SOPHIA’S POV
My head throbbed heavily and my abdon still hurt from the miscarriage and the surgery.
Even my wolf felt weak inside . She curled painfully in the corner of my mind, restless and wounded. She kept letting out soft whimpers that made my chest ache even more.
I opened my eyes and imdiately froze.
Zade was sitting beside my hospital bed.
For a mont, I thought I was still dreaming. His head rested against the edge of the mattress with one hand loosely holding mine even while asleep. His black shirt was wrinkled badly, and his usually neat hair looked ssy like he hadn’t rested all night.
But that wasn’t what shocked most.
There were visible red slap marks on his face. His jaw looked bruised too, and there were small scratches near his knuckles.
My wolf stirred weakly inside at the sight of him. She seed confused, almost emotional, and I hated that I felt the sa way.
Had he fought soone?
Slowly, I tried pulling my hand away, but the movent woke him instantly.
Zade’s eyes opened imdiately.
The mont he saw awake, he looked relieved.
He sat upright at once. His eyes scanned my face nervously like he was checking whether I was still in pain.
“You’re awake,” he said hoarsely. His voice sounded rough and exhausted.
“What happened to your face?” I asked.
The mont I asked, his expression changed slightly.
He forced a small smile. “Nothing.”
I frowned “Zade.”
For a few seconds, he stayed silent. Then suddenly, he lowered his head slightly and laughed bitterly under his breath.
“I deserved it,” he said quietly.
I was confused.
“What are you talking about?”
“I slapped myself.”
I froze completely.
“What?” I whispered.
“I couldn’t stop thinking about how you looked last night.” His voice beca lower with guilt. “you were covered in bruises, bleeding, crying alone in this hospital while I knew nothing.”
Zade leaned closer.
“I kept thinking that if I had protected you better...if I had stayed by your side...” His voice cracked “None of this would’ve happened.”
I stared at him speechlessly.
The powerful, arrogant man I knew suddenly looked completely broken sitting beside my bed.
“I should’ve noticed earlier,” he continued. “I should’ve realized sothing was wrong before things got this bad. Instead, I let you suffer alone.”
For days now, everyone had either blad , hated , or ignored my suffering completely. Nobody cared whether I was scared. Nobody cared whether I was hurting.
But this man beside ...he looked more heartbroken than I felt.
“Stop talking nonsense,” I muttered weakly.
Zade suddenly grabbed my hand more firmly.
“No,” he said quietly. “I won’t. When I saw your injuries last night, Sophia...” He swallowed hard “I almost lost control.”
The room suddenly felt too quiet. My heartbeat slowly beca uneven.
Zade lowered his head briefly before continuing.
“I found Jessie.”
My eyes widened in shock. I knew Zade must have done sothing stupid.
“What did you do?” I asked.
His eyes turned dark “I made him talk. He admitted Declan ordered him to hurt you.”
My wolf growled weakly inside at Declan’s na.
Pain and fear imdiately returned to my chest. I could still rember Jessie kicking while I lay helpless. I could still rember Declan watching coldly while it happened.
My fingers started trembling. Zade imdiately noticed.
His entire expression softened instantly.
“Hey,” he said gently. “You don’t need to be afraid anymore.”
The warmth in his voice nearly broke sothing inside again.
I quickly looked away before he could see the tears building in my eyes.
But he still noticed. He always noticed.
Zade suddenly stood up from the chair and sat beside on the bed instead. He gently pulled against his chest without hurting my injuries.
And this ti... I didn’t push him away. My wolf slowly relaxed for the first ti in days.
“You’re safe with ,” he whispered softly.
My eyes slowly closed from exhaustion. I allowed myself to lean against him weakly.
I hated how comforting it felt. I hated how badly I needed comfort right now.
I slowly pulled away from him and leaned back against the pillow tiredly.
Zade looked at . His eyes were filled with emotions I could barely handle right now.
Then suddenly, the hospital room door slamd open.
My entire body stiffened imdiately.
Helen walked inside.
The atmosphere instantly beca suffocating.
My eyes went wide in shock when I saw her. My heart started racing.
Her eyes landed directly on , filled with disgust and hatred. She was carrying a food container in one hand, dressed elegantly as always.
“So you’re finally awake.” She sneered.
My wolf instantly beca alert and defensive inside . Fear spread through my chest imdiately.
Helen walked toward the bed.
“I brought porridge,” she said mockingly. “Even stray dogs deserve food after causing this much trouble.”
I stayed silent. My hands slowly tightened under the blanket.
Helen looked up and down with contempt.
