Adeline emerged from the bathroom first, gingerly hopping into the office while drying her hands with a napkin she picked from the table before making her way to where her mom stood, lost in thought to notice her footsteps or pay attention to her."Mommy," she murmured, tugging at Sophia's coat. At first, there was no response, so she gave another tug, earning a smile from her always-smiling mother as she finally turned to meet her."What is it, sweetheart?" Sophia inquired, her attention now fully on her daughter. Just as Adeline was about to answer, a quiet rumble emanated from her stomach, causing Sophia to chuckle as she scooped her up and headed to the table."So, what are you two in the mood for?" Sophia asked, handing a napkin to Aiden, who murmured his thanks."Anything," Adeline replied, her legs swinging gently as she settled onto the table, her mother standing before her."Alright, I'll go—" Sophia paused suddenly, her brow furrowing in concern. "I just realized, I forgot t
Just as she had promised, Sophia headed to the room Alex had been moved into, along with Adeline and Aiden who held each other's hands. Sophia glanced around the hallway wondering why there was no one standing outside, although she met a nurse who just stepped out of his room."Where are the patient's family? I think they were here earlier," Sophia asked and glanced around the corridor, but could not find any of them. The couch placed outside for visitors was empty.The nurse halted, "Those who had come to visit left a few minutes ago. And I think they were escorted outside, although one of the women stayed behind; appeared to be his mother," the nurse also noticed there was no one outside, so she added, "She probably went to the washroom across the hallway." Sophia slowly nodded, before the nurse left.None of the guards were there, nor were any of his family members or friends, and his mom wasn't here either—so this was the perfect time for Adeline and Aiden to spend time with Alex
Nearly two days have gone since Alex underwent the surgery, but yet there was no sign of him waking up soon. More than anything, Sophia wanted him to wake up, not because of anything but her kids.They hadn't said anything since the last time they checked on Alex, but she was certain they wanted to say something but were holding back—maybe she shouldn't have yelled at them days back, cause now they weren't expressing themselves to her and it bothered her.It was the weekend, and she had the day off before her shift resumed later, at night. So, rather than busying herself with other things, she decided to spend the day with Aiden and Adeline. Sophia stared deeply at the mirror, her hands gently fiddled with her hair brush. A while later she stepped out of the room and walked downstairs to see Aiden focused on something in his tablet, while Adeline was nowhere to be found."Where's Addie?" she asked as she stepped into the living room. Aiden looked up immediately when he heard her voic
"Serious, are you going out on a date? A blind date?!" he asked slowly after Sophia didn't respond for a while, his tone was softer.Sophia lifted her brows, was it that surprising to him? "Umm...yes?" she responded."Oh," Finn said, before standing straight, but his eyes were on her, yet she could barely deduce what he was thinking."Thought I should tone down a bit. Does it seem that surprising?" Sophia chuckled, Finn simply shook his head, not saying anything; perhaps keeping his words would be better than stating them, so all he did was smile."You look surprised, confused, and..." Sophia trailed off, unsure of what other expression Finn was giving her, and just before she could point it out, he looked away and brushed his hair to the back; with his fingers, smoothly."Surprised 'cause you didn't mention it to me before and I found out this way," he paused, Sophia lifted her brows at him and he cleared his throat, "I'm not trying to pry, but mentioning it to me wouldn't have been
Sophia could feel the beads of sweat forming under her skin, she released a deep breath before returning to where the others were seated, gazing up at her as she approached."Mommy, are you okay?" Aiden asked he was about to stand up and hand her water since he couldn't think of what she might need, at least water helped, but Sophia waved him off with a smile."I'm okay," she said."Sophia," Finn called, with creased brows, but just before he could say anything, Sophia flashed him an honest smile."I'm okay for real, everything is alright, I just need to get to the hospital, now." Walking over to where Aiden sat, she gave him a soft peck on his cheeks, before doing the same to Adeline."I'm so sorry, guys, but I've got to leave. We could make arrangements and do this another day, but it can't be today anymore." She explained.Sophia continued, "Oh, Evelyn, and Beth, not sure how long you both intend to stay—" She wanted to ask if they could stay with the kids for a while, but Evelyn co
"What the heck. What kind of people are these anyway?" Sophia heard Finn utter from behind her, she had almost forgotten that he was here with her—and just like him, she also found those words stupid. She tilted her head to meet his gaze, Finn's tall frame stood protectively beside her, his arms crossed tightly over his chest, betraying his growing frustration. His jaw clenched, and his eyes darted between Sophia and the agitated family, silently observing, it appeared he was ready to intervene if needed.Sophia decided to play calm, internally reminding herself that 'all situations could be solved amicably' just like Adeline always says, and she asked, "What compensation?"The mother and son glanced at each other before he spoke out, "Seven hundred thousand dollars is what we request. Pay that, and we'll leave.""If you refuse to listen to our demands, we'll file a lawsuit and demand for millions instead." His mother added with a threat.Sophia lifted her brows and suddenly chuckled
