Chapter 0015 William’s POV : The day I grew to hate Thomas West was the same day I started dating Caroline . Roughly two years prior to our divorce , I was on my way to meet Sophia at a coffee shop we both frequented . It was a pleasure we partook in weekly after we became friends . We tended to talk about a variety of things , whether it be our day , things going on with our families , or hobbies we enjoyed , like photography . Sophia was a skilled photographer , something she demonstrated for me often . Her talent was what had gotten us acquainted in the first place , in fact . Photography had been a rather large passion of mine when I was younger , but I had to quit my dream of going professional after I had to take over the family business . Sophia had reignited my passion for the craft , and we discussed it often over I had been single at the time , but if I were to ever take someone as my girlfriend , Sophia would have been a perfect match for me . What I felt for Sophia was not love , however . We were just friends , and that it was something we both treasured . All this is to say that Sophia was near and dear to my heart , so I was startled when I strolled over to the coffee shop and found her on her knees before a man . Wait , was she begging ? The man in question had auburn hair with a streak of gray and was wearing a suit . It was Tom West , the father of Caroline , another friend of mine . They talked intensely about something that I could barely make out . Before I could reach them , Tom ended the conversation with some stern final words . Entering his luxury car , he quickly sped off , leaving Sophia in the dust and on her knees . Sophia was still silently kneeling on the ground by the time I made my way over to her . Her expression was unreadable , barely able to even look at me as I asked her if she was okay . She took my offered hand and allowed me to bring her out of the hot sun . “ What was that ? ” I inquired , my voice laced with concern . “ Why were you kneeling in front of him like that ? ” Sophia looked at me oddly , mustering up a smile . “ Nothing happened , ” she replied with a strained and wavering voice . “ It’s nothing you need to concern yourself with . A deep frown etched itself into my face , and I wasn’t sure if I really believed her . She was my friend , and I wanted to take her words at face value , but I couldn’t tell if she was being honest with me . After buying us both coffees , I allowed us to relax in silence before I tried again . “ Are you sure everything’s okay ? ” Sophia had been a good friend to me over the years , and so I couldn’t help but be concerned for her . What really happened between her and Thomas +25 BOHUS eluded me , but it didn’t look good . “ I’m sure , Willlain , ” she assured me , focusing on her coffee . “ Please , don’t worry about It . I acquiesced and dropped the subject , but before I did , I left her these words : “ Sophia , just know that no matter what , I’ll be there for you . If you’re in trouble , just tell me and I’ll do all that I can to help you . She smiled so sweetly at me , and I swore I felt my heart flutter just looking at her soft face . “ Thank you , William , ” she whispered , her voice quiet and so gentle . “ I’ll let you know if I need your help . With that final reassurance , the subject was dolled . We went on back to discussing photography and some of the most recent pictures she had taken of some nearby -architecture . Other than that odd occurance with Thomas , the day had passed by normally . After the day passed and Sophia went back to her normal self , I forgot about the entire incident for several months . She had assured me repeatedly that she was fine , and I believed her . So , when she failed to show up for coffee one day , the incident didn’t even occur to me . After growing worried about my friend , I messaged Sophia to find out why she hadn’t shown up , but I got nothing in response . Calls , texts , emails ; all were met with silence . I even ventured to her home at one point , but no one lived there anymore For a week straight , all my attempts to reach her went unanswered . It seemed she had just vanished into thin air . It left me distraught and I feared that something bad might have happened to her . Then , one day , Sophia sent me a text message . I felt my heart leap in my chest and I rushed to open it , hoping for an explanation and an assurance that she was okay . ‘ I’m sorry , William . Someone had threatened me and forced me to leave the city . I’m afraid I won’t be able to see you again . I was flooded with alarm . Someone had threatened her ? Who ? Why would they want someone as kind and sweet as Sophia to leave the city ? Confused and panicked , I quickly sent her a text back . ‘ Sophia , what do you mean ? Are you in danger ? Do you need help ? ‘ There was a moment of no reply before I got a text that simply read : ‘ I’m sorry . For what it’s worth , I think I might have been in love with you . Please , find someone who will love you just as much as I do . ‘ Love you , Sophia .