SOPHIA’S POV
I cried until my chest physically hurt.
The tears refused to stop no matter how hard I tried to calm myself down.
My entire body trembled weakly against Bianca while she held near one of the garden benches.
My wolf was hurting badly too. She kept pacing restlessly inside , feeling confused and emotional. One mont she wanted to run back upstairs to Zade, and the next mont she growled angrily at the mory of Tiffany standing beside him. The emotional pull between anger and longing was exhausting both of us.
Bianca gently rubbed my back without rushing .
“It’s okay,” she whispered softly. “Just let it out.”
I shut my eyes tightly.
“I sounded horrible in there,” I said “I know I did.”
Bianca stayed quiet for a mont before sighing softly. “You sounded hurt.”
That simple answer nearly made cry again because it was true.
Everything I said to Zade had co from hurt. Even when I tried sounding cold, my chest had felt like it was splitting apart the entire ti.
“I hate that he affects this much,” I whispered weakly.
Bianca finally pulled back slightly to look at properly. Her expression looked calm and understanding, not judgntal.
“That’s because your feelings for him are real,” she said honestly.
I laughed bitterly while wiping my wet cheeks. “Real feelings are annoying.”
Bianca smiled “Unfortunately.”
For a few seconds, neither of us spoke.
The garden remained peaceful around us. A nurse walked quietly down one of the stone pathways carrying files while a patient sat near the fountain in the distance reading a newspaper.
My wolf slowly settled down a little too but not completely. Still, it was enough for to finally breathe properly again.
Bianca handed a tissue from her purse. “You know, you really scared just now.”
I accepted the tissue “Sorry.”
“You nearly collapsed completely.”
“I’m still weak.”
“You’re stubborn,” Bianca corrected imdiately.
That made smile despite everything.
I blew my nose “You sound like Patricia.”
I leaned back against the bench with exhaustion. My body still felt heavy from the fever. Even sitting upright took effort now that the adrenaline from arguing with Zade had disappeared.
I looked down at my hands quietly. “Do you think I was too harsh?”
Bianca took her ti answering.
“Yes,” she admitted honestly. “But I also think you’re emotionally overwheld right now.”
I sighed deeply.
“That man looks at you like you’re the center of his entire world,” Bianca continued “But whatever happened with Tiffany clearly hurt you deeply.”
“It did”
I clenched the tissue tighter between my fingers. “I know technically he didn’t do anything wrong, but seeing her beside him like that...it felt horrible.”
Bianca nodded.
“You know,” she said softly, “Marcel nearly caused a fight last week because another man hugged too long.”
I blinked before staring at her. “Seriously?”
Bianca burst into laughter imdiately.
“I’m serious,” she said while laughing harder. “He literally glared at the poor man for ten minutes straight.”
That surprised enough to distract from my own emotions briefly.
“Marcel?” I asked in disbelief. “He’s back?”
“Yes,” Bianca said dramatically. “He becos terrifying when jealous.”
I couldn’t help laughing softly.
The image felt strangely unbelievable. He was always the one cheating yet he had the nerve to be jealous.
Bianca smiled. “Trust , Alpha males are all insane.”
That imdiately made think of Zade again. I rembered the way his eyes went dark when I ntioned Damien. The possessiveness in his eyes had been intense.
“So,” I asked quietly, “Marcel is still pursuing you?”
She smiled a little “Unfortunately.”
I stared at her suspiciously. “That smile says otherwise.”
She groaned softly. “He’s persistent.”
“How persistent?”
Bianca sighed dramatically before leaning back against the bench beside . “Flowers every morning. He calls constantly. He sohow knows whenever I skip als.” She looked genuinely confused now. “I don’t even know how he keeps finding out.”
I shook my head “Don’t fall for it, Bianca”
She sighed “I won’t. It’s just....hard”
I took her hand “I know. I’m very proud of you”
She turned to look at “Thank you”
Suddenly, a familiar voice interrupted us.
“Miss Sophia?”
I turned imdiately. It was Franca.
Franca hurried toward us across the garden path with relief written all over her face. She looked slightly out of breath like she had been searching for for a while.
“Franca?” I said in surprise.
She finally reached us. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
I sat up straighter imdiately. “Hey. Is sothing wrong?”
