SOPHIA’S POV

Professor Archer took Lance and I to a barbecue restaurant to discuss privately.

The barbecue restaurant was far more lively than I expected.

Professor Archer led Lance and me inside.

Smoke rose from several barbecue tables, and the sounds of laughter and conversation echoed throughout the large hall.

Some of the guests recognized Professor Archer immediately and greeted him with warm smiles.

"Professor Archer!"

"Good evening, Professor!"

"You came!"

Professor Archer laughed and waved at everyone. His cheerful personality made it easy for people to relax around him. Watching him interact with others, I understood why so many people respected him.

We were led into a private room near the back of the restaurant.

As soon as we sat down, Professor Archer ordered enough food for ten people. He ordered plate after plate of fresh meat, vegetables, and seafood.

The sight alone made me realize how hungry I was.

"You need to eat more," Professor Archer said as he pointed at me with his chopsticks. "You’ve lost weight."

I smiled awkwardly but inside, I felt terrible. I had lost weight due to the miscarriage and the blood loss.

"I’ve just been busy." I said.

"Busy?" he snorted. "The entire medical field is busy. That’s not an excuse."

Lance chuckled beside me.

Professor Archer glared at him "And you. Stop laughing. You’re just as bad."

Lance raised both hands "I surrender."

As the meat sizzled on the grill, Professor Archer suddenly became serious.

He placed his chopsticks down and looked directly at me.

"Sophia." He said.

My heart skipped "Yes, Professor?

"I meant what I said earlier. You have talent."

I froze.

Professor Archer rarely praised people. Everyone knew that. The fact that he was saying this directly to me made my chest tighten.

"You are intelligent. You work hard. More importantly, you never stop learning. People like you are rare."

I lowered my eyes.

His words touched something deep inside me. For years, most people only saw me as Damien’s wife. Some saw me as Ashley’s mother. Others saw me as a woman struggling through a failing marriage. Very few people saw me as Sophia, just Sophia - a doctor, a researcher, a person with dreams.

Professor Archer continued "If you continue down this path, you’ll achieve great things."

I swallowed hard "Thank you, Professor."

He nodded. "That’s why I want you in my program."

The room fell silent. Even Lance looked impressed.

Professor Archer pointed at me "I don’t care about your age. I don’t care about your marital status. I don’t care about your personal problems. I only care about your ability. And your ability is extraordinary."

For a moment, I couldn’t speak. My throat became filled with so much emotion.

The past few years had been filled with disappointment after disappointment. I’d almost forgotten what it felt like to be recognized.

Professor Archer smiled "Don’t cry."

I laughed "I’m not crying."

"Good. Because I hate crying students."

Lance laughed.

The tension disappeared instantly.

The conversation gradually shifted toward research projects and future opportunities.

Professor Archer asked for my opinions several times. Each time I answered, he listened.

The more we talked, the more confident I became.

For the first time in a very long time, I felt like I had a future beyond my broken marriage.

An hour later, Professor Archer leaned back in his chair and sighed dramatically.

Then he looked between Lance and me.

A mischievous smile appeared on his face.

"Oh."

The single word made me suspicious.

Lance seemed to feel the same way

"Professor..." Lance muttered.

Professor Archer ignored him.

"You two actually look quite good together." He said.

I nearly choked on my drink. Lance closed his eyes.

There it was. The topic I feared.

Professor Archer looked delighted.

"What?" he asked.

"Professor," Lance said helplessly.

"What?"

"We were discussing research."

"We still are." Professor Archer pointed between us "This is also important research."

I couldn’t help but laugh.

Lance looked completely defeated.

Professor Archer continued shamelessly "Sophia is smart. Lance is smart." Then he pointed at Lance. "Perfect match."

"Professor," Lance groaned.

Professor Archer ignored him again.

"Both doctors." He nodded. "Perfect match."

I shook my head "Professor Archer..."

"No, no, listen to me." He leaned forward excitedly. “Sophia, you deserve someone reliable, someone who sees your value."

The smile on my face faded a bit.

I knew he meant well.

Lance glanced at me before speaking calmly.

"Professor." He said seriously.

The older man finally stopped talking.

