Chapter 88
Chapter 88:
Sophie and Adrian walked through the front door, the quiet of home finally wrapping around them.
Every nerve in her body had been wound tight these past days, leaving her worn down to the bone. Relief washed over her as she stepped into the familiar space. For the first time in ages, her shoulders loosened and her breath came easy.
Even if all that struggle led nowhere, she couldn’t help but feel the weight lift from her heart. It was like shaking off invisible chains.
For a while, Sophie truly believed she had been given a second chance with her mother, thinking maybe fate had thrown her a bit of kindness after all the storms. But every moment with that woman had left her uneasy, as if she were hugging a memory made of thorns—comfort on the outside, pain at the center.
She tried, again and again, to bridge the gap inside herself. But every attempt only brought fresh disappointment.
Now she understood it had nothing to do with her being too sensitive or remembering things wrong. The truth was, that woman was never her mother to begin with. As painful as that realization was, it brought an odd peace. At least in her heart, the mother she remembered stayed gentle, kind, and untarnished—a light she could look to when everything went dark.
Sitting on the couch, Sophie drifted into her thoughts before finally glancing at Adrian. Her voice barely rose above a whisper. “Sorry I dragged you through all of this. I know it wasn’t worth the trouble p>
Adrian crouched beside her, a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Don’t say that. Having you safe and home is worth more to me than anything p>
Morning sunlight filled the kitchen as they sat across from each other, eating in companionable silence, until Adrian’s phone rattled on the table.
He checked the message. Neil’s name flashed on the screen: “Mr. Knight, something’s happened. There was a fire at Wayne Hospital last night. Two people didn’t make it. The doctor and nurse who were responsible for Selah p>
𝗧𝘩е b𝘦s𝘵 𝗋𝘦𝖺d𝗂𝗻g 𝘦𝘹p𝗲𝘳𝗶𝘦ո𝘤𝗲 𝗼𝗇 ѕ.c𝗼𝗆
A shadow crossed Adrian’s face as he took in the news. He had already made sure Selah was locked away and that Michelle, now shipped overseas, couldn’t interfere anymore. But clearly, things were far from settled.
A new notification flashed on his screen: “By the way, Mrs. Knight’s test results are gone—everything was destroyed in the fire. There’s nothing left. Every record burned to dust p>
A heavy silence fell over him as he read the message, his jaw tightening. He had suspected from the start that Michelle was just a pawn in someone else’s game. Now, with every shred of evidence erased, it was clear the real mastermind had slipped away unnoticed.
His attention drifted to Sophie, quietly picking at her breakfast, completely unaware of the storm swirling around her. He realized he would need to step up her security if he wanted to keep her safe from whatever else might come.
Sophie caught him staring and cocked her head. “What’s with that look? Is there something on my face p>
Noticing his phone glued to his hand and his food untouched, she frowned in mock annoyance. “Really? Breakfast and secrets now? What’s so important that you can’t put your phone down p>
He shook off his grim thoughts and tried to sound casual. “There was a fire at Wayne Hospital last night p>
Her spoon clattered against her bowl as she gasped. “Wait, seriously p>
Then a memory struck, and she slapped her forehead. “Oh, I left something at the hospital. I can’t believe I forgot p>
Adrian stood up, determination in his eyes. “Let’s go get it. I’m coming with you p>