Chapter 273
“Understood, Mr. Knight,” Neil replied.
They drove toward the heart of the city, the winding roads vanishing behind them.
It had taken Adrian a massive effort to track down the gang’s hideout out in the middle of nowhere. Even at full speed, the drive to the city would last at least an hour.
With every passing minute, Adrian gently stroked Sophie’s back, whispering, “Just hang in there a bit longer.”
Not once did his worry fade as he watched over her.
Sophie’s hair was tangled, her clothes wrinkled, and the ugly bruises along her cheek showed she had been hit.
Rage burned in Adrian’s chest, and for a moment, he wished he could return and make those men pay all over again.
A streak of blood caught his eye on Sophie’s collar. His heart tightened with fear. He checked her over from head to toe. Relief washed through him when he found she wasn’t injured.
Chances were, the blood staining her collar wasn’t even her own.
The sight of Sophie in such disarray hit Adrian with a wave of guilt he couldn’t shake. All it took was a single day apart, and she looked as though she had survived a storm.
Back home, Adrian would worry over the smallest scratch if Sophie cut herself in the kitchen. Now, while he had been away, she had been forced to suffer through horrors he could hardly imagine.
He reached out, running his fingers gently over her cheek, only to recoil at the intense heat radiating from her skin.
In an instant, he realized her fever had gotten worse since they left the basement.
It wasn’t only her face—everywhere he touched felt unusually hot. Sophie was clearly in distress, tossing restlessly as he held her.
He shook her gently. “Baby, can you hear me? Wake up.”
Slowly, her eyes fluttered open, but she seemed lost and distant.
“I need water,” she whispered, her voice barely more than a breath.
Without hesitation, Adrian grabbed a water bottle, twisted the cap off, and helped her drink.
Sophie gulped it down so quickly that half the water dribbled from her chin, leaving her shirt soaked.
Glancing down, Sophie blinked at the cold patch on her clothes and murmured, “It feels kind of nice.”
Adrian carefully wiped the water from her neck, using a soft tissue. “Is that any better?” he asked quietly.
Sophie didn’t answer; instead, tears welled in her eyes and spilled over as she began to cry.
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