"Please don’t put pressure on her." Lance said.

The room became quiet.

I looked at him in surprise.

Lance continued. "Sophia has gone through enough. She doesn’t need people making decisions for her."

I looked at him in shock. Something warm spread through my chest.

Professor Archer blinked. Then he sighed. "Fine."

He raised both hands dramatically "I’ll stop."

Lance nodded "Thank you."

Professor Archer rolled his eyes “Young people these days."

Despite his complaints, he changed the subject.

I silently appreciated Lance. He’d just protected me from an awkward situation without making me feel embarrassed. That wasn’t easy.

The dinner continued for another hour.

Eventually, Professor Archer checked the time and stood up.

"I have an early meeting tomorrow." He said. He pointed at me. "Don’t forget what we discussed."

I smiled "I won’t."

After saying goodbye, Professor Archer left.

Lance turned to me "Want me to drive you home?"

“Sure”

We left the restaurant together.

Streetlights highlighted the sidewalk while distant traffic went on in the background.

For some reason, my thoughts drifted elsewhere, toward someone else.

I thought of Zade.

My wolf stirred uneasily inside me as we got outside. I thought he would be here waiting for me, like he said.

She paced restlessly inside me.

“Where is he?”

I frowned slightly. I didn’t answer her. But the truth was obvious.

I had expected to see Zade outside.

I had expected him to be leaning against his car with that irritating smile on his face. I’d expected him to wave the moment he spotted me. But he wasn’t there.

The parking lot was empty.

My wolf whimpered softly “He said he would wait”

I pushed the thought away. Why did it matter? Zade could do whatever he wanted.

We weren’t together. I’d practically chased him away.

Still... I felt disappointed.

Lance opened the passenger door for me. I thanked him and got inside.

During the drive, he kept the conversation light.

Several times, he made me laugh. Yet part of my attention remained elsewhere.

I stared out the window.

My wolf sighed “You miss him”

I didn’t respond.

A few minutes later, we arrived outside my house.

Lance parked the car.

Neither of us moved immediately. The silence wasn’t uncomfortable. It felt peaceful.

Finally, I turned toward him "Thank you for tonight."

He smiled. "You don’t need to thank me."

"I do. You helped me a lot."

His eyes remained on mine. For several seconds, neither of us looked away.

Then Lance slowly exhaled “Sophia."

Something in his tone made my heart skip.

He gripped the steering wheel. When he spoke again, his voice was lower.

"I know this isn’t the right time." He said. "But I need to say it."

I remained silent.

Lance looked straight ahead "I like you."

My chest tightened.

His words felt very sincere. He spoke genuinely. There were no games.

I felt a complicated mix of emotions. My wolf stirred inside me.

Lance smiled "See? I told myself I wouldn’t make things difficult."

I looked down at my hands. I didn’t know what to say.

He continued quietly "I know what you’re going through, and I know you’re not ready for anything."

I swallowed "Lance..."

"I’m not asking for an answer. I’m not asking you to choose me."

The sincerity in his expression made my chest ache.

"I only have one request." He said. His smile turned slightly sad. "Don’t reject my feelings outright, please."

My breath caught.

The honesty in his voice left me speechless.

For a moment, I didn’t know what to say.

I nodded "I understand."

A look of relief crossed his face.

"Good." He smiled. "That’s enough for now."

I opened the car door. Before stepping out, I looked around one last time.

The parking area remained empty. There was no black car. No Zade.

I felt disappointed again. A part of me hoped he might be waiting at home.

My wolf lowered her head “He didn’t come”.

I hated how much that thought bothered me.

After everything that had happened, I shouldn’t have cared. Yet I did....a little. Maybe more than a little.

Lance watched me quietly. His eyes followed mine toward the empty street. Then realization hit his face.

He understood immediately.

The small smile he gave me carried both sadness and understanding.

I looked away in embarrassment.

Lance didn’t say anything. He didn’t need to. Somehow, he had already figured it out.

I forced a smile "Goodnight, Lance."

"Goodnight, Sophia."

I stepped out of the car and walked toward my building.

Behind me, Lance remained parked for several seconds. As I reached the entrance, I glanced back once more.

The street was still empty.