Chapter 84

The terror that gripped me when I saw that bastard pressing a gun to her temple was indescribable. Sophia trembled, tears streaking down her face. Her pleas for mercy echoed in my ears, but I knew Damien Slade wouldn’t spare her.

When she closed her eyes—resigned to her fate—it nearly shattered me. If not for her exhaustion, I would’ve kept the bastard alive just to make him suffer in ways he couldn’t imagine.

"She needs a doctor, Ethan," Sophia whispered as I knelt before her.

I’d already texted Sebastian. The ambulance was minutes away. It wasn’t that I didn’t care about Isabella—I did. But Sophia mattered more.

Cradling her face, I traced the swollen cheek, the bruised eye, the split lip. Rage coiled tight in my chest.

"Who hit you? Was it Damien?" My jaw clenched.

She flinched when my thumb brushed her injury. Fuck. Her pain twisted like a knife in my ribs. I wanted to tear apart the man who’d hurt her.

"It doesn’t matter. Isabella needs help," she insisted, trying to stand.

I gently pushed her back down, ignoring her protest. Her wrists were raw, her ankles swollen and purple. Every wound fueled my fury. She shouldn’t have endured this. Not while carrying our child.

"Ethan, are you even listening?" Her voice was frayed. If she weren’t so drained, she’d have cursed me out.

"I heard you. The ambulance is coming." My tone brooked no argument. "Now tell me who hurt you."

She exhaled, slumping against the car.

"One of Damien’s men. He hit me when I talked back."

"Describe him."

I’d find him. No one touched Sophia and walked away. He’d regret breathing.

"It’s over. When I escaped, he found us first. I kneed him in the groin and shot his thighs."

A smirk tugged at my lips. I loved this fiercer version of her—unwilling to take shit from anyone.

Before I could ask why she’d risked escaping, sirens wailed. Sebastian, Nathan, and paramedics arrived. They lifted Isabella onto a stretcher.

"What happened?" a medic asked.

Sophia hesitated. "She was shot during our escape. I tried to stop the bleeding, but she lost consciousness." Her gaze stayed fixed on Isabella. "Will she be okay?"

That was Sophia—worrying about someone who’d treated her horribly. An angel, even now.

"Her pulse is weak, but she’ll recover," the medic assured.

As they wheeled Isabella away, Nathan approached. "Are you alright, Sophia?"

"Yes," she murmured, swaying as she stood. "Go be with Isabella. She needs you."

He kissed her cheek—a gesture she’d normally reject—before leaving. I signaled Sebastian to follow.

"Need help?" I asked when she stumbled.

"Just to stand, not to be carried," she muttered, lacking her usual fire.

I ignored her, scooping her into my