In the front yard, several men were loading boxes into a car. Jasper and Sophia stood by the entrance, watching them. Mike held an umbrella over their heads as the rain drizzled softly around them.
Sophia smiled as she watched the maids fumble through their tasks, while Jasper sighed in frustration every time they made a mistake.
BANG!
The car trunk slammed shut.
"Sir, it's time," Mike said, handing Jasper a small package.
Jasper nodded, then turned to Sophia.
"Hey," he murmured.
Sophia looked up at him, curious.
"Here," Jasper said, offering her the package. "A little gift — so you don't miss me too much."
Sophia smiled as she opened it. Inside was a delicate snow globe — a man and woman frozen in an eternal dance beneath a swirl of white flakes.
"Wow," Sophia whispered, shaking it gently. The snow drifted up and down, catching the soft light. "It's beautiful."
Jasper smiled, his silver eyes glimmering as he gently patted her head. But then, his smile faded — the memory of his conversation with Sophia's mother weighed on him.
"Sophia," he said quietly, "I'll be away for three days. Stay here. I don't want anything to happen to you."
"Jasper, no. I can't. I've already been here a week," Sophia replied, shaking her head. "I need to get back to my life."
Jasper arched a brow, his gaze intense.
"Sophia, what if those men come after you again?"
"Jasper, I'm hiring a bodyguard. So don't worry—"
"Wait—you're what?" Jasper interrupted, confusion flickering in his eyes.
"Yeah. He starts on Monday—"
"Who is he? Did you run a background check? Actually, never mind. I'll assign my own men. I don't trust anybody."
"Jasper, there's no need. I already did a background check. He's fine," Sophia said calmly, offering him a reassuring smile.
"Are you sure? At least tell me his name. I'll have my men—"
"Jasper!" Sophia interrupted sharply, crossing her arms.
Jasper sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Okay, fine."
Sophia raised a brow. "Promise me you won't have anyone follow me around secretly. I don't like that."
He sighed again. "Okay. I promise."
Sophia smiled softly.
"Sir, we have to go," Mike said from behind them.
Jasper frowned but pulled Sophia into a hug. "See you in three days," he whispered into her ear.
As he broke the hug, he smiled, then turned to leave. The rain still fell, gentle but cold. Sophia waved as the car pulled away, and Jasper waved back through the window.
"I'll miss you," he murmured, eyes fixed on the road ahead. "I'll be back."
She stood there long after the car had gone, the snow globe clutched tightly to her chest.
She shook the globe once more, watching the snow swirl around the tiny figures inside.
######
The night sky was dark as rain poured heavily, each drop hammering against the windows like drums. The storm had been raging nonstop, the wind howling through the night.
Sophia sat in an armchair, watching a movie. The house was silent except for the rhythmic patter of rain and the crackling of the fireplace — its warmth filling the room, a sharp contrast to the cold storm outside.
She chewed her popcorn, laughing softly at the female lead's whimsical antics.
A maid entered quietly.
"Ma'am, you have a guest," she said, bowing her head.
Sophia frowned, confused.
"I don't think so. Maybe they're here for Jasper. Please tell them he isn't around," she replied, turning back to the TV.
"There's no need for that," a voice said from behind.
Sophia froze. That voice — she knew it. The voice that raised her. The voice she had spent years trying to escape. No matter how far she ran, she could never silence the sound of it. Because that voice carried too much pain.
Slowly, she turned her head and met the woman's hazel eyes.
Sophia groaned softly, setting her popcorn bowl on the table as she stood up.
"Mom? What are you doing here?"
The maid quickly retreated as her mother walked over and took a seat, her movements calm, deliberate.
"Sit down," her mother said.
"If you're looking for Jasper, he isn't here. So you can go," Sophia muttered.
The woman's smile didn't waver.
"Sit."
Sophia sighed, then reluctantly sat.
Her mother folded her hands on her lap. "How are you, Sophia? I saw the news — Sophia Williams in a car accident," she said. "I was worried. I tried calling to know which hospital you were in, but I had to book an appointment just to speak to you." She scoffed softly. "And when I finally tried, you were already booked."
Sophia shifted her gaze away from her mother's piercing eyes.
"My own daughter, the child I carried for 9 months. Not just that, I soon heard from the news again that you were kidnapped. Do you know how worried I was, I did everything to reach you and then you come back safe and sound. And you didn't even make an effort to tell me. If not for Jasper, only God knows where I would be now. I was worried for a child I sacrificed everything for," the woman shook her head.
"Mom—" Sophia muttered.
"Don't, mom, me," her mother interrupted.
"If you really care about me, you would call me. How does it sound that I need an appointment to see my own child," she shouted.
"You know, your auntie said it then that if you grew you will be something else but I never knew you would turn out like this... What was my offence, giving birth to you, having to raise you when I had nothing when some women would take you to child services or throw you away. But I didn't I worked my butt off to give food and water, clothe you, send you to school and this is how you repay me, making me get an appointment to see you,"
"My secretary will handle all your financial—"
"Are you stupid?" Sophia's mom shouted, cutting her off. "What do you think you're doing? What's wrong with you?" Her voice trembled with rage. "When did you grow up to be so heartless—so cruel? You've become a monster!"
Tears welled up in Sophia's eyes.
"Sometimes I wish I never kept you," her mother said, her voice cracking as tears streamed down her face. "Because in the end, I got nothing. You ruined my life—and you're still doing it!"
Sophia's heart clenched.
"I didn't get married because of you," her mother continued bitterly. "I starved myself just to send you to school. And now look at you—big and rich, the world's most prestigious doctor—and suddenly, I don't matter anymore, huh?"
Hot tears rolled down Sophia's cheeks.
"I'm not trying to avoid you, or act like I'm better," Sophia muttered, her voice breaking.
"Then what is it?" her mother asked sharply. "Talk to me! You used to tell me everything. What happened? What's going on with you?" She moved closer and sat beside Sophia, her tone softening.
Sophia stared at her mother. She knew this woman had suffered—because of her. And deep down, she wished she could explain it all—the fear, the loneliness, the trauma that had chained her heart for years. But how could she? How could she describe the constant dread of rejection, the ache that never left?
Her mother placed a trembling hand on her shoulder.
"Sophia, please… talk to me. This isn't you."
Sophia's breath hitched. More tears flowed down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I just… I don't know. Every time I try to open up to people, I can't. It's like something stops me, like I'm trapped inside myself. I—"
The door creaked open.
A man stepped inside. He was tall and slightly stooped with age, his once-dark hair now streaked with grey. His tailored suit clung to a frame that still carried authority. His sharp eyes, cold and calculating, swept over the room before landing on Sophia.
Sophia froze.
Her blood turned to ice as memories came rushing back—the shouting, the fear, the bruises that weren't always visible. The man who'd shattered her childhood stood before her. The man who made her believe she was unwanted, unlovable. The man whose cruelty had carved her fears into her very soul.
Her lips trembled.
"Dad?" she whispered, her voice filled with shock and grief.