Sophia’s POVI woke up to an unfamiliar ceiling, my head throbbing as if someone had taken a hammer to it. Blinking against the morning light filtering through the window, I tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness forced me back down.“Easy there,” a deep voice said from across the room. Startled, I turned my head to see a tall, broad-shouldered man standing in the doorway. His concerned eyes met mine as he approached cautiously.“Where am I?” I croaked, my voice hoarse.“You’re in my home,” he replied, pulling a chair next to the bed and sitting down. “I’m Adrian. I found you fainted on the beach a few days ago. Took you to the hospital.”The fog in my mind began to clear, but the pounding in my head made it difficult to focus. “What happened to me?”“The doctors said you were attacked,” Adrian explained gently. “You were hit on the back of the head. Luckily, it wasn’t too severe, but it did put you in a temporary coma.”I reached up to touch the tender spot on my head, wincing as I
Sophia’s POVAdrian snatched the business card out of my hand, his expression skeptical. It was clear he didn't believe a word I said about knowing the owner of Raven Media.“You should think about how to get in touch with your family and friends,” he said, his tone flat. “Our family won't take in a strange woman for too long.”I opened my mouth to protest, to explain again that my connection to Raven Media could help him. But then I realized that this could be my way out of here, to reconnect with the people in my life and tell them what had happened to me. They must be worried sick! And what about Reese? I must find her!Suddenly, the man’s sister burst into the room before I could get a word out. Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she rushed over to us. “You know important people from Raven Media?” she said eagerly, practically bouncing on her feet. “Then you have to hear Adrian sing his original song!”“What?” Adrian asked, looking startled. “Come on, let her hear it,” the sis
Sophia’s POV“We were so worried about you, Sophia!” Kayla exclaimed. “How are you feeling now?”“I’m good,” I answered with a little smile, taking my eyes off Elijah. “I was fortunate enough to have been found by good people.” I quickly explained how Adrian brought me to the hospital for a checkup and how he and his sister Amanda had taken care of me while I recuperated. Kayla smiled at them. But then, I moved forward and clutched her hand. “But what happened to Reese? I’ve been desperate to find out, to get out of here and resume my search for her…”The fear for my daughter surged through me like a tidal wave, overpowering the pain.Elijah stepped forward then, his face serious but calm. “Reese is safe. We found that same day when you disappeared. She doesn’t seem to remember much about what happened, which is a good thing. She's not traumatized at all because she isn’t aware that a kidnapping happened.”“She’s been asking about you, though,” Kayla said. Now that I looked at her c
Sophia’s POV“Oh, we’re really sorry, Adrian,” Kayla suddenly said. “But I remember your sister Amanda mentioning your talent!” Adrian’s expression changed. Kayla had hit the mark, and disrupted the growing tension between Adrian and Elijah. Well done! But I can’t believe I’d forgotten about that. “Isn’t that the main reason she asked me to come here?” Kayla continued. “She spoke highly of your talent. So do you still want to audition to become a new talent at our company?”Adrian looked taken aback, his eyes widening in surprise. “Audition? At Raven Media?” he repeated. He suddenly began looking uncertain and nervous.I felt like I needed to jump in at that moment. “Oh, that’s right, Kayla! I’ve already heard him sing and play the guitar, and he’s really good. You should hear him too.”“Well, we’re always on the lookout for fresh talent,” Kayla said with a kind smile. “I can have your audition scheduled immediately.”Elijah, standing nearby, grunted softly, his disapproval palpable
Sophia’s POVI could feel the color getting drained from my face. “Why is she calling you that?” I hissed. Kayla’s eyes widened as she took the phone from me and began chatting with Reese to distract her. Elijah glanced at me as he continued to drive. He was quiet for a while. “Sophia, I…” He was hesitant for a while, making my heart race even more. “I’ve already told Reese that I’m her father.”My mouth dropped open. “You what?” I whispered, barely hearing my own voice. I remembered that I hadn’t even divulged it directly to him yet. “How did you… I mean, why…” I paused, taking a few deep breaths. For a while, I considered denying it again. “Sophia, I’m her father, am I not?” Elijah said with emphasis. “It’s the truth, and I’ve always felt it in my heart ever since I met her.”I gulped, feeling tears rising up in my eyes. My heart was swept up in a storm of emotions. But I reminded myself that this wasn’t about me. It’s my daughter and her feelings that count the most. It’s the r
Sophia’s POVIt felt good to finally be back in my office and to be working on a new design project. The room was quiet, save for the soft hum of my computer. I loved this part of the process, where creativity flowed freely, and the outside world faded away.As I was sketching out ideas, a knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. I looked up to see Julia standing there with a look of concern on her face.“Hey, Sophia,” Julia began, stepping into the room. “I heard from Elijah about what happened. Are you okay?”I forced a smile, though my heart tightened at the mention of Elijah. “I'm fine, Julia. Really. Just trying to get this project done.”Julia nodded, but I could tell that she didn’t plan on going away soon. She glanced at my sketches, then back at me. “I know you're busy, but I was wondering if I could study with you. I know I'm not as good a designer as you, which is why Chris chose you for this project. I really want to learn more from you so I can improve faster.”Her sin
Sophia’s POVI froze, my heart pounding in my chest, as Daniel's words sank in. “I've liked you since high school,” he confessed, his voice filled with sincerity. “Back then, I thought you were too focused on your studies to pay attention to me. And I guess I was too… afraid to approach you.”High school felt like a lifetime ago. I had been so engrossed in my academic pursuits that I hadn't paid much attention to anything else. Certainly not to Daniel, who had apparently been quietly looking out for me all along. I did vaguely remember some encounters we had then, but we never even became close friends during that time. “Even in college, though I was studying abroad, I still kept checking your social media,” he admitted. “And asking some people about you.”“Oh,” was all I could say at the moment. This was indeed a revelation. “I was sad when I found out you were married,” Daniel continued, his eyes searching mine. “But it was even harder to learn that you were unhappy. I was very ha
Elijah’s POVI walked into the police station, the familiar scent of disinfectant hitting me as I approached the front desk. Serena had asked to see me urgently, something about having important information. I found her in a small interrogation room that they used for visiting prisoners, looking nothing like her usual self. Her hair was disheveled, dark circles marred her eyes, and she seemed to have aged overnight. Nevertheless, I didn’t feel an ounce of pity for her. “What's going on, Serena?” I asked as I sat down across from her, not wanting to beat around the bush. “Why did you want to talk to me?”She glanced up, her expression weary. “I need to tell you something, Elijah. Something important.”“What is it?” I asked straightaway, trying to gauge if she was telling the truth. “I'm not the one behind everything,” she said quietly. I frowned, taken aback. “What do you mean? You've done so many terrible things, Serena. Are you trying to pass the blame onto someone else now? And w