Chapter 52: Thank You for Bringing This Photo to Me

Chapter 52: Thank You for Bringing This Photo to Me
Sophia had anticipated it would take two days to see a result, but unexpectedly, the group of fugitives had taken the initiative to find her, saving her the trouble.
Sophia remained calm, immediately driving away from the city center, ensuring that her actions would not endanger innocent civilians. Shawn Scott was on the phone, continuously coordinating with her.
There was no time for a meticulous plan; they had to improvise as they went along. The police department had already deployed SWAT teams, which were tracking her movements.
Sophia's task was to buy time!
However, it seemed the opponents had guessed her intentions, accelerating their pursuit. Sophia floored the gas pedal, with several vehicles in hot pursuit.
Soon, she noticed the fuel was running low, her speed gradually decreasing. The chasing vehicles quickly caught up, ramming her car repeatedly, forcing her to stop.
Ignoring the danger, Sophia gripped the steering wheel tightly, determined to persist. It wasn't until she passed a construction site, near an unfinished building, that they fired at her.
Bullets shattered the car window with a "crack," whizzing past her and piercing through the opposite window.
The next shot was aimed at her head.
Sophia finally stopped the car.
She was taken to the abandoned building, where, to incapacitate her, she was beaten like a punching bag, punched and kicked as if to vent their rage.
Such a group assault was a first for Sophia.
But they knew time was of the essence, so they didn't intend to beat her to death. They stopped when she could no longer stand.
Sophia lay on the ground, attempting to struggle to her feet, but she had no strength left.
Throughout the beating, she had managed to avoid vital areas, resulting in more external injuries. She had probably broken a rib, and her internal organs felt as if they had been rearranged, the pain was unbearable.
She had coughed up blood; these inhumane brutes showed no signs of stopping, their actions were utterly heartless.
Seeing she could still move, a man dressed in black with a skull mask approached her, then stomped on her hand, grinding it as if to crush her fingers!
Sophia trembled in pain, but she bit her lip until it bled, refusing to make a sound.
The man crouched down, took out a photograph, compared it to her face, and said, "The woman in this photo is you, right?"
Sophia struggled to lift her head; her vision was blurry, but she could still make out the outline of the woman in the photo—it was indeed her.
But she didn't remember when she had taken such a photo.
"Someone hired us to kill the woman in this photo, and we're on a tight schedule—we must kill you tonight," the man said, aiming his gun at her forehead.
Sophia laughed, "No, you don't want to kill me yet."
"Want to test it?" The man's index finger was already on the trigger.
Sophia stared straight into his eyes, confidently saying, "You still have questions for me; otherwise, you wouldn't waste time."
The man fell silent, and in his moment of hesitation, the police arrived!
Well-trained SWAT officers quickly surrounded the scene, shooting at the armed man. But the man in the skull mask reacted swiftly, taking Sophia as a hostage.
"No one moves, or I'll take her down with me!" The man held Sophia by the neck, the gun pointed at her head, retreating backward.
There was no wall behind them; they were on the fourth floor, and falling from here was not a joke.
Everyone dared not to make a move.
"Who are you, really?" Sophia tried to see the man's face, but the mask fit tightly, and she couldn't see a thing.
"On the brink of death, and you still want to know who I am?" The man's voice carried a hint of ridicule.
Sophia remained calm, "You're mistaken; the one on the brink of death is only you."
"What?"
Sophia held a photo in her hand, which she had picked up from the ground during the chaos. Looking at herself in the photo, Sophia curled her lips into a smile, "Thank you for bringing this photo to me."
Then, to everyone's astonishment, Sophia pushed the man away and leaned back, jumping off the fourth floor!
Sophia's expression was not one of fear or panic but an unprecedented calmness.
This was her first time jumping off a building, and it was different from what she had imagined; she had no time to think. In the face of gravity, she hit the ground in just a few seconds.
But she felt the weightlessness of falling, which was quite terrifying. If she could, Sophia would never jump again.
However, before falling, Sophia saw several SWAT officers apprehend the man. They were indeed quick, worthy of her leap.
There was also a moment when she wasn't sure if she was mistaken, as she thought she saw William?
But before she could look closely, she hit the ground, experiencing the pain Emily must have felt.
Sophia, in a pool of blood, turned her head with difficulty and looked at the photo tightly held in her hand. As life slipped away, she gradually lost strength, and a gust of wind blew the photo from her hand.
Then, in mid-air, it turned to ashes.
Sophia let out a sigh of relief; fortunately, she had won the bet...
————
Sophia felt as if she had passed out, yet seemed not to have. Her consciousness was groggy, and when she opened her eyes, she found herself surrounded by darkness.
Feeling around, Sophia realized she was leaning against a wall, sitting on the floor. Forcing herself to ignore the discomfort, she stood up, supporting her waist and leaning on the wall.
It occurred to her that this was the first time she had traveled back in time with injuries.
It seemed that traveling back could only offset her fatal injuries.
The room was pitch black, probably with the windows completely covered by curtains, not allowing any light in.
Sophia could only grope along the wall, hoping to find a switch, but instead of a switch, she found a bed.
Feeling further into the bed, she discovered someone there; she touched the person's hair!
The moment she made contact, the person woke up!
Before Sophia could react, the individual performed a takedown, grabbing her wrist with one hand and choking her with the other, pushing her roughly against the wall!
Had it been a healthy Sophia, she would have fought back against this "stranger"!
But she had just been beaten and was injured, without the strength to struggle, especially when her back hit the wall, aggravating her other wounds. Sophia groaned and could no longer hold on, fainting again.
As a result, Sophia only uttered a single syllable before the person recognized her voice.
The man's clear and deep voice carried a hint of astonishment, "Sophia?"