SOPHIA’S POV

My head throbbed heavily and my abdomen still hurt from the miscarriage and the surgery.

Even my wolf felt weak inside me. 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 immediately froze.

Zade was sitting beside my hospital bed.

For a moment, 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 messy like he hadn’t rested all night.

But that wasn’t what shocked me 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 me at the sight of him. She seemed confused, almost emotional, and I hated that I felt the same way.

Had he fought someone?

Slowly, I tried pulling my hand away, but the movement woke him instantly.

Zade’s eyes opened immediately.

The moment he saw me 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 moment 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 became 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 something was wrong before things got this bad. Instead, I let you suffer alone.”

For days now, everyone had either blamed me, hated me, or ignored my suffering completely. Nobody cared whether I was scared. Nobody cared whether I was hurting.

But this man beside me...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 became uneven.

Zade lowered his head briefly before continuing.

“I found Jessie.”

My eyes widened in shock. I knew Zade must have done something 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 me at Declan’s name.

Pain and fear immediately returned to my chest. I could still remember Jessie kicking me while I lay helpless. I could still remember Declan watching coldly while it happened.

My fingers started trembling. Zade immediately 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 something inside me 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 me on the bed instead. He gently pulled me against his chest without hurting my injuries.

And this time... I didn’t push him away. My wolf slowly relaxed for the first time in days.

“You’re safe with me,” 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 me. His eyes were filled with emotions I could barely handle right now.

Then suddenly, the hospital room door slammed open.

My entire body stiffened immediately.

Helen walked inside.

The atmosphere instantly became suffocating.

My eyes went wide in shock when I saw her. My heart started racing.

Her eyes landed directly on me, 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 became alert and defensive inside me. Fear spread through my chest immediately.

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 me up and down with contempt.

“You really are shameless,” 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 mention 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 moment you entered our lives.”

My wolf whimpered painfully inside me.

Helen suddenly placed the porridge container down roughly then leaned closer to me.

“I’ll make sure Damien divorces you completely,” she hissed. “You’ll leave this family with absolutely nothing.”

My breathing became shaky. She looked terrifying standing over me like that.

Then suddenly, Helen raised her hand again.

I flinched but before her hand could touch me, a cold voice suddenly filled the room.

“Touch her.”

Helen’s expression changed immediately. 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 became 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 me 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 became 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 me,” Zade said coldly. “A sick woman lying in a hospital bed after losing her child, and you still come here to bully her?”

Zade suddenly stood up. The dangerous pressure immediately intensified.

“If you ever touch her again,” he said quietly, “I promise the consequences won’t be something your family can handle.”

For the first time, Helen looked intimidated. She clenched her jaw tightly then glared at me hatefully.

“This isn’t over,” she snapped.

Then she grabbed her bag angrily and stormed out of the hospital room.

The moment the door slammed shut behind her, I finally released the breath I had been holding.

My body shook from the tension.

Zade sat beside me again. His expression softened instantly when he looked at me.

“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 someone 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 immediately 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 me.

“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 me patiently the entire time without the slightest irritation. He even carefully wiped the corner of my lips when I accidentally spilled some soup.

Nobody had taken care of me this gently in a very long time.

Zade suddenly placed the spoon down and looked at me seriously.

“Sophia.” His dark eyes locked onto mine completely. “Be with me.”

I froze instantly. It felt like my heart stopped.

The room suddenly became too quiet.

“I’m serious,” he continued quietly. “Let me 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 mess.” I whispered.

Zade leaned closer, looking at me in my eyes.

“Then let me clean up the mess with you.”

My heart shook inside me. My wolf stirred weakly inside me too.

I looked away “I’m still married.”

“You’re divorcing him.”

My chest hurt again.

Zade’s voice became softer this time.

“You don’t need to answer immediately.” He carefully touched my bruised hand. “But don’t push me away anymore.”

I stayed silent.

Because the terrifying thing was...for the first time, I didn’t want to refuse him completely.