Then he’d arrange for his brother to pick me up.
And Marcus always arrived with an already-opened bottle of water in the cup holder.
“Here you go, Sofia. You look exhausted.”
I would drink it.
After that, my memory simply stopped.
Hours later I’d wake up weak, sore, and marked with bruises I couldn’t account for.
Every time I tried to bring it up, Julian laughed like I was being ridiculous.
“Sofia, you’re bent over spreadsheets ten hours a day. You’re out of shape. Go to the gym.”
It sounded believable enough — until the third time.
That was when I bought a tiny digital recorder and tucked it into a hidden pocket of my handbag.
That night, I finally played it back.
First I heard myself thanking Marcus for the water.
Then about ten minutes of silence.
Then Marcus made a call through the SUV’s speakers.
“She’s out cold again.”
