Losing Sophia
Only available here until January 15, 2025. Then available in Kindle Unlimited.
Sometimes the real danger isn’t what you fear—it’s what you never see coming.
Inspired by (whisper whisper - I'll tell you after you finish the book)
Sophia Miles sees her invitation to speak at a prestigious New Orleans conference as a turning point. After months of increasingly threatening messages from Caleb’s volatile ex-girlfriend, Jade, she imagines a fresh start—possibly in New Orleans, though she hasn’t shared that with Caleb yet. In the vibrant city, surrounded by the architecture she loves, Sophia begins to dream of a new chapter with the man she loves.
But someone is watching. Always watching.
When Sophia vanishes after an attempted assault in her hotel room, her mother Anna and sister Clara rush to New Orleans, desperate for answers. Caleb follows, determined to find her. But as the investigation unfolds, the police raise troubling questions: Were Sophia’s fears about Jade real, or a figment of her imagination? Was Sophia running from a genuine threat—or from herself?
Adding to the uncertainty is James Thornton, a colleague Sophia recently met, whose eagerness to help hides layers of ambiguity. Is he a friend, or could he be tied to her disappearance in ways no one expects?
As Anna and Clara peel back the layers of Sophia’s life, they uncover secrets that shatter their understanding of her—and of those around her.
The truth about Sophia’s disappearance will shatter them all.
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Chapter One
SOPHIA
The message flickers onto my phone screen, and the words squeeze around my heart like cold, skeletal fingers.
Wonder what Caleb thinks when learns who you really are.
I force myself to look away, but the knot in my stomach tightens.
Instead, I focus on the musty scent of old paper, a smell I love, as I unfold the fragile blueprint on my desk. I tell myself to focus on the elegant Art Deco lines of the Flatiron Theater. It works. Even through my cotton gloves, I feel a pulse of something from the paper. History maybe. No way it’s anxiety thrumming its way into everything I touch. My finger traces the intricate sketch, but Jade’s words are still there, just under the surface, pulling at the edges.
“Earth to Soph,” a voice cuts through my fog. “You planning on rejoining us in this century?”
I snap my head up, blinking. My colleague, Marcus, is leaning against the doorframe of our cramped shared office, an eyebrow raised, looking both amused and exasperated.
“Sorry, sorry.” I carefully refold the blueprint and give him a grin. “Got lost in the details.”
“You? Never!” he teases. “Remember, we work with current deadlines.”
I laugh, shaking my head, trying to throw off Jade’s lingering presence with it, but she’s crawled deep into my thoughts, casting a net around my mind, squeezing every time I breathe. What will Caleb think when he learns who you really are, Sophia?
The answer is obvious: He already knows who I am. I’m not you, Jade.
Marcus doesn’t know about Jade. He doesn’t need to know how Caleb’s ex has been twisting her way into my life, corrupting my peace. Marcus thinks my biggest problem is balancing work and a private life. I wish that were true.
“Hey, some of us appreciate the finer points of history,” I manage to say, forcing myself back into my comfort zone.
“And some of us appreciate getting home before midnight,” Marcus retorts. “Speaking of which, shouldn’t you be packing for New Orleans?”
The mention of New Orleans is a welcome distraction, and I cling to it like a lifeline. “I’ve got plenty of time,” I say, even as a glance at the clock tells me it’s already past six. Okay, maybe not plenty of time. “I want to finish cataloging these.”
Marcus shakes his head, but he’s smiling. “Always trying to impress. Come on, I’ll help you. Can’t have our rising star up so late she sleeps through her flight.”
We work quietly for a while, recording the delicate documents. Of course, I can’t let go of tonight’s message from Jade. What does she want? What’s her endgame?
I focus on cataloging, on the scholarship that got me this far, onto the panel at the Architectural Heritage Symposium, where I’ll be sitting next to the likes of Dr. Claudia Rasmussen and Professor Jameson. That is what should be consuming me, not some warped mind game orchestrated by Caleb’s unhinged ex.
“You earned this,” Marcus interrupts my thoughts with a wink and a smile. “You worked your ass off, and you’re going to knock ‘em dead. Just don’t get so wound up in the past that you forget to enjoy the present. New Orleans is a hell of a city.”
“You’re right,” I say, repeating it like a mantra. New Orleans. The French Quarter. Architectural tours. Professional recognition... freedom. For a few days, at least.
But as I picture myself strolling the streets of New Orleans, another one of Jade’s messages slips in, sinister and invasive.
Right now you’re Caleb’s perfect Sophia. But perfection cracks, doesn’t it?
I grit my teeth. It’s frustrating how much space Jade is taking up in my head.
“Thanks for helping, Marcus,” I finish packing the last of the blueprints away, but now, even the thrill of escaping to New Orleans is dulled by her presence, by the way she’s made everything about her—and worse, made me doubt who I am.
My phone buzzes again and even though I shouldn’t, I look. Relief floods through me. It’s just a text from Caleb:
Coming home soon? I’ve got a surprise for you before your trip!
I just want to get on the plane.
“Boyfriend?” Marcus asks, spotting my expression.
“Yeah. He’s... got a surprise planned.” I try to sound happy.
Marcus shoos me toward the door. “Go, enjoy the surprise. And try to get some sleep. You’ve got a big week ahead. The ghosts of New Orleans are waiting.”
As I leave the office and step into the humid Atlanta evening, I mute my notifications for the drive home.
She’s wrong. He knows me. He chose me. We’re solid.