SOPHIE THE HEIRESS

A PSYCHOPATH

Sophie gripped the steering wheel as she made her way to the SOperbK headquarters. The sun had barely risen, casting an early morning glow across the road. But in her rearview mirror, she noticed the same black car trailing her at a distance. It had been three days now. At first, she thought it was just a coincidence, but each time she left for work or returned home, the car was there. A sense of unease crept up her spine, but Sophie pushed it aside. Maybe it was just a random person with a similar schedule.

But this morning was different. She couldn't shake the feeling of being watched.

As she arrived at the SOperbK headquarters, she parked her car and glanced around, her eyes scanning the lot. It seemed normal—quiet and empty as usual. Sophie took a deep breath, hoping it was all in her head, then headed toward the building.

But her heart skipped a beat when she saw a man in her peripheral vision, trailing behind her. He was dressed head-to-toe in black—black pants, black cap, black leather jacket—and wearing a mask that covered most of his face. The man walked slowly at first, but as Sophie picked up her pace, he did too. She felt panic tighten her chest.

Keeping her eyes fixed ahead, Sophie tried to appear calm, yet each step felt heavier, her heart racing faster. She spotted her reflection in a car's side mirror and saw him clearly, walking with purpose, his eyes seemingly fixed on her.

In a sudden burst of fear, Sophie broke into a sprint toward the elevators, her heels clicking on the pavement. She heard the man's footsteps quicken behind her, each one echoing in her ears. Sophie reached the elevator and pressed the button frantically, her eyes darting back. The man was closing in. As soon as the doors slid open, she rushed in, mashing the close button repeatedly, willing the doors to shut faster. Finally, with a quiet ding, they sealed, just as the man reached out his hand, barely missing her.

When the elevator began its ascent, Sophie leaned against the wall, trying to catch her breath, her heart still pounding.

As the elevator reached her floor, the doors opened, and she saw Ali waiting in the hallway, holding some documents. Relief washed over her, and before she knew it, she was in his arms, trembling. Ali, taken aback, dropped the papers and wrapped his arms around her.

"Sophie, what happened?" he asked softly, his face etched with concern.

She tightened her grip, pressing her face against his shoulder, feeling the warmth and safety of his presence. "Ali... someone's been following me. I thought it was my imagination, but today... he chased me all the way to the elevator. I was so scared."

Ali held her close, stroking her back soothingly. "It's okay, Sophie. I'm here now. Let's go to your office, alright? We'll figure this out."

Sophie nodded, feeling a sense of calm begin to settle over her. Ali took her hand, guiding her gently down the hallway, his protective presence reassuring her. She stole one last glance over her shoulder, but the hallway was empty.

When they reached her office, Ali locked the door behind them. He pulled her into another comforting embrace, his hand resting protectively on her shoulder.

"Don't worry," he whispered. "We'll get to the bottom of this. No one's going to hurt you."

Shaken but determined, Sophie knew she needed answers. As soon as she and Ali entered her office, she called the SOperbK security team, her voice steady but urgent. "I need the CCTV footage from the parking lot pulled immediately," she instructed, Ali by her side, his gaze fixed and protective. Within minutes, the head of security arrived, clutching a tablet with the footage queued up. Sophie, Ali, and the guard gathered around to watch.

The footage showed her walking from her car towards the building. The masked man was just a few paces behind her, dressed all in black, his face obscured. His pace matched hers, then quickened as she began to run, relentless and intent. They could see the man nearly reach the elevator, his hand just missing the doors as they slid shut with Sophie safely inside.