•Night Angel•

CHAPTER IV - THE AFTERMATH

She didn't know how long she stood looking out of the window in her room. It couldn't have been more than just a couple of minutes. Once she was out of her trance, she heard Juliette's voice coming from the stairs.

-Sophie! Sophie! Où es-tu? - (Sophie! Sophie! Where are you?) - Sophia ran to the secret room and hid again just as she heard Juliette approaching the door.

Juliette entered the room and saw nothing unusual. "Peut-être que ces hommes ne sont pas venus ici (Maybe those men didn't come in here)" She thought while she saw the room and it was as if nothing had happened. She made her way to the secret door and slowly opened, revealing Sophia bundled up in the corner of the room.

-Oh mon Dieu, tu vas bien. Oh mon Dieu, merci. (Oh my God, you are okay. Oh my God, thank you) - Juliette could not hold her tears as she held Sophia in her arms. When she was knocked out unconscious, she had no idea if Sophia was going to be okay, or if she was already in danger, if someone had managed to grab her and take her, nothing.

-Sophie, qu'est-il arrivé à ta joue? (Sophie, what happened to your cheek?) - Sophia had forgotten about the fact that the slap that Monti gave her might be visible by now with a red mark (or even a bruise) so she couldn't lie and say she stood all the time in her hiding spot, because the mark wouldn't make sense.

-Si je vous le dis, vous promettez de ne pas vous fâcher? (If I tell you, you promise not to get angry? - Sophia asked Juliette

-Je promets (I promise) - Juliette said while checking Sophia for more injuries.

-Après votre départ, il y a eu un moment de silence. Je pensais que tout le monde était parti, alors je suis sorti de la cachette (After you left, there was a moment of silence. I thought everyone left, so I came out of the hiding spot) -Sophia started telling the story slowly, while Juliette paid close attention to what the girl said.

-J'ai ouvert la porte et descendu les escaliers. Puis je suis allé dans la cuisine et je t'ai vu par terre (I opened the door and went down the stairs. Then I went to the kitchen and I saw you on the floor) - Sophia looked at Juliette in the eyes - J'ai essayé de te réveiller, mais tu ne l'as pas fait alors j'ai commencé à demander de l'aide, quand un homme est venu et m'a frappé pour me faire taire (I tried to wake you up, but you didn't so I started asking for help, when then a man came and hit me to shut me up)

Juliette was feeling a mixture of sadness, anger and guilt at what had happened. She thought that maybe if she was awake at that moment, she could've prevented Sophia from getting hurt. She didn't have to feel like that, there was nothing she could've done to avoid what happened.

-Il s'est agenouillé à côté de vous pour voir que vous étiez toujours inconscient, alors j'ai couru jusqu'au passage secret qui mène à ma chambre puis je me suis tenu dans la porte secrète jusqu'à ce que vous veniez (He kneeled beside you to see you were still unconscious, so I ran all the way to the secret passage that goes to my room and then I stood in the secret door until you came) - Sophia knew that this was not how things happened.

She knew that she was lying (for most part, at least). But for some odd reason she felt like she couldn't tell what had happened to Juliette. Or anyone for that matter. No one can find out. But eventually, someone found out.

Juliette just nodded with her head and pulled Sophia in for another hug - C'est bon, ne t'inquiète pas. Nous sommes en sécurité maintenant. J'ai déjà appelé la police, ils sont en route. (It's okay, don't worry. We are safe now. I already called the police, they're on their way) - Juliette said while rubbing soothing circles in Sophie's back.