Katie's POVI never thought I would see her again. Sophia, the woman who had once been Alex's girlfriend, was standing in front of me, looking just as beautiful as I remembered. My heart sank as I watched her greet Alex with a warm hug and a smile that made my stomach churn."Katie, Lily, Max, Emily, this is Sophia," Alex said, introducing her to our family. "She's an old friend."I forced a smile and extended my hand to Sophia. "Nice to meet you.""Likewise," Sophia replied, her eyes lingering on Alex for just a moment too long.I couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. Sophia was stunning, with long dark hair and bright blue eyes. She had a way of moving that was both confident and graceful, and I knew that Alex had once been smitten with her.As we sat down for dinner, Sophia regaled us with stories of her travels and adventures, her voice smooth and hypnotic. I watched as Alex listened to her with rapt attention, laughing at all the right moments and hanging on her every word
Katie's POVOver the next few weeks, Sophia continued to try and contact Alex, sending him text messages and leaving voicemails on his phone. Each time, Alex would show me the messages and reassure me that he was committed to our family.But despite his reassurances, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. Sophia had stirred up old feelings, and I didn't know if Alex was completely over her.One night, as we were getting ready for bed, I brought up my concerns with Alex. "Do you still have feelings for Sophia?" I asked, unable to keep the worry out of my voice.Alex looked at me, his expression serious. "Katie, I love you and our family more than anything," he said firmly. "Sophia is in the past, and I don't have any feelings for her anymore."I nodded, trying to believe him. "I just don't want her to come between us," I said, feeling vulnerable."I understand," Alex said, taking my hand. "But I promise you, she won't."Despite his words, I couldn't shake the feeling that somethin
Katie's POVThe next day, I woke up to a barrage of text messages from Sophia. She was pleading with Alex to talk to her, insisting that she had important news to share.I could see the worry on Alex's face as he read the messages, and I knew that we needed to come up with a plan."I don't think we can ignore her forever," I said, leaning over to read the messages on Alex's phone. "But we need to be careful about how we handle this. We don't want to give her any false hope."Alex nodded in agreement. "I'll text her back and tell her that we can talk, but that it's just going to be the two of us. No family stuff."I knew that Alex was just trying to be polite, but the thought of him meeting with Sophia alone made me feel sick to my stomach. "I don't think that's a good idea," I said, my voice shaking slightly. "She's still clearly interested in you, and I don't want to give her any opportunities to come between us.""I understand," Alex said, his voice gentle. "But I also don't want to
Katie's POVAs the days turned into weeks, Sophia's condition slowly began to improve. She was still in a coma, but her vital signs were stable, and the doctors were starting to talk about the possibility of waking her up soon.One day, as I was leaving the hospital after a visit, I received a text message from Sophia's phone. It read: "Katie, can we talk?"I hesitated for a moment before responding. Despite everything that had happened between us, I couldn't help but feel a sense of curiosity and hopefulness."Sure," I replied. "What's on your mind?"A few minutes later, Sophia called me. Her voice was weak and raspy, but I could hear the determination in it."Katie, I want to apologize," she said. "For everything. I know that I messed up, and I don't expect you to forgive me, but I want you to know that I'm sorry."I could feel tears welling up in my eyes as I listened to her words. "Sophia," I said, my voice trembling. "I don't know what to say."Sophia took a deep breath before co
Katie's POVOne day, I was cooking dinner when the doorbell rang. I sighed, knowing exactly who it was. When I opened the door, Sophia was standing there with a sheepish expression on her face."I know I'm not supposed to be here," she said. "But I really need your help. It's an emergency."I hesitated for a moment before reluctantly letting her inside. "What's going on?" I asked.Sophia launched into an explanation of her latest crisis. She had lost her job and was behind on rent, and her landlord was threatening to evict her if she didn't pay up."I don't know what to do," she said, her eyes pleading. "I have nowhere else to turn."I could feel myself starting to soften. Despite everything that had happened, I couldn't ignore the fact that Sophia was in trouble."Okay," I said finally. "We'll help you out, but this is the last time, Sophia. The very last time."Sophia nodded, tears streaming down her face. "Thank you," she said. "I'll pay you back, I swear."Over the next few weeks,
Katie's POVIt was a quiet Saturday afternoon when the doorbell rang. I was in the kitchen, preparing lunch for the family when I heard the chime. I wiped my hands on a towel and walked to the front door, wondering who could be stopping by unannounced.When I opened the door, I was surprised to see a tall, dark-haired man standing on my doorstep. He was well-dressed, wearing a tailored suit and a crisp white shirt, and his piercing blue eyes seemed to bore into mine."Can I help you?" I asked, feeling a sense of unease.The man flashed me a charming smile. "I'm sorry to intrude," he said. "My name is Andrew. I'm looking for Alex."I studied the man for a moment, trying to determine if he was telling the truth. "Who are you?" I asked."I'm a distant relative of Alex's," he said. "I've been trying to track him down for a while now."I was still skeptical, but something about the man's demeanor seemed genuine. "I'll go get him," I said.I left the man standing on the porch and walked bac
Katie's POVDespite our reservations, we couldn't bring ourselves to turn him away when he came to us again, begging for help. He looked desperate and scared, and we couldn't bear the thought of leaving him out on the street.We agreed to lend him the money and let him stay with us for a few days until he could figure things out. But as soon as he moved in, things took a turn for the worse.Andrew became increasingly aggressive and unpredictable, lashing out at us over the smallest things. He was constantly on edge, as if he was expecting someone to come after him.One night, I woke up to the sound of shouting coming from the living room. I crept out of bed and peered through the doorway to see Andrew arguing with someone on the phone. His face was contorted with anger, and he was shouting so loudly that I could hear every word."You need to get me out of here," he yelled into the phone. "I can't take it anymore. They're on to me."I knew then that we had made a huge mistake by lettin
Katie's POVWe set up the meeting in a seedy bar on the outskirts of town. Alex and I dressed in our best suits and arrived at the bar at the designated time. We were shown to a back room where a group of men were waiting for us."Welcome," one of them said. "I'm Nick. What can I do for you?""We're interested in doing business," Alex said smoothly. "We heard you guys were the best in town."Nick's eyes lit up. "Ah, I see. And what kind of business are you interested in?""We're looking for some merchandise," I said, playing the role of the interested buyer. "High-quality merchandise."Nick grinned. "Well, you've come to the right place. Follow me."He led us down a hallway and into a large room filled with all kinds of illegal goods. I tried not to look too interested as I browsed the wares, but I couldn't help but feel a sense of disgust at the thought of the harm these items could do.Nick showed us a selection of items and we haggled over prices. We eventually settled on a few ite