"Get inside." The man dragged her out of the car and shoved her toward a standalone villa.
There were no other houses around the villa—the nearest neighbor was about a kilometer away.
Stumbling, Sophia was pushed into the villa.
The living room downstairs was filled with menacing-looking thugs, either sitting or standing, each occupied with their own activities. Some were reading newspapers, some were smoking, and others were toying with handguns.
The sight sent a cold sweat down her spine. An ominous feeling rose in her heart, and her eyelids twitched uncontrollably.
If they really intended to silence her, she had zero chance of escape—especially since Zoey was still in their hands.
"The boss is waiting upstairs," someone glanced up and said. "Take her up quickly."
She was pushed again, this time up the stairs.
With each step, Sophia's heart sank further. By the time she reached the top, it had hit rock bottom.
"Welcome, Miss White." Rollins stepped forward with a grin, though the smile didn't reach his cold, menacing eyes. "Did you bring what I asked for?"
"Where's Zoey?" She clutched the photos and negatives tightly. For now, she could only take one step at a time.
He waved a hand.
Immediately, someone dragged Zoey out. "Boss."
Rollins commanded, "Let her go." Then he turned back to Sophia. "Now, can you hand over the items?"
"Sophia!" Zoey, once freed, immediately ran to Sophia. The two women clung to each other.
Sophia hesitated. "If I give you the items, will you let us leave?"
"What if I say no?" Rollins replied coldly.
Sophia's mind raced. "Then I obviously can't give you the photos and negatives."
He shrugged indifferently. "I could just kill you first and take them anyway."
Hiding her fear, Sophia forced herself to stay calm. "I expected you wouldn't let me go easily, so I made another copy and gave it to someone else. If I don't return safely, he'll take it to the police." If he didn't believe her, it would be over.
"I could kill you and then retrieve the other copy." He had to silence her. That night, she must have witnessed the entire transaction—she had to die.
God, she didn't want to die!
She hadn't gotten married yet, she had a man who loved her, and a future full of happiness ahead. She couldn't die like this.
If only she had discussed this with Rocky before acting.
Suddenly, a man rushed upstairs in a panic. "Boss! There are countless fierce dogs gathering outside—they've surrounded the villa!" Fear tinged his voice.
"What's there to be afraid of? Kill them all."
"Yes." The man obeyed and left.
A huge pack of fierce dogs… Sophia remembered the first time Rocky saved her—he had also summoned an astonishing number of fierce dogs. Could it be that he had come to rescue them?
A spark of hope reignited in Sophia's heart, but then her expression dimmed again.
No, that couldn't be. Rocky didn't know about this—how could he possibly know she was here?
Rollins waited for a long moment but heard no further sounds. Something felt off. "You two, go downstairs and check the situation." He dispatched the last two men beside him downstairs.
"Yes." The two obeyed and left.
Five minutes passed, then ten. Downstairs remained eerily silent—not a single sound.
The air was thick with an almost suffocating, sinister atmosphere that unnerved Rollins.
"Damn it!" He gripped his gun tightly and cursed loudly to mask his fear.
Zoey's face was still pale as paper. She tugged lightly at Sophia's hand and whispered, "What's… happening?" Her voice still trembled.
Glancing at Zoey, Sophia shrugged. "I don't know either." Could it be Rocky? She wasn't sure, but Zoey probably couldn't handle any more shocks.
Suddenly, Rollins roared at the top of his lungs, "Where the hell is everyone? Get up here! Reagan? Grant?"
Only silence answered him.
Rollins turned his gaze to Sophia, raising his gun to point at them. "Move to the balcony. Now."
"Understood." Sophia responded, supporting Zoey as they slowly moved toward the balcony.
Once on the balcony, Sophia was immediately stunned by the scene below—then overwhelmed with joy.
The area below was a dark, shifting mass of fierce gray wolves. Pairs of eerie green eyes glowed with an otherworldly aura in the darkness. And standing among them, like a king, was Rocky, tall and imposing against the wind.
Green eyes? Could all those below be werewolves? Sophia was dumbfounded.
Before Zoey could even scream, she went limp and fainted.
Instantly, howls pierced the sky.
"Are you human or demon?" Rollins struggled to suppress the sudden chill rising within him. He could hardly believe what he was seeing—one man and an overwhelming number of fierce wolves gathered below the balcony, their sinister green eyes filling him with panic. He raised his gun and aimed at Sophia. "Take your dogs and leave now, or I'll kill this wo—" Before he could finish, a dark shadow pounced from behind him, and the two instantly tangled together.
Rocky swiftly scaled the wall and arrived in front of Sophia. He glanced at her briefly without saying a word.
Sophia hung her head guiltily, lacking the courage to meet his gaze. He must be furious!
Within moments, the gray-black wolf had pinned Rollins down, its sharp teeth pressed against his carotid artery.
"D-don't kill me." He could feel the sharp fangs slightly piercing his neck—a warm trickle ran down. Blood, probably! The fear inside him burst through the limits of what he could endure.
"So you can be scared too," Rocky said, meeting Rollins' frantic, terrified gaze. "Actually, she didn't see anything that night. The photo only captured you handing over a black briefcase." Rocky revealed the truth that made Rollins want to vomit blood. "If you had backed off then, you could've continued being the gang leader in peace. But one wrong step led to another, and now you've lost everything." Rocky didn't go looking for trouble, but if someone brought it to him, he would repay it twofold.
After saying his piece, he took Sophia's hand and headed for the stairs. "Let's go."
"Wait, Zoey is still on the balcony." She stopped, intending to turn back.
He held her firmly. "Someone will take her home."
"But…" She hesitated.
"You still owe me an explanation." His tone was flat, giving nothing away.
Hearing this, Sophia's shoulders slumped. Feeling guilty, she obediently followed him back.