SOPHIA’S POV

I lay weakly against the hospital bed staring blankly at the ceiling.

The bruises across my body had darkened badly overnight. My cheek still burned from Helen’s slaps, and my abdomen hurt every time I breathed too deeply.

Bianca sat nearby scrolling through her phone angrily.

Every few seconds, she cursed softly under her breath while reading comments online. Apparently, rumors about my miscarriage and my fight with the Stone family had already begun spreading across social media circles.

Of course, they had. Families like the Stones controlled public image carefully. People would rather blame me than believe someone powerful could be cruel.

Bianca suddenly looked up “Sophia,”

I slowly turned toward her.

“You should call the police station again.”

The humiliation from yesterday still burned painfully inside me but Bianca’s eyes looked determined. She clearly still believed there had to be some justice left somewhere.

I swallowed hard “Okay.”

Bianca handed me my phone. My fingers shook as I dialed the number again.

The phone rang then someone answered.

“Central station.”

The officer sounded bored already.

I tightened my grip on the phone.

“This is Sophia Stone,” I said quietly. “I called yesterday regarding the assault case at Central Hospital.”

The moment I said my name, the atmosphere on the other end shifted immediately.

I noticed the brief silence then I heard laughter.

“Yes?” the officer finally said lazily.

“I wanted updates regarding the investigation.”

The officer snorted “What investigation?”

I froze “What?”

“You already caused enough trouble, Mrs. Stone.”

My fingers tightened around the phone.

“I was assaulted.”

He laughed again “Were you really?”

Something inside me went cold instantly.

My wolf lifted her head weakly inside me. She felt the shift too.

The officer continued casually, “There’s no evidence anyone touched you.”

I stared ahead blankly “My injuries...”

“You were already hospitalized before that,”

Bianca’s expression turned shocked as she listened.

The officer sighed dramatically.

“Honestly, Mrs. Stone, between us...” His voice lowered mockingly. “This sounds more like family drama than assault.”

My throat tightened painfully.

Family drama? I nearly died. Jessie beat me while I couldn’t even stand properly. Helen slapped and kicked me after my miscarriage. And this man was calling it family drama?

“I didn’t lie,” I whispered shakily.

The officer sounded completely unimpressed.

“Mhm. Besides...some people think you staged this yourself.”

For several long seconds, I genuinely stopped breathing.

“What?”

“Well, rich families do strange things during divorce battles.”

My entire body went cold. My wolf let out a low, broken sound inside me.

The officer continued “If you ask me, Mrs. Stone, you should stop embarrassing yourself publicly and settle things privately with your husband.”

Something inside me shattered completely at that moment.

I suddenly understood everything clearly. No one would help me. No one cared what happened to me.

I quietly ended the call without another word.

Bianca stared at me in disbelief. Then she suddenly exploded.

“What the hell was that?!”

Bianca snatched the phone angrily “They mocked you?”

I said nothing. Because honestly... I no longer even felt shocked. I was just tired.

Bianca paced angrily around the room.

“This is because of Damien,” she snapped. “That entire disgusting family thinks they can control everything!”

Bianca suddenly stopped pacing and looked directly at me.

“Sophia, tell me exactly who touched you.”

I blinked “What?”

She walked closer “Tell me. Helen. Declan. Whoever laid a hand on you.”

“Bianca...”

“No. I’m done being polite.”

Bianca looked genuinely furious now. She crouched beside my bed.

“I need names.” She said.

I stared at her quietly. Then eventually whispered:

“Helen.”

Bianca’s jaw tightened instantly.

“Declan watched as Jessie hit me”

Bianca became quiet afterward. The silence around her felt dangerous.

She slowly stood up.

“Okay.”

I frowned “Okay?”

She picked up her phone calmly. “If the police won’t help...then I’ll do it my own way.”

Before I could even ask what she meant, Bianca walked toward the hospital bathroom.

A few minutes later, I heard her voice through the partially opened bathroom door.

At first, I thought she was on a phone call.

Then I realized....she was livestreaming.

I blinked in surprise.

Bianca had a massive online following because of her fashion content cooking and public personality. People loved her blunt humor and fearless attitude.

Normally, she kept scandals away from her page.

But today...today she sounded furious. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

I slowly turned to the bathroom doorway.

Bianca stood in front of the mirror holding her phone while reading comments aloud.

“Yes, I’m at the hospital,” she said casually.

Her tone sounded light. She laughed softly at another comment.

“No, I won’t say names. Powerful people dislike accountability.”

Bianca glanced briefly toward the bathroom door before continuing.

“You know how it is. Sometimes if someone wealthy sneezes, entire systems suddenly stop functioning.”

The sarcasm in her voice was obvious. The comments on her livestream were probably exploding now because she suddenly smiled coldly again.

“Oh? Evidence disappeared?” Bianca repeated dramatically. “Wow. Cameras breaking exactly at the right moment? What incredible luck.”

Even I almost laughed weakly. Bianca was being careful.

She never directly mentioned Damien or the Stone family but anyone listening carefully would immediately understand who she meant.

“One thing I’ve learned,” Bianca continued calmly, “is that people without power are expected to suffer quietly. But unfortunately...some of us aren’t very good at staying quiet.”

My chest hurt strangely, not from pain this time. But because someone was finally standing beside me openly.

Bianca ended the livestream shortly after and walked back into the room.

“You’re going to get yourself into trouble,” I whispered weakly.

Bianca snorted. “Please. Let them try.”

I smiled but it disappeared quickly when pain shot through my face again.

Bianca noticed and rushed to me “Sophia...”

I looked away “I’m tired.”

That wasn’t even half the truth. I was exhausted in every possible way.

Every time I closed my eyes lately, I saw Helen’s face or Jessie hitting me or blood.

And worst of all...sometimes I heard Ashley calling Tiffany “Mom” again in my nightmares. My wolf whimpered softly at the thought.

Bianca looked worried now.

“You’re shaking.”

Only then did I realize my hands were trembling again.

“I don’t want to be alone,” I said.

Bianca’s expression instantly changed. All her anger disappeared and softened into heartbreak.

“Oh, Sophia...”

My eyes burned “I know it sounds pathetic.”

“It doesn’t. After what happened, of course you’re scared.”

She was right. I was terrified now. Every small sound startled me. Every time the door opened unexpectedly, panic filled my chest immediately. Even when nurses entered, my body tensed in fear.

That night, Bianca refused to leave the hospital.

She dragged a chair directly beside my bed and stayed there while scrolling through her phone. Occasionally she answered work messages angrily, but most of her attention remained on me.

Bianca suddenly looked over “You should sleep.”

“I’m trying.”

But I wasn’t, not really. Every time I began drifting off, fear jerked me awake again.

What if someone came back? What if Helen returned? What if Declan sent Jessie again?

My wolf remained tense the entire time.

Bianca moved her chair even closer to the bed. She reached out and held my hand gently. The warmth nearly made me cry again.

“You’re safe,” she whispered softly.

My throat tightened painfully.

I realized...nobody had said those words to me in a very long time.

And honestly?

I no longer knew how to believe them anymore.