The corridor was dead drop silent and there was no one walking around the room, nor were the security guards outside. It was completely empty.Pursing her lips, Sophia rubbed her clammy hands and released a deep breath. She reached out for the door handle and pulling it down.Before heading to his room, she was hundred percent certain that her emotions would stay in check. How difficult could it be to just check on the patient and leave? she had done it numerous times, so Alex being the patient this time around shouldn't make any difference, she thought.But as soon as she stepped into the room, a wave of uncertainty consumed her.Sophia stared down at Alex who sat on the bed, completely dressed in the hospital attire and typing something in his laptop, his brows were creased into a frown and she wondered what it is that was getting his shoulders worked up and stiff just few hours after he regained consciousness.It took him time to notice her presence as he had thought it was one of
Alex brushed his fingers through his hair, he closed his eyes and released a deep, long sigh, "Sophia..." he opened his eyes and stared straight at her. "I may not have been a good husband. I may have been the worst one could call a husband for all I did, and for not listening to you." His voice broke with every single word, and she could feel the weight of his regret dripping into the air, "But please... give me a chance to prove to you, and prove to our children that I can be a better father." Sophia swallowed, feeling her eyes grow blurry. Her heart was in tatters. Her mind was in utter chaos. Why couldn't she just hate him completely? why?...why? She looked away from his eyes, unsure of what to say to him. She didn't want to give him any chance. But somehow, she did. She wanted him to prove her wrong. Despite all she had gone through cause of him, she knew there was more to the situation. She knew somewhere small in her heart, that there was more to Alex. Breaking his g
“It’s not as bad as it looks,” Alex said calmly, trying to button up his suit, but the way he shifted his stance gave him away. She realized he was in pain—had been for a while now. Sophia’s eyes flicked back to his arm. “Take off your shirt.” His brows lifted slightly at the demand, but when she stepped closer, giving him a serious look, he sighed and obeyed. He pulled off the suit completely, and as soon as he did, a gasp left her lips, and her worry increased. His fingers went to his buttons, working them open, revealing smooth, taut skin beneath. Or rather, it should have been smooth. Instead, her eyes landed on the bandage wrapped around his lower abdomen. It was stained red, damp with fresh blood. Sophia inhaled sharply. “Alex.” He glanced away, as if not wanting to see the look on her face. “How long have you been bleeding like this?” Alex didn’t answer immediately. In fact, he didn’t know what to say, standing in front of her glare. “Since we got here,” he
After dinner, Adeline had suggested they watch a cartoon, specifically choosing the one she wanted, and somehow, she had ended up falling asleep in Alex's arms because she refused to be parted from him. Aiden had also fallen asleep on the couch, between Sophia and Alex, since they were all sitting on the big couch. Sophia glanced over at Alex and noticed his attention was on the TV. For someone she had never seen watching a movie before, he seemed too interested in the Peppa Pig episode playing. Her gaze dropped to Adeline, who had her head resting on her father’s chest, her hands wrapped around his neck. Sophia’s eyes trailed back to Alex's side profile. She pressed her lips into a thin line as a warm feeling filled her heart. She was happy he had spent time with Aiden and Adeline. Aiden was still finding his way around his father's presence, though. But it was a process, and she was certain he'd eventually come around after a while. Subconsciously, her gaze dropped a litt
Despite Sophia’s earlier refusal, she ended up allowing Alex to drive her home. She couldn't bring herself to say anything after what he had said. The drive to her place remained completely silent, except for the occasional directions she had to give him. Finally, they arrived, and he drove through the gates of her house. The car slowed to a stop in the driveway, and Alex turned off the ignition. Sophia turned to him. “Are you coming in?” Instead of answering directly, he asked, “Shouldn’t I?” Her eyes flicked to his, and she pressed her lips together. A guilty feeling climbed up her throat as she realized how heartless it would be not to let him at least come inside to see Aiden and Adeline. Without another word, she simply picked up her purse and stepped out of the car, making her way toward the entrance. Alex took her silence as a ‘yes.’ As soon as he stepped out of the car, he clicked his tongue, his face twisting in pain. He shifted his suit aside and pressed a hand to
