#172 “I could have Sworn I had it Earlier…”


    It was growingte, the soft glow of evening casting long shadows throughout Sophia’s grandfather’s


    house. Sophia and Benjamin, tired from their exhaustive search for the elusive key, stood in the dimly


    lit hallway, their fatigue palpable in the air.


    “I think it’s time for bed,” Sophia announced with a weary smile, her voice tinged with exhaustion. “It’s


    been a long day, and I definitely need some sleep.”


    Benjamin nodded in agreement, although there was a hint of reluctance in his expression. “Of course.


    Do you want me to stay?”


    Sophia furrowed her brow in surprise at his offer. “Stay?” she echoed, her confusion evident. “Like back


    in the day when we used to have slumber parties?”


    A nostalgic smile tugged at Benjamin’s lips as he nodded. “Exactly like that.”


    Sophia chuckled softly, the tension of the day momentarily forgotten. ”


    Benjamin, back then I was afraid of the monster under the bed,” she teased. ” You don’t need to stay.”


    “I’m just worried,” Benjamin began, his tone earnest. “It’s a big house, and…


    “I’m a big girl, I’ll handle it,” Sophia reassured him, her voice gentle but firm. “You live next door, if


    something happens, you’ll be the first to know.”


    Reluctantly, Benjamin conceded, although his mood seemed to darken slightly. “That’s right,” he


    conceded, his words tinged with disappointment.


    “Okay, Sophia, then I wish you a good evening.”


    Sophia offered him a grateful smile as she escorted him to the door, the weight of exhaustion heavy on


    her shoulders.


    As Sophia watched Benjamin disappear into the night, a sudden realization struck her like a bolt of


    lightning. Her phone! She still hadn’t called Alexander. He might worry, she thought. She frantically


    searched the nearby surfaces.


    “Where is it?” she muttered to herself. ” I could have sworn I had it earlier…”


    As Sophia scoured every nook and cranny of the house, her growing sense of unease intensified with


    each passing moment. Despite her thorough efforts, her phone remained elusive, nowhere to be found.


    “I had to ask Benjamin for his phone. Alexander must be worried now,” she muttered, feeling a pang of


    guilt for not having contacted him yet.


    ncing at her watch, she realized it was gettingte in the evening. She hesitated, not wanting to


    disturb Benjamin, who must surely be asleep by now.


    At that moment, a thought dawned on her. This was her grandfather’s watch, a precious gift he had


    bestowed upon her. What if the watch held a clue to the safe?


    Sophia scolded herself once again for losing her phone. Now she would have to wait until morning to


    do something about it.


    Remembering that she had left the watch case in her apartment, Sophia couldn’t shake the feeling of a


    missed opportunity. Perhaps there was a clue hidden within the case that could lead her to the elusive


    key.


    Nervous and tired, she made her way up to her old bedroom. As she settled into bed, she couldn’t help


    but imagine returning with Alexander one day, sharing stories of her childhood and the secrets hidden


    within the walls of her grandfather’s house.


    As the night wore on, Alexander’s anxiety only intensified. He had been trying to reach Sophia for


    hours, his calls going unanswered and his messages left unread. Each unanswered call only served to


    fuel his growing sense of unease, a gnawing fear that something was terribly wrong.


    Already in bed, Alexander decided to try to call her onest time.


    Benjamin’s smirk widened as he watched Alexander’s name sh on Sophia’s phone screen. With a


    mischievous gleam in his eyes, he answered the call, relishing the opportunity to y with Alexander’s


    emotions.


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    “Hello?” Benjamin’s voice was smooth,ced with a hint of amusement as he spoke into the phone.


    “Benjamin, is that you?” Alexander’s voice was filled with anger. “Benjamin, where the hell is Sophia?


    Why isn’t she answering her phone?”


    Benjamin’s response was casual, almost mocking. “Oh, Alex, she’s busy right now. Can’t talk. Maybe


    later.”


    Alexander’s temper red at the dismissive tone. “Listen to me, Benjamin. This is serious. Sophia


    hasn’t contacted me all day, and now her phone goes straight to voicemail. Where is she?”


    Benjamin’s voice took on a smug edge.


    “Rx, Alex. Sophia’s fine. She’s just spending some quality time with me, that’s all.”


    Alexander’s grip tightened on the phone, his frustration reaching a boiling point. “Quality time? What


    the hell are you talking about, Benjamin? Where is she?”


    But Benjamin’s response was infuriatingly vague. “Sorry, Alex, can’t talk now. Gotta run.”


    Before Alexander could respond, Benjamin ended the call, leaving him seething with rage and


    frustration. How dare Benjamin brush him off like that? How dare he insinuate that he had some kind of


    special rtionship with Sophia?


    As Alexander mmed his phone down on the nightstand, his mind raced with a thousand different


    scenarios. What were they doing? Why did Sophia refuse to talk to him and give her phone to


    Benjamin? Was Benjamin more charming than him? More attentive? Did he have something to offer


    Sophia that Alexander didn’t?


    With each passing moment, Alexander’s jealousy festered and grew, consuming him from the inside


    out. He couldn’t bear the thought of Sophia finding happiness in someone else’s arms, of being


    reced by Benjamin in her affections.


    As he stewed in his jealousy, Alexander’s thoughts spiraled into a vortex of doubt and self-loathing. He


    couldn’t shake the feeling that he wasn’t good enough for Sophia, that he would never be able to


    compete with the bond she shared with Benjamin.


    But deep down, beneath theyers of jealousy and insecurity, Alexander knew that his feelings for


    Sophia ran deeper than mere jealousy. He loved her with every fiber of his being, and the thought of


    losing her to someone else was more than he could bear.


    With a heavy sigh, Alexander forced himself to push aside his irrational jealousy and focus on finding a


    way to reach Sophia. He may not understand why she was spending time with Benjamin, but he was


    determined to fight for her, to prove that his love for her was stronger than any fleeting attraction she


    might feel for someone else.