's eyes flicked to the screen, and his heart skipped a beat. The GPS was taking them on a detour, leading them deeper into the woods.

"Ethan, I don't like this," Sophia whispered, her voice trembling with fear.

Ethan's eyes locked on the road ahead, his mind racing. He knew they had to get out of there, but he wasn't sure how.

As they drove deeper into the woods, the trees seemed to close in around them, casting long, ominous shadows on the road.

Ethan's heart was pounding in his chest, his senses on high alert. He knew they were in grave danger, but he didn't know what was waiting for them in the darkness.

And then, just as they were starting to feel like they were completely alone, Ethan saw a pair of headlights in the distance.

His heart skipped a beat as he realized they were being followed. But by who?

As the headlights drew closer, Ethan's eyes locked on the road ahead, his mind racing with possibilities.

And then, just as the other car was about to pass them, Ethan saw the driver's face.

It was a face he knew all too well.

A face that made his blood run cold.