Chapter 6

There’s a moment when your entire world shatters—when you see the mother of your child, the woman you once loved, bleeding on the cold cemetery ground. A feeling I never expected to have for Sophia.

When the gunmen appeared, instinct took over. I knew Liam was safe with my parents, so I lunged for Isabella. I’d die for her without hesitation.

The shooters fled at the sight of police, but relief was short-lived. An officer shouted for an ambulance. I turned, expecting one of us to be hurt.

But it was Sophia.

Seeing her like that nearly brought me to my knees.

Chaos followed. The ambulance arrived, and the officer refused to release her until she was in the doctor’s care.

I was furious—at him, at myself. She was my ex-wife, yes, but more importantly, she was Liam’s mother. If something worse had happened… How would I explain that to my son?

Now, I paced the waiting room, restless. No updates. No prognosis. Just silence.

Please let her be okay. Victoria’s whisper was the first time I’d ever heard emotion in her voice when speaking of Sophia. Losing her husband and nearly losing her daughter had cracked her icy exterior.

We were all there—except Liam. Nathan sat beside Victoria, who was next to Isabella.

I dropped into a chair, anxiety gnawing at me. She had to be okay. For Liam.

Time blurred. Then, suddenly, there she was.

Sophia stood at the nurse’s station, signing papers. Her left arm was in a sling as she struggled to tuck her credit card into her bag. She fumbled with her phone, frustration tightening her expression.

"Sophia."

She looked up. Something was different. I couldn’t place it, but it was there—cold, detached.

"What are you doing here? Did someone else get hurt?" Her voice was flat.

"How are you feeling?" Victoria asked instead of answering.

"Unfortunately for you, I’m not dead yet."

The words hit like a slap. Not just the phrasing—the ice in her tone.

"Where are you going?" I cut in.

"Home."

"You can’t drive with that arm."

"Hence the Uber."

"Sophia, we need to talk. About your father," Victoria murmured.

Sophia turned slowly. Something was missing in her eyes.

"I don’t see how that concerns me. Last I checked, he didn’t consider me his daughter."

Victoria choked back a sob, but Sophia didn’t react. It was like she’d shut off all emotion, leaving only bitter detachment.

She moved toward the door, then paused. "Where’s my son?"

"At my mother’s," Nathan answered, watching her closely.

She sighed. "Fine. I suppose you’ll get your talk."

"I’ll drive you," I offered.

Isabella shot me a glare, but she needed to understand—no matter our past, Sophia was Liam’s mother. And she was hurt.

Sophia surprised us all by shaking her head. "No need. I’ll take the Uber and meet you there."

Without another word, she left.

We stared after her. The old Sophia would’ve jumped at any chance to be near me. This rejection was… unsettling.

"Let’s go before she changes her mind," Victoria said quietly.

We piled into my Escalade, speeding to her house just as Sophia stepped inside.

The scene inside was surreal. My parents, Sebastian, and Sophia—who was ignoring them all. Normally, she’d try to engage, even when they dismissed her.

"Can we get this over with?" she snapped, sitting stiffly.

I took a breath. "William came to me with a business proposal. We signed the contracts before realizing the company was a front for a criminal gang. We terminated the deal and reported them."

Sophia arched a brow. "And this involves me… how?"

Victoria took over. "They threatened your father. Then they killed him. We thought the threats were empty until—"

"Until they shot him," Sophia finished flatly.

Nathan growled. "You were shot today. Doesn’t that tell you something?"

"Only that I was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Sophia—" Victoria tried.

"No. They were after you three," Sophia cut in. "Everyone knows I’m not part of this family. Why would they target someone none of you would care about if she died?"

The room went cold.

This wasn’t the Sophia we knew.

She turned to me, her gaze empty. "If anyone’s safety matters, it’s hers." She jerked her chin at Isabella. "She was his perfect princess. Leave me out of his mess."

Then, to all of us: "Drop the fake concern. I don’t need it. If I’m in danger, I’ll handle it myself. I’d rather die than accept your protection."

Victoria gasped. Isabella shot up, glaring. "Stop being a bitch. Everything always has to be about you."

Sophia laughed—hollow, humorless. "Nothing’s ever been about me. It’s always you. But fine. I’ve survived without this family’s protection. I don’t need it now."

She turned to leave.

"Liam!"

Seconds later, my son barreled into the room. His gasp at seeing Sophia’s sling twisted my gut.

"Mommy! What happened?"

"Just a little accident, sweetheart," she murmured, hugging him with one arm. The coldness melted instantly.

"Does it hurt?"

"A little. But we’ll fix it with ice cream and cuddles, okay?"

Liam beamed. "I’ll take care of you! Like you do for me!"

Sophia smiled—truly smiled—and the transformation was staggering.

Then Liam glanced at Isabella. "Is that your sister?"

Sophia’s voice turned to steel. "No. I don’t have a sister." Then, under her breath: "Or a family."

The words hung in the air.

"Bye, Dad!" Liam waved.

"Bye, kiddo," I managed.

And then they were gone.

Silence.

I stared at the door, grappling with what just happened. This wasn’t the Sophia I knew.

And I hated it.