When Alex suggested taking her to meet Patricia, it didn't cross her mind that he meant literally. Not until she realized she was going with him. In his car. She let out a breath, trying hard not to turn her gaze to him. Her eyes peered through the tinted glass. She wondered why she had agreed to this—when did her heart start becoming soft this way? The car slowed down as the traffic light ahead turned red. Sophia exhaled, shifting a little in her seat as her fingers tightened around the strap of her bag. She could feel Alex’s presence beside her. He didn't even seem affected by the silence; one hand was on the steering wheel, his back was calmly rested against the chair, while his eyes remained on the road. Her gaze flickered to him slightly, and it was then she noticed how he was gripping the steering wheel, then loosening his hands around it. The action continued. “If you keep that up, I won't be able to simply ignore the fact that you're sneaking glances at me,” he suddenly sa
Alex was silent as he watched her. He didn’t know what to say—or rather, he did. He just didn’t think saying anything in this moment would make Sophia understand. She stared at him, anger glinting through her usually soft eyes. Sophia let out a dry laugh and took another step back. The more she moved away, the more he felt the distance between them widen. How exactly was he supposed to make her understand that he couldn’t just sit back? He had tried—tried to keep his promise to her. But the moment he heard what was happening in the conference room, he simply couldn’t stay out of it. “I told you not to,” she repeated, perhaps urging him to say something. But he only watched her. After a moment, he let out a deep breath, ran a hand across his face, and admitted softly, “I couldn’t sit back. I need you to understand me, Sophia.” Sophia felt her throat tighten, and she turned silent. Then, shaking her head, she shoved aside any reasoning he might have had, choosing instead to act
A couple of minutes later, Sophia finally stepped out of the conference hall. A deep breath escaped her lips, and she felt lighter than when she had stepped in. She shut the door behind her and looked up. As soon as she did, she was met with the worried gazes of not just Arielle and Finn, but also Beth and Evelyn. Her eyes widened subtly in surprise. When did they arrive? They all stood up from the waiting chairs outside the moment they saw her. She first noticed the ginger hair tightly packed into a bun before her gaze landed on the silky, flowing brown hair. “How did it go?” Finn was the first to ask as he halted in front of her. Evelyn’s soft voice sliced through the silence. “Oh, Sophia,” she said, her voice laced with concern. She stepped closer, and before Sophia could say a word, Evelyn pulled her into a warm, tight hug. Sophia stiffened, then a warmth spread through her chest. She blinked, a frown forming between her brows as she realized her eyes were wet.
Sophia’s patience sizzled; she forced herself to stay put. “If I had waited, her condition could have worsened. I made a judgment call to—” Dr. Anita Ralph, another board member, cut her words. “This isn’t about judgment calls, Dr. Smith. It’s about following the hospital’s protocols, which you did not.” Sophia bit back her frustration. They weren’t listening. They weren't even allowing her to speak. They had already decided the angle they were going to take. “I understand that this is about protocols, but—” She barely got the words out before Sarah cut in loudly, “You’ve never even delivered a baby before! That young mother’s life was in danger in your hands.” Sophia’s head snapped toward her, disbelief flashing across her face. “What?” Sarah averted her gaze, as if in fear that she must have let the contempt she had for Sophia show blatantly. The board members murmured words to each other. Each person had their opinion. While some supported what Sophia did to save t
The Next Day. “One of the security officers helped me to send the footage of that night to this flash drive,” Arielle said as she stepped into Sophia's office, looking fairly frantic. With a small sigh, she added, “This really is our last option. I’ve thought through everything we could do to have this issue die down before the next couple of hours. I couldn't come up with anything.” She finally looked up, and her gaze fell on Sophia, who was staring blankly at a file in her hand. After a moment, she finally looked up from the file and brushed her fingers through her hair as she let the paper slip from her fingers and fall to her office table. All these would have been easily avoided if she had paid attention and made sure Patricia signed the consent form that night. But how could she have paid attention when Patricia’s screams stabbed through her senses and closely reminded her of the time she was in labor too, when she feared she was going to lose her babies? Shaking her
Feeling faint and lost, Sophia stared down at her scrunchie, pulling it slightly and rubbing her fingers against it, her thoughts straying off. Alex's words played in her mind again and again. And each time it did, it sent her back to a pool of memories she thought she had forgotten. A sigh escaped her lips, and she brushed her fingers through her hair. Sophia stopped in front of a hospital room, and when she glanced in through the window, she noticed Patricia wasn't alone; her mother-in-law was present. Her lips pressed into a thin line as she took in the scene. One of the twins was wailing in Patricia’s arms, red-faced and crying, while the other cried just as loudly from the bed. But what irked her was the sight of Patricia’s mother-in-law, who lay sprawled on the couch, sleeping as if she had no care in the world. Sophia clenched and unclenched her fists, swallowing down the frustration that climbed in her throat. It wasn’t that she expected much from the woman, but se