“No, no,” she shook her head. “Actually, I ca to give you good news.”
My heart skipped a beat. “Ashley?”
Franca nodded and smiled. “Her condition improved significantly this afternoon. The doctors moved her out of the ICU an hour ago.”
I felt relief so strongly that I nearly cried again.
“Oh thank the goddess” I said.
My wolf softened imdiately too.
Ashley being stable eased a huge weight inside that I hadn’t even fully realized I was carrying. I had been so consud by my emotional ss with Zade that I kept forgetting how terrified I was about Ashley.
“She woke up briefly too,” Franca continued. “She’s still weak, but she’s responding much better now.”
“That’s amazing,” Bianca said.
I pressed a hand against my chest while trying to steady my breathing. “Can I see her later?”
“Probably tomorrow,” Franca said. “The doctors still want her resting tonight.”
I nodded.
I felt more relieved now. Ashley getting better gave hope I desperately needed right now.
Then suddenly, another familiar scent reached . My wolf instantly recognized it.
Damien.
I looked up and imdiately spotted him walking toward us from the hospital entrance. His eyes found instantly.
“Sophia.” He said.
Bianca glanced between us carefully before quietly standing up. “I’ll give you both a minute.”
I wanted to stop her, but she was already walking away with Franca toward another pathway.
Now, it was just Damien and . The atmosphere imdiately beca awkward.
Damien walked to the bench before stopping in front of . He looked exhausted. His hair was slightly ssy like he had been running his hands through it repeatedly, and he had dark circles under his eyes.
Damien sat beside on the bench. “Sophia... about earlier.”
I stayed silent.
He sighed heavily before rubbing his face tiredly. “I shouldn’t have raised my voice at you.”
The mory of our argunt earlier flashed through my mind again. Back then, his anger had hurt deeply.
Now I mostly just felt emotionally tired.
“I was frustrated,” Damien admitted quietly. “But that doesn’t excuse it.”
I finally looked at him properly.
For the first ti in a long while, Damien genuinely looked vulnerable sitting there beside . His usual calm confidence seed weaker now.
“I was surprised to know you’ve been sick,” he continued softly. “Why didn’t anyone call ?”
I swallowed slowly.
Because another man had stayed beside all night instead. Because another man’s touch comforted more now.
Because my heart had already started leaving Damien long before I admitted it to myself.
“I didn’t think it mattered,” I answered honestly.
“It matters to .”
I looked away again because guilt suddenly crept into my chest.
Damien sighed “I ca to check on you earlier, but you were resting”
“I was.”
He nodded. “You still look pale.”
“I had a fever.”
“You should still be resting upstairs instead of sitting outside in the cold.”
The concern in his tone almost reminded of old tis, back when we still functioned like a normal couple.
But the feeling still wasn’t the sa anymore. My wolf remained emotionally detached.
“Ashley’s room was moved to a private recovery ward.”
I blinked. “Oh.”
“You could move there too,” he offered softly. “It would be more comfortable than staying alone.”
“No.”
He frowned “Sophia-”
“I’m fine where I am.”
“You shouldn’t stay alone after what happened”
Technically... I hadn’t been alone. Zade had been there, watching over and taking care of .
My wolf whined again at the mory.
I quickly forced the feeling away before Damien noticed anything strange in my expression.
“You don’t have to worry about anymore,” I said quietly.
“Sophia...”
I slowly stood up from the bench despite the weakness in my body. The movent made Damien imdiately stand too like he was ready to steady if needed.
But I stepped back before he could touch .
“Our divorce is almost finalized anyway.” I said.
The words sounded cold even to my own ears, but I forced myself to continue.
“There’s no point pretending otherwise anymore.”
Damien stared at silently. The sadness in his eyes was obvious now. But strangely enough... I didn’t care.
Maybe it was because my own heart was already too damaged.
“I never wanted things to end like this,” he admitted quietly.
I swallowed hard. “Neither did I.”
For a mont, neither of us moved.
Damien looked like he wanted to say sothing else, maybe argue, maybe apologize more. But in the end, he stayed silent.
And honestly... so did I. Because there was nothing left to fix anymore.
I gave him one final nod before turning away.
Then without hesitation... I walked away.
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