“You really are shaless,” she spat coldly. “You lost the Stone’s family’s child and still dare to lie here acting pitiful.”
Pain stabbed through my chest again at the ntion of the baby.
“Do you know how much damage you caused this family?” she snapped. “Dahlia is suffering because of you. Damien is suffering because of you. Everything bad started the mont you entered our lives.”
My wolf whimpered painfully inside .
Helen suddenly placed the porridge container down roughly then leaned closer to .
“I’ll make sure Damien divorces you completely,” she hissed. “You’ll leave this family with absolutely nothing.”
My breathing beca shaky. She looked terrifying standing over like that.
Then suddenly, Helen raised her hand again.
I flinched but before her hand could touch , a cold voice suddenly filled the room.
“Touch her.”
Helen’s expression changed imdiately. Slowly, Zade stepped out from the corner he stood in.
His presence alone completely changed the room’s atmosphere. The Alpha aura rolling off him instantly beca suffocating.
Helen’s raised hand slowly lowered. She looked shocked.
“Zade?” she said stiffly.
He walked toward the bed calmly, but his eyes looked terrifyingly cold.
Then, he sat beside and wrapped one arm possessively around my shoulders.
Helen looked completely stunned.
Zade’s voice turned icy “She’s my woman.”
My heartbeat stopped for a second.
Helen stared at him in disbelief.
“What nonsense are you saying?” she snapped.
Zade looked at her with dark eyes.
“I’m saying,” he replied coldly, “that neither you nor the Stone family has the right to threaten her anymore.”
The pressure in the room beca terrifying.
Helen’s face turned ugly with anger “She’s still Damien’s wife!”
Zade’s eyes got even darker. “Not for long.”
My heart started pounding unevenly.
Helen looked furious now, but there was also fear hidden in her expression.
Everyone knew who Zade’s family was and everyone feared him.
His wolf aura filled the hospital room so heavily that even I struggled to breathe properly.
“You Stone family people really disgust ,” Zade said coldly. “A sick woman lying in a hospital bed after losing her child, and you still co here to bully her?”
Zade suddenly stood up. The dangerous pressure imdiately intensified.
“If you ever touch her again,” he said quietly, “I promise the consequences won’t be sothing your family can handle.”
For the first ti, Helen looked intimidated. She clenched her jaw tightly then glared at hatefully.
“This isn’t over,” she snapped.
Then she grabbed her bag angrily and stord out of the hospital room.
The mont the door slamd shut behind her, I finally released the breath I had been holding.
My body shook from the tension.
Zade sat beside again. His expression softened instantly when he looked at .
“You okay?” he asked quietly.
I nodded weakly.
But honestly... I wasn’t okay at all.
Zade glanced coldly toward the untouched porridge Helen left behind.
“Throw that away,” he muttered.
He pulled out his phone calmly and made a call.
“Bring breakfast from Imperial Garden,” he ordered soone coldly. “Everything fresh.”
I blinked in shock. Imperial Garden was one of the most expensive restaurants in the city.
Less than forty minutes later, several people arrived carrying luxurious food boxes and trays into the room.
The entire hospital room imdiately filled with the scent of fresh soup, pastries, fruits, and expensive dishes.
I stared at the food in awe.
Zade calmly opened everything one by one then looked at .
“Eat.”
I swallowed “I’m not hungry.”
“Yes, you are.”
Before I could argue, he picked up a spoon and held it toward my lips.
My chest tightened strangely again.
Slowly, I accepted the food.
Zade fed patiently the entire ti without the slightest irritation. He even carefully wiped the corner of my lips when I accidentally spilled so soup.
Nobody had taken care of this gently in a very long ti.
Zade suddenly placed the spoon down and looked at seriously.
“Sophia.” His dark eyes locked onto mine completely. “Be with .”
I froze instantly. It felt like my heart stopped.
The room suddenly beca too quiet.
“I’m serious,” he continued quietly. “Let protect you properly.”
My fingers tightened around the blanket again.
“I can’t,” I whispered weakly.
“Why?”
My throat tightened painfully.
“Because everything is already a ss.” I whispered.
Zade leaned closer, looking at in my eyes.
“Then let clean up the ss with you.”
My heart shook inside . My wolf stirred weakly inside too.
I looked away “I’m still married.”
“You’re divorcing him.”
My chest hurt again.
Zade’s voice beca softer this ti.
“You don’t need to answer imdiately.” He carefully touched my bruised hand. “But don’t push away anymore.”
I stayed silent.
Because the terrifying thing was...for the first ti, I didn’t want to refuse him completely.
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