Elijah’s POVAs I stood at the altar, watching the chaos unfold, my heart pounded in disbelief. The wedding was now marred by ugly confrontation. Morgana, my stepmother, was charging toward Sophia with fury in her eyes. Before I could even process what was happening, her hand connected with Sophia’s cheek in a resounding slap.I lunged forward instinctively, ignoring the stunned silence that enveloped the guests. Julia made no move to stop me. Instead, she went toward her brother Henry who was rushing to her too.From the corner of my eye, I saw them speaking in low voices, their faces tense and upset. Julia looked distraught and I was afraid that she would lose it again and suddenly throw a tantrum. But I need to get to Sophia first. Kayla, ever loyal, was already on her feet, moving to stand by Sophia’s side. I reached them just as Morgana raised her hand again, her face contorted with rage. “Stop it!” I shouted, my voice echoing through the stunned silence. “Sophia didn’t do any
Sophia’s POVI stumbled into my apartment, the door clicking shut behind me with a finality that made my heart ache. My cheek still stung where Morgana had slapped me, and I could feel the heat radiating from the red mark she had left. Tears streamed down my cheeks, but I brushed them away angrily.I’m not going to break down. No. Nevertheless, my insides were trembling, a chaotic mix of disbelief and anger swirling within me. The image of the ruined wedding flashed in my mind, and I couldn't believe it had all come to this.I glanced at the bedroom where Reese was peacefully sleeping. Thank God she hadn't witnessed any of the chaos. I couldn't bear the thought of her seeing me like this, so vulnerable and broken.Kayla immediately wrapped her arms around me as we plopped down on my couch, rubbing my back in soothing circles. “The nerve of that woman,” she fumed, her voice shaking with anger. “Morgana cheated on her husband and kept that huge secret, and yet she had the gall to sla
Sophia’s POVAs I made my way through the hallway of the hospital, I couldn’t help but replay the accident in my head. I felt terribly guilty, but I’m just so glad that Evelyn had finally woken up from her coma. Maybe things are going to look up now. Outside the hospital room, I could hear the hushed voices coming from within. It seemed like everyone was there. It made me slow down. Did I really want to have another stressful encounter with Mr. and Mrs. Baker like last time?But then, I also wanted to show them how much I cared about Evelyn. So I took a deep breath and stepped into the room, my heart pounding with hope and apprehension. I didn’t know what to expect. As I entered, I immediately noticed Mr. and Mrs. Baker watching me with wary eyes. Obviously they didn’t want me there, but they couldn’t speak out because Evelyn was awake and the doctor was there too. Chris, Julia, and Elijah were already there. “Hi, Sophia,” Chris greeted me warmly with a smile. “Hi,” I replied soft
Sophia’s POVI glanced over to see Julia whispering something to Elijah. Her lips moved quickly, her eyes darting around nervously. Then she made her way out of the room, brushing past me without a word. She’s probably meeting her brother Henry, I thought. It was, of course, nothing out of the ordinary. But I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.After a few minutes, I went out too, just wanting to take a breather from the tension in the room. As I stepped out into the hallway, I spotted Julia and Henry a little further down, gesturing animatedly as if they were arguing. Their body language showed clear signs of stress, fear, and anxiety.“What’s going on?” I whispered to myself. I felt an inexplicable urge to follow them discreetly. I kept my distance, trying to blend in with the hospital staff and other visitors milling about. But then my phone rang, the loud ringtone cutting through the quiet hallway like a knife.“Dammit,” I muttered, quickly hiding behind a group o
Henry’s POVI felt my heart sink into my stomach when I realized Sophia had overheard our conversation. My mind raced as I tried to think of a way out of this mess. Sophia’s eyes widened in shock, and she stammered, “I...I was just...”She quickly switched gears, demanding, “What were you doing in the stairwell? What were you talking about just now?”I shot Julia a desperate look. Without missing a beat, Julia screamed and pretended to faint, crumpling to the floor in a dramatic heap. Sophia snapped toward Julia, her expression shifting from surprise to concern.But then, to my disbelief, Sophia turned and rushed away down the hallway.Julia glared at me from her position on the floor. “What are you waiting for? Go after her! She’ll surely go back to Elijah!”I hesitated for a moment, my mind still trying to process what had just happened. But Julia’s urgent tone spurred me into action. I bolted down the hallway after Sophia, my footsteps echoing against the walls.“Sophia, wait!” I c
Elijah’s POVThe fluorescent lights of the hospital corridor flickered above as I hurried after Henry, my heart pounding with worry. Julia had disappeared, and Henry's urgency made me fear the worst. Sophia lagged behind, her footsteps echoing faintly against the linoleum floor. She had mentioned something important she needed to discuss with me, but right now, all my focus was on finding Julia.“Elijah, we need to talk,” Sophia had said earlier, her voice strained with concern. But I knew I had to prioritize Julia. If Henry said she was very stressed and disoriented, she needed immediate help.Henry stopped abruptly, pointing to a vending machine area. “This is where we were talking,” he explained, his voice tinged with guilt. “Julia was crying, and I turned around quickly to grab a drink for her. When I came back, she was gone.”I glanced back at Sophia, who was giving Henry an incredulous look. Her expression was a mixture of disbelief and frustration. Before I could ask what she
Sophia’s POVI couldn't believe this was happening. The air crackled with tension as Julia pointed a trembling finger at me, her eyes ablaze with fury. “You set me up, Sophia! You made Elijah think I was at fault for everything!”Is Julia just so obsessed with Elijah, which is driving her to act like this? Or is this the real Julia whom I didn’t see before?I shook my head, trying to keep my voice steady despite the shock reverberating through me. “That's not true, Julia. You know what’s the real truth. I followed you and Henry here earlier and overheard you talking about your plan to expose Morgana and blame it all on me.”“Hah! What a liar!” she cried out. “You’re the one who’s lying!” I said in frustration and anger. Elijah stood between us, his eyes darting from Julia to me, confusion etched across his features. He obviously didn’t know who to believe. He mumbled something that I didn’t catch as he ran a hand through his hair in frustration.Henry stayed quiet, his face unreadab
Sophia’s POVWhen I was finally left alone, I trudged sadly toward the exit of the hospital. My emotions were a tangled mess—frustration, anger, sadness, and bitterness swirling together until I felt completely drained. I just wanted to go home, to escape from the nightmare that seemed to have no end.Lately, things haven’t been looking up. But what happened today was devastating. It felt like the last straw for me, and I just wanted to break down. As I made my way out, my phone rang in my pocket. I pulled it out and saw Daniel's name on the screen. Hesitating for a moment, I answered. “Hi, Daniel.” I tried to inject some joy into my tone, but it was challenging. “Sophia, how are you?” Daniel's voice was warm, familiar. “I'm sorry I've been out of touch lately. My business is expanding in Europe, and I've been traveling a lot.”“It's alright,” I said, trying to sound cheerful despite my aching heart. “I understand. I know you're always working hard, and I'm happy for you and your bu