Chapter 5 I can't find the girl!

As sophia sat in her room, lost in thought, she heard a knock at the door.

She looked up to see Marcus standing in the doorway, a serious expression on his face. "Sophia, can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked, his voice firm but controlled.

She nodded, feeling a sense of anxiety. What did Marcus want to talk to her about? Marcus walked into the room and closed the door behind him.

He stood with his back against the door, his eyes fixed intently on her. "Sophia, I want to apologize for what happened last night," he said, his voice low and even.

"I know I lost control, and I'm sorry." She looked at him warily, unsure of what to make of his apology.

Was he genuinely sorry, or was he just trying to manipulate her? "It's okay, Marcus," she said finally, trying to sound calm.

"I know you were just trying to protect me." Marcus's eyes narrowed, his expression skeptical. "Protect you?" he repeated. "From what?" She hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal.

But something about Marcus's expression made her trust him, just a little. "From the stranger," she said finally.

"The one who you got into a fight with." Marcus's expression changed, his eyes flashing with anger. "You mean the one who's been following us?" he growled.

She nodded, feeling a sense of surprise. what do you mean by following us?" Marcus nodded, his expression grim.

" Earlier today the guards had reported a certain red rolls Royce phantom lurking around the house,I made my findings and it was your little crush.

And guess what, I'll take care of him." She felt a sense of relief wash over me, followed by a sense of unease.

What did Marcus mean by "take care of him"? And what did he plan to do to the stranger? But before she could ask any questions, Marcus turned and left the room, leaving her feeling confused and uncertain.

As the door closed behind Marcus, she couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. What did he plan to do to the stranger? And why was he so determined to "take care" of him? She tried to push the thoughts aside and focus on my own situation.

She was still trapped in the mansion, with no clear way to escape. And Marcus's behavior was becoming increasingly erratic. She decided to try and gather more information.

She walked over to the door and pressed my ear against it, listening for any sounds that might give her a clue about what was going on.

As she listened, she heard the sound of footsteps echoing down the hallway. They were light, cautious footsteps, and they seemed to be coming from the direction of a room closer to her's.

She felt a surge of curiosity. What was the person doing, sneaking around the hallway like that? She decided to investigate further.

She carefully turned the door knob knowing that Marcus had been keeping it open since the party incident, the door opened and slipped out into the hallway, trying to move as quietly as possible.

As she made her way down the hallway, she caught sight of Emma slipping into one of the rooms. She followed her, trying to stay out of sight.

When she reached the room, she found Emma rummaging through a drawer. She looked up and saw her standing there, and her eyes widened in surprise. "Sophia, what are you doing here?" she whispered urgently. Sophia shook her head.

"I could ask you the same thing," she replied, trying to keep her voice low. Emma glanced nervously around the room, as if she was afraid of being caught.

"I'm just looking for something," she said finally. "Something that might help us escape."

Sophia's heart skipped a beat. Escape? Was it possible? And what did Emma mean by us? Is she a captive too? Sophia nodded eagerly. "Tell me more," she whispered, her eyes locked on Emma's.

Emma glanced around the room again, her eyes darting nervously towards the door. "We have to be careful," she whispered.

"Marcus has eyes and ears everywhere." She nodded, her heart racing with excitement.

"I know," she whispered back. "But I'm willing to take the risk. What did you find?" Emma hesitated for a moment, then pulled out a small piece of paper from the drawer.

"This is a map of the mansion's secret passages," she whispered. "I overheard one of the guards talking about it.

It might be our only way out." Sophia took the map from Emma, her hands shaking with excitement.

"This is incredible," she whispered. "But how do we know it's accurate?" Emma nodded. "I've been watching the guards, trying to figure out their routine.

I think I can get us to the passage without being seen." She looked at Emma, feeling a surge of gratitude towards her. "Thank you," she whispered.

"I owe you one." Emma smiled, her eyes sparkling with determination "We're in this together, Sophia.

We'll get out of here, together."

She nodded, feeling a sense of hope that she hadn't felt in weeks.They might actually make it out of here alive.

As they stood there, holding the map and planning their escape, they heard a faint noise coming from the hallway.

It was the sound of footsteps, heavy and deliberate. Emma's eyes locked onto Sophia's , and she knew she had heard it too.

"It's Marcus," she whispered. "We have to hide." Sophia nodded, her heart racing with fear.

They had to get out of there, fast.

"Guards!! I want every one at alert now,I can't find the girl in the room.! He screamed as he walked out of the room where Sophia was kept.

"Make sure she doesn't get out of this building,check every hook and crannies of this building."

As soon as Emma and sophia heard Marcus's voice, they knew they had to act fast. They waited,till the guards went downstairs to search for Sophia.

Emma quickly slipped out of the room, while sophia quietly made her way back into her room, trying not to make a sound.

She slipped into the bathroom and hid behind the door, holding her breath and hoping that Marcus wouldn't think to look for her there yet. Meanwhile, Emma had gone out into the hallway and was pretending to be frantic.

"Wait, wait! I just saw Sophia in her room!" she exclaimed, trying to distract Marcus and the guards.

Marcus's voice was incredulous. "What are you talking about, Emma? We've been searching for her everywhere."

Emma stood her ground, trying to sound convincing. "I'm telling you, I just saw her in her room. She is using the bathroom or something."

Marcus's voice was skeptical, but he seemed to be considering Emma's words. "Fine," he growled. "Let's go take a look."

Sophia held her breath as she heard Marcus's footsteps approaching her room. He burst in, his eyes scanning the room frantically.

Then he pushed the bathroom door open then he saw her, he saw her standing in the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her a look of innocence on her face, he seemed taken aback.

"Sophia, where have you been?" he demanded, his voice angry.

She shrugged, putting on a jittery act, pretending to look nonchalant. "I've been right here," she said, trying to sound convincing. "I was just... um... taking a bath."

Marcus's eyes narrowed, his expression skeptical. But he seemed to be unsure of what to do next.

remembering that he had called her name twice but didn't get an answer when he came earlier. "Fine," he growled finally. "But next time, when I call your name you respond.

Do you understand?" She nodded, trying to look meek.

"Yes, Marcus. I understand."

Marcus's eyes lingered on her for a moment, as if he was trying to read her mind. But then he turned and stormed out of the room, leaving her feeling shaken but relieved.