Con

CHAPTER 79

Sophia’s POV

I woke up to an unfamiliar ceiling, my head throbbing as if someone had taken a hammer to it. Blinking against the morning light filtering through the window, I tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness forced me back down.

“Easy there,” a deep voice said from across the room. Startled, I turned my head to see a tall, broad- shouldered man standing in the doorway. His concerned eyes met mine as he approached cautiously.

“Where am I?” I croaked, my voice hoarse.

“You’re in my home,” he replied, pulling a chair next to the bed and sitting down. “I’m Adrian. I found you fainted on the beach a few days ago. Took you to the hospital.”

The fog in my mind began to clear, but the pounding in my head made it difficult to focus. “What happened to me?”

“The doctors said you were attacked,” Adrian explained gently. “You were hit on the back of the head. Luckily, it wasn’t too severe, but it did put you in a temporary coma.”

I reached up to touch the tender spot on my head, wincing as I felt the bandage. “Who… who did this to me?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I found you unconscious and brought you to the hospital. They did what they could and said you just needed rest. So, I brought you here.”

I took a moment to process his words, glancing around the room. It was a cozy, beach–themed bedroom, the sound of waves faintly audible through the open window. “Why didn’t they keep me at the hospital?”

“They wanted to, but you were stable, and I insisted on looking after you,” Adrian explained, his tone eamest. “I live just down the beach, and I thought it might be more comfortable for you here.”

I was skeptical about all of this. My head was still throbbing, and the memories of the frantic search for Reese were fuzzy at best.

“Did you see my car? Or my cell phone?” I asked the man standing by the door. My voice–sounded weak, even to my own ears.

He shook his head. “I didn’t see your phone. I saw the car, but I didn’t realize you had the keys.”

1 frowned, trying to piece together the events. “Where are my keys now?”

He shrugged. “I haven’t seen them.”

I looked down at my clothes, immediately searching my pockets. But that’s when I realized that I had on a shirt and a pair of shorts that didn’t look familiar. They didn’t belong to me, and these weren’t the clothes I was wearing when I went to the beach!

Seeing my bewildered expression, Adrian looked a bit embarrassed. “Uh… It was my sister who’d helped change your clothes,” he explained. “You were soaked and dirty.”

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+15 BONUS

“Oh,” I said. “Uh, thank you.”

As I thought about my daughter and where she could be now, it made me sit up fast and try to climb out of bed. But the sudden movements brought me a headache, and my vision began to blur. I felt as if the entire room was spinning.

“Ohhh, I’m still so dizzy,” I murmured, holding on to the bed frame and steadying myself.

“Maybe you should rest for a bit longer,” Adrian suggested. “You can use our phone if you remember

any numbers.”

I nodded again, feeling a wave of helplessness wash over me. “Thank you. I’ll stay for now.”

He gave me a reassuring smile. “No problem. If you need anything, just let me know.”

I watched him leave the room, my thoughts a tangled mess of worry and exhaustion. Reese was still out there somewhere, and I needed to find her. But for now, I had no choice but to rest and regain my strength.

I didn’t realize I had fallen into a slumber again. When I woke up, it was already dark. I wished I could head over to my apartment or go to Daniel, Kayla, or Elijah. I needed to know what had happened in those days that I was out.

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“It’s too late to leave now,” Adrian told me. “And I don’t have a car. Perhaps you should rest and we’ll

try in the morning.”

–

“But you don’t understand “I tried to protest.

He insisted that I rest for the meantime. He also served me some soup and bread for dinner. After eating a bit, I fell asleep again.

The next morning, I was awakened by the sound of a beautiful male voice singing a melancholic ballad, accompanied by an acoustic guitar. Curious, I got up and realized that I was feeling a lot better

already.

I followed the sound and saw that one bedroom’s door was ajar. The lovely melody was coming from inside. Through the open gap, I could see Adrian playing the guitar and singing, but his back was on me. He was sitting by the window and looking out into the ocean.

Slowly I tiptoed inside and was immediately enamored by all the musical instruments lining up one wall: There was a full–sized digital piano, a few acoustic and electric guitars, and even a violin. Wow, this man was a musician!

Suddenly, a glint of light caught my eye from a nearby table. A small, glossy card peeked out from under a stack of sheet music. Curiosity got the better of me, and I picked it up. The words “Raven Media” were emblazoned across the top in sleek, modern font. My heart skipped a beat.

Raven Media was Kayla’s family’s entertainment company. I remembered the stories Kayla had told me about her family’s business, how they’d worked with some of the biggest names in the industry.

Just then, Adrian stopped playing and turned around, becoming aware of my presence. His eyes narrowed a little.

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I showed him the card. “Are you a musician or do you want to be a famous one? This company belongs to my best friend’s family. I can help you with your dream.”

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