SOPHIA’S POV

The hospital called requesting emergency assistance and I accepted immediately.

Work felt easier than emotions lately.

At least inside the operating room, problems had clear solutions.

But emotional wounds? Those just kept bleeding quietly forever.

The emergency shift lasted nearly eight exhausting hours. By evening, my entire body ached from standing too long.

By the time my shift finally ended, it was almost four a.m.

I sat inside the empty staff lounge, rubbing my tired eyes. My body felt weak again from overworking.

Just then, my phone vibrated across the table.

Grandpa George was calling,

I answered quickly. “Grandpa?”

“Sophia!” His voice sounded relieved. “Good, you answered.”

“Is everything alright?”

“Damien is drunk again.”

I blinked in surprise. Again?

“He left after dinner saying he had business meetings,” Grandpa continued “Now someone from a restaurant called saying he can barely stand properly.”

For some reason, hearing Damien was drunk made me feel unsettled. Damien rarely lost control publicly.

“He won’t answer me,” Grandpa grumbled. “Can you go pick him up?”

I hesitated. My wolf became restless. She didn’t want to and neither did I. But Grandpa sounded genuinely worried right now.

To him, Damien and I were still married. If I didn’t go, it would seem weird.

“Alright,” I said. “Send me the address.”

Grandpa sounded relieved. “Thank you so much.”

After ending the call, I stood up and sighed.

I was too exhausted for this tonight, far too exhausted.

-

The restaurant turned out to be a private lounge near downtown.

The second I stepped inside, loud music and expensive perfume filled the air.

My wolf instantly disliked the environment. It was too loud and too crowded.

I walked deeper into the lounge while scanning the room for Damien.

Suddenly, I froze completely.

Damien sat inside one of the private corner booths with Tiffany close to him. The table in front of him had lots of empty alcohol bottles.

My chest tightened at the sight of them. They looked so....intimate.

Damien leaned toward Tiffany while she held his arm. His tie hung loose around his collar while his eyes looked unfocused from alcohol.

Damien looked drunk, very drunk. Still, he was completely fixated on her.

I should’ve walked away immediately.

Instead... I stayed frozen there watching silently.

Tiffany softly touched Damien’s face while saying something too quiet for me to hear. Damien looked at her with exhausted eyes before suddenly pulling her closer.

Then, he kissed her....right there in front of everyone. He kissed her passionately, like he didn’t care who saw.

Something inside me went completely numb afterward. Suddenly, everything became painfully clear.

I thought about it all - the villa, the house purchase, the bedroom, the protection, the way he defended her constantly.

Damien truly loved Tiffany now. He loved her completely.

I stared at them while something cold spread slowly through my chest.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone. I took photos of them.

This was enough evidence for Grandpa George to know the truth.

My wolf remained painfully silent.

I stared at the photos for several long seconds.

Honestly...part of me wanted to send them instantly. Maybe then the pretending would finally stop. Maybe then I could escape Stone Manor permanently. Maybe then Grandpa would stop looking at us like a happily married couple.

But slowly... I lowered the phone again.

Despite everything... I couldn’t do that to him, not when his health was already failing.

My chest ached painfully afterward. Even now, after all the hurt and humiliation... I still cared more about protecting Grandpa than protecting myself emotionally.

Damien laughed softly at something Tiffany whispered. The sound finally snapped me out of my thoughts.

I quietly turned around and walked away.

Neither of them noticed me there.

-

I made my way to Bianca’s house. I couldn’t sleep alone tonight.

Bianca opened the apartment door before I even knocked properly. The second she saw my face, her expression changed immediately.

She gasped “Oh no.”

I laughed weakly. “That bad?”

“You look emotionally deceased.”

Honestly? She was right.

Bianca pulled me inside the apartment. She wrapped a blanket around my shoulders Her place smelled like vanilla candles and fresh coffee.

My wolf felt safe here.

I sat on the couch as Bianca disappeared into the kitchen. A few minutes later, she returned carrying hot tea and snacks.

Bianca sat beside me.

“Tell me.” she said.

For several seconds, I stayed quiet. Then finally, I spoke.

I sipped my tea and sighed “I saw Damien tonight.”

She frowned “With Tiffany?”

I nodded.

“What happened?”

I looked down quietly at the tea between my hands.

“He was drunk.” I said. “They were kissing.”

The room became still.

Bianca shook her head “That homewrecking bitch”

I laughed weakly.

Bianca turned to me. “Are you okay?”

I actually thought about the answer carefully. Honestly? I wasn’t shattered the way I expected. I was hurt. But more than that... I just felt tired.

“I think I’m done,” I whispered quietly.

“With Damien?”

I nodded slowly. “For real this time.”

My wolf lowered her head quietly inside me.

Before Bianca could answer, my phone suddenly rang again. It was Grandpa George calling.

Guilt twisted through my chest.

I answered quickly. “Grandpa?”

“Sophia!” he answered, breathing heavily “Did you find Damien?”

I closed my eyes, trying to steady myself.

“Yes.” I lied.

Relief filled grandpa’s voice “Good. I was worried.”

My chest hurt painfully.

“He drank too much,” I continued softly. “I already took care of it.”

“Is he home?”

“No. We won’t return tonight.”

The lie came out surprisingly smooth. Grandpa sounded delighted instead of suspicious.

“Oh! You two should spend more time together,” he said warmly.

I forced myself to continue. “Please sleep early, Grandpa.”

“Yes yes. Don’t stay up too late yourselves.”

After ending the call, silence filled the apartment again.

Bianca stared at me in disbelief “You just covered for him.”

I laughed bitterly “I know.”

“Why?”

I looked away “Because Grandpa sounded happy for the first time in days.”

And somehow...that mattered more than my own feelings again.

Bianca sighed heavily “You’re too kind.”

No. I was just tired. I was too tired to destroy an old man’s fragile happiness tonight.

Eventually, my phone rang again. This time, it was Damien.

My wolf instantly became alert.

I stared at the screen for several seconds before finally answering coldly.

“What?” I spoke coldly.

Damien’s voice sounded exhausted and irritated immediately. “Where are you?”

“At Bianca’s.”

“Come back.”

I laughed in disbelief. “You cannot be serious”

Damien growled. “Ashley’s crying nonstop.”

My expression hardened “And?”

“She wants you here.”

That surprised me slightly. Yesterday Ashley said she didn’t even want seeing me around anymore.

Still... I remained cold.

“She has Tiffany.” I said.

“Don’t start this tonight.” He snapped.

My wolf growled softly “Hypocrite”

Damien sighed “She had another panic episode after waking up.”

I felt concerned. I had the urge to go to her immediately. But then, I remembered the restaurant. And something inside me hardened again immediately.

“You’re her father,” I said quietly. “Handle it.”

“You’re seriously refusing?”

“Yes.”

The anger in his breathing became obvious now. Several painful seconds passed afterward.

Then Damien suddenly snapped “You’re becoming heartless lately.”

That genuinely made me angry.

“Heartless?” I scoffed “After everything you’ve done?”

“You abandoned Ashley tonight.”

“I abandoned her?” My voice rose instantly. “You were too busy playing house with your mistress and getting drunk to take care of your daughter. After having fun all night, you now want me to come?”

There was silence for a few moments.

“You followed me?” Damien asked quietly.

“No.”

“Then how-”

“Grandpa asked me to pick you up.”

Damien exhaled. “Sophia...”

“Goodnight, Damien.”

And before he could speak again, I ended the call.