#161 “I don’t know about any collection.”


    Sophia’s evening was filled with nervous anticipation as Sandro hadn’t returned her call. Pacing around


    the dining room, she considered her options to help Evelyn, her mind racing with worry.


    As the night progressed, Sophia found it increasingly difficult to rx.


    Nervously checking her phone every few minutes, she fervently hoped for a resolution.


    By two in the morning, Sophia conceded that sleep wasn’ting easily. Resigned, she decided that


    being well-rested and focused for the next day would be more beneficial in helping her friend.


    Just as Sophia was settling into bed, strange noises disrupted the silence.


    Her heart raced as she cautiously peered through the gap in her bedroom door, only to witness a group


    of men entering her apartment.


    Suppressing panic, Sophia forced herself to breathe. A surge of fearpelled her to hide and call the


    police. Silently retrieving her phone from the nightstand, she stealthily moved towards the closet,


    hoping to remain undiscovered long enough to make the call.


    As she reached for the wardrobe handle, the voice of one of the intruders cut through the tension.


    “We know you’re here. We also know there are people you care about. Evelyn? Does this name ring a


    bell? Also Alexander? If you don’t want something to happen to them,e out and show yourself.”


    Sophia’s blood ran cold. Realizing the imminent threat to her friend and boyfriend, she knew she had to


    act swiftly. Clenching her hands into fists, she made a bold decision and emerged from her hiding spot.


    “You found me,” she said harshly. ” What do you want?”


    The leader of the group, a stern-faced man with a tattooed neck, stepped forward. “Sophia, we know


    about your grandfather’s collection. You control it now, and we want to know where it’s hidden.”


    “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” snapped Sophia. “My grandfather was a farmer.”


    “This number does not go through. We want to get to the collection.”


    “I don’t know where it is.”


    Sophia had only heard of this collection, a mysterious inheritance from her grandfather, but never


    thought it was of any significance. However, if these men needed it, it meant there was more to it so


    she must protect it.


    “Let’s try with his house,” suggests the man. “Tell us the address.”


    “He didn’t have a house,” Sophia lied. ” He only had this apartment, which he bequeathed to me.”


    Sophia points to her apartment. She wouldn’t let them get to her grandfather’s house for anything in the


    world, but she has to figure out a way to save Evelyn and Alexander.


    The men start searching her apartment, giving her time to think. They won’t find anything here, she


    thought.


    They throw possessions and smash them, but it doesn’t bother Sophia. It’s important to her to keep


    whatever her grandpa has collected hidden.


    “There’s nothing here,” their leader states, irritated. He nced at Sophia, a sly grin on his face. “You’re


    not as cooperative as we’d like, but we’ll get what we need.”


    Sophia, trying to stayposed, retorted, “If you harm my friends, you won’t get anything from me.”


    “You’reing with us. We can’t leave anything to chance,” the leader dered.


    The leader gestured to his aplices, and they forcefully dragged Sophia out of her apartment and


    into a waiting car parked discreetly nearby.


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    “We have ways to make you talk,” he deres.


    The car sped through the city streets, Sophia feeling a mixture of fear and determination. She knew


    she had to protect her family’s secrets, but the safety of Evelyn and Alexander weighed heavily on her


    mind.


    As they reached their destination, an isted warehouse on the outskirts of town, Sophia’s thoughts


    raced. The leader of the group, still wearing a tattooed expression of authority, led her inside, nked


    by his henchmen. The interior was dimly lit, filled with an eerie silence broken only by distant echoes.


    They brought her to a small room. The leader gestured for her to sit in a solitary chair, a harsh spotlight


    illuminating the space. The atmosphere was tense, and Sophia’s mind raced to find a way out of this


    precarious situation.


    “You can save yourself and your friends a lot of trouble if you cooperate,” the leader said, his tone a


    threatening whisper.


    Sophia, her eyes locked on him, took a deep breath. “I’ve told you, I don’t know about any collection.


    My grandfather was just a farmer.”


    The leader scoffed, “We’ve been in this business long enough to recognize when someone is hiding


    something. You control the collection now, and we won’t stop until we find it.”


    Sophia needed a n, a way to buy time and protect her family’s legacy. The leader signaled to his


    henchmen, and they advanced, a menacing presence in the dim room.


    As the pressure mounted, Sophia knew she had to stay strong. She couldn’t let them see her


    vulnerability. But the weight of the situation bore down on her, and she couldn’t shake the fear for


    Evelyn and Alexander’s safety.


    The leader leaned in, his face inches from hers. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way. You


    decide.”


    In that tense moment, Sophia’s determination solidified. She may not fully understand her grandfather’s


    collection, but she was determined to keep it hidden and protect those she cared about. The dangerous


    game had just begun, and Sophia was prepared to y her cards carefully to outsmart the menacing


    force that now held her captive.