Chapter 2 - The Shadow Over Oakridge
By nightfall, the rain had set in across Chicago, turning the streets into glistening ribbons of dark asphalt. Sophie stood in the lobby of Oakridge Memory Care Facility, shaking the water from her cheap umbrella. The smell of disinfectant and stale flowers filled her nose—a scent she had grown to hate over the past two years.
"Good evening, Sophie," the receptionist said gently, giving her a sympathetic look.
"Hi, Sarah. How is she tonight?"
"She had a rough afternoon. She kept asking for your father. But she calmed down after dinner." Sarah hesitated, her hands hovering over the keyboard. "Sophie... Mr. Henderson from accounting left a note on your file. He said if the balance for this month isn't cleared by Friday, they'll have to transfer Clara to a state-run facility in Rockford."
Sophie felt a cold stone drop into her stomach. Rockford was two hours away. The state facilities were notoriously understaffed, underfunded, and bleak. Her mother would deteriorate in weeks.
"I'm working on it," Sophie lied, forcing a reassuring smile. "I'll have the money."
"Okay, dear. Room 214."
Sophie walked down the quiet, carpeted hallway and gently pushed open the door to Room 214.
Clara Carter sat in an armchair near the window, staring out at the rain. Her graying hair was pulled back neatly, and she wore a soft lavender cardigan. When the door creaked, she turned, her eyes blank for a split second before a spark of recognition illuminated her face.
"Sophie!" Clara smiled, reaching out her thin hands. "My baby. You're late. Did the school bus break down again?"
Sophie swallowed the lump in her throat. Her mother thought she was twelve years old again. "Traffic was bad, Mom," Sophie said softly, taking her mother's cold hands and kissing her cheek. "How are you feeling?"
"I drew a picture for you," Clara said proudly, pointing to a piece of paper on the nightstand. It was a messy crayon drawing of a yellow house with a oversized red sun. "Your father said we can visit the beach this weekend."
Sophie looked at the drawing, tears burning behind her eyelids. Her father had passed away eight years ago. "That sounds wonderful, Mom."
For the next hour, Sophie sat beside her mother, listening to stories from a past that no longer existed, brushing Clara's hair until the older woman fell asleep.
When Sophie finally stepped out of the room, she leaned her head against the cool drywall of the corridor, closing her eyes. She needed four thousand five hundred dollars by Friday. She had ninety-two dollars in her bank account and a final check of three hundred dollars coming from Bell & Finch.
She was drowning.
"Miss Carter?"
Sophie snapped her eyes open. Standing at the end of the hallway was a man in a crisp black suit, wearing an earpiece. Behind him stood two intimidating men in heavy overcoats.
"Who are you?" Sophie asked defensively, taking a step back.
"My name is Marcus," the man said politely, bowing his head slightly. "My employer would like to offer you a ride home. It's pouring outside, and the subways are unsafe at this hour."
"I don't know your employer, and I'm not getting into a car with strangers," Sophie said firmly, reaching into her pocket for her pepper spray.
"You do know him," Marcus replied calmly. He stepped aside, revealing the figure standing near the facility's glass entrance.
Adrian Vale stood under the awning, an umbrella held over his head, watching her with those piercing dark eyes.
Sophie’s jaw set. She marched down the hallway and pushed through the doors, stopping directly in front of him. "Are you stalking me now, Mr. Vale? Is ruining my career not enough entertainment for one day?"
Adrian didn't flinch. "You lost a job at a mediocre restaurant run by a tyrant. I wouldn't call that a career, Miss Carter."
"It paid my bills!" she shouted over the sound of the falling rain. "It kept my mother in this facility! You don't know anything about my life!"
"I know your mother's care costs four thousand five hundred dollars a month," Adrian said quietly. "I know you are behind on your payments. And I know that if you don't pay by Friday, she will be moved to a state hospital in Rockford where she will be forgotten."
May you like
Sophie froze, the blood draining from her face. "How do you know that? Who are you?"
"I am someone who can make all of your problems disappear with a single phone call," Adrian said, stepping closer. "Get in the car, Sophie. Let's talk."