The hospital room was silent. Too silent. And as Sophia closed her eyes, calming her nerves to the quietness of the room, she could hear the fast beat of Alex's heart. And with how close they stood, leaning into each other—she could feel his heart beating so fast. Pressing her lips together, she pushed away from him, and took a step back, creating a significant distance between them. She wasn't ready for this, whatever was between them. His gaze burned through her skin, and she was very much aware of it, despite the fact that she wasn't looking at his eyes. Without a word, she created more distance between them, taking a step at a time, before she eventually turned around and reached for the door's handle. Staying here for much longer would do her no good. "Get back to bed. You shouldn't be walking around." She opened the door, ready to step out without another word to him, but she couldn't do that. She couldn't do that to her babies. "The kids have an event in their sch
Sophia arrived at the restaurant five minutes early. She stood outside the place for a moment, before eventually walking in after a while.The moment she entered, her eyes traveled across the expanse of the place.The atmosphere was warm, with golden lights casting a soft glow over the polished wooden tables and deep red leather booths. She glanced around, her gaze sweeping over the guests until she spotted a man at the far end of the room. He was waving subtly, with a relaxed posture and an easy grin that drew her attention.She took it to be Lucas, and walked over to the booth he was sitting, slipping into one of the seats, "Hi," she mumbled, giving him a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.She wasn't certain on how to feel about this setting yet, and she was quite tired after spending her whole day going through a couple of files."You are early," she told him as she placed her bag beside her on the table."I arrived just a couple minutes back," his voice was deep and lo
Sophia stared at Lucas for a while, before she eventually nodded. The air between them settled into a comfortable silence as they both focused on the food before them. Lucas broke the silence when he suddenly asked, "Although, she never mentioned their names," he sounded interested in the topic about her kids, she realized and glanced up at him. "Aiden and Adeline," she told him, and he smiled, his eyes brightened the slightest. "You love kids?" Sophia couldn't help but ask him. Lucas nodded with a smile curving up his lips, "I love kids," the smile on his lips was so warm, and genuine. "Do you have a sibling?" She asked him, taking a small sip from the water on the table before her. Lucas looked up from his plate, "Oh, I do," he answered, "Two younger sisters," he told her, she noticed a subtle flash of hurt glint in his eyes, "Initially, three. I lost one of them last year to an accident," he had a small smile on his face. And she quickly noticed it was a forced smile. Not
Did you try to get in again today?” Sophia asked, pressing the phone between her cheeks and her shoulder as she typed something on her laptop. Her shoulders felt tense, and her eyes were drowsy. Her gaze flicked to the table clock beside her, and a frown curved up her brows when she realized it was already late at 11 P.M., yet she was still awake, despite knowing she had a morning shift the next day, which would start by nine. She couldn’t sleep knowing that her hands were still tied to her back because she had no idea what to do about the issue with Patricia’s husband.It’s been almost a week since Patricia’s husband and mother-in-law barged into their hospital with threats on their lips.At first, she was confident they wouldn’t be able to do anything. She had taken their threats as empty threats only. Because she was confident in the beginning that the moment she got the chance to have a conversation with Patricia, then everything would be alright.But, it’s been days now, and an
Sophia’s eyes fell on the wet towel in his hand; she raised a brow at him and stepped out of his way so he could enter the room and shut the bathroom door close.“What’s that for?” she asked.“It’s a wet towel," he answered, raising it up so she could see it clearly.“I know. But what’s it for?” she asked him softly.Aiden didn't answer her question; rather, he avoided her sharp stare at him. When he didn’t respond immediately, she asked him instead, “First of all, why are you still awake by this time? It’s almost midnight.”He didn't answer, and that made her feel uneasy.Sophia crouched down to his length, kneeling in front of him, “Are you going to answer my questions? Or will you prefer to get punished for staying up late till this time?” She turned him to face her, but instead of looking straight into her eyes, he stared down.“Aiden, what’s wrong?” A frown curved up her brows. He didn’t respond to her until she added, “Please can you talk to me instead of being quiet with me? I’
The next morning, Sophia was woken up by the soft knock on her door. Her eyes fluttered open as the door was slowly opened from outside.A small smile played on her lips when she heard the soft footsteps; from how fast the steps sounded, she knew it was definitely Addie. Because while Addie was always in a rush to get somewhere, Aiden was never in a rush. His footsteps were usually low and not so hard on the floor.The edge of the bed dipped, and she turned around to meet Adeline’s warm eyes on her as she climbed up the bed to meet her.“Good morning, Mommy!” she exclaimed softly as she nestled into Sophia’s arms and pressed a wet kiss on her cheeks. A low laugh rippled through Sophia’s chest, and she pulled Adeline in. “Is this some sort of ruse?” she asked.“Oh no, mommy,” Addie was quick to answer, which only made Sophia laugh. “Then I believe Aiden mentioned it to you already that he told me what happened. And now you feel bad for hiding it, right?” She could already see through
Close to two hours later, they arrived at the hospital. Sophia led them into her office and picked up her white coat from the hanger before wearing it. She turned back to the duo sitting on the couch, “Would you prefer I take you to him myself, or actually... I’ll call Arielle to help me—” before she could complete her sentence, she noticed Aiden and Adeline spare each other a glance, and the latter interrupted her. “Why don’t you just take us there, Mummy?” Adeline’s eyes twinkled, and her lips tipped up into a bright smile. The overly bright attitude caused a frown to curve Sophia's brows. It was suspicious enough. Adeline dropped herself from the couch and pulled her small brown bag, sliding it up her shoulders. “What are we waiting for?” she asked, heading to the door. Aiden spared his sister a look, and then turned to glance at his mom before he dropped from the couch also. Unsure what to say anymore since Adeline had already taken the lead, Sophia just nodded s
Sophia felt her throat tighten as her gaze slid to each and every one of them. She contemplated taking a step back and just leaving, but that wouldn't make any sense. Her gaze fell on Alex, who was staring at her. Alex had a blank expression on his face, and he was reading through a file in his hand, but as soon as he saw the twins and Sophia enter the room, his eyes lit up in surprise, and he kept the files away. Adeline didn't like how quiet the room was; neither did she like the way they were being stared at. She stood on her toes and settled down again before her lips pulled into a big smile. “Hi daddy,” she pursed her lips and turned her attention to her father, whose gaze fell on her; a small smile tipped his lips. Even Aiden was also feeling off with the air in the room. He realized that this wasn't exactly the right time to have come around. “Hi, princess,” Alex greeted Addie back, and her expression immediately lit up; a gummy smile tipped up her lips, and sh
“Oh my God, you did not let him do that to you!” Beth nearly screamed. At the same time, Evelyn squealed softly like a high school teen, “Oh my God! that's so sweet.” They both stopped at their words and spared each other a glance, realizing how much they contrasted each other. “What do you mean by sweet?” Beth asked with a deep scowl on her face. “I should be asking you what you find disapproving about the situation,” Evelyn shook her head, “I promise I really get where your point is, and even more, I understand that your anger for Sophia is justified. But let’s give her a break, a little kiss never hurt anyone.” Beth shook her head and countered almost immediately, “It never hurt anyone, yeah. But can’t you fucking see Sophia is letting him in slowly. Did we really watch her go through pain all those years just so she could easily give in to his kisses on the neck this way?” Sophia groaned, thinking of a way to change the topic. She clutched her head tightly, immensely re
“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