There was a brief pause on the other end.
“Mrs. Graves… can I ask something?” Sophia said carefully. “Why did you ask me to come today? Is everything okay?”
Camila’s grip tightened slightly around the phone as she exhaled, her gaze drifting toward the empty doorway Magnus had just walked through.
Camila smiled softly into the phone, trying to keep her tone light.
“Everything is fine, Sophia. Actually, Magnus is here today. I called him home so the two of you could meet. It’s been so long since you last saw each other. I thought… this would be the perfect time.”
On the other end, Sophia had just reached the gates of the Graves mansion.
Her steps slowed.
Then stopped.
Her hand lifted halfway to knock—but the moment those words sank in, her body went still.
Then, as if something inside her snapped, she took a step back.
Another.
And another.
Her breathing turned uneven as she quickly turned around, her back now facing the house. Without even looking back, she started walking away—fast, almost rushing—her heels hitting the pavement in quick, uneven beats.
“Oh… I see,” she said into the phone, forcing her voice to sound normal, though it trembled slightly. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Graves, but I’m not feeling very well today.”
She swallowed, her grip on the phone tightening.
“I think I might have a fever. I’m not sure… I might need to go to the hospital and get checked.” Her pace quickened. “I’m really sorry, I’ll have to cancel today.”
Camila’s voice immediately turned concerned. “Do you want me to come see you?”
“No!” Sophia answered a little too quickly, then forced herself to soften. “I mean… it’s okay. It’s nothing serious. I’ll just take some medicine and rest.”
She kept walking, faster now, putting distance between herself and the house.
“I’m really sorry,” she added quietly. “I’ll come another time. I promise.”
There was a small pause.
“…Alright. Take care,” Camila said finally, but the disappointment in her voice was clear.
The call ended.
Without wasting another second, she unlocked her phone again and opened a cab app, her fingers moving quickly across the screen. She glanced back once to make sure she was far enough from the mansion.
She was already a good distance away.
She tapped to book a cab.
Nothing.
No cars nearby.
She frowned slightly, refreshing the screen again, her anxiety creeping back in. “Come on…” she muttered under her breath, tapping again.
Still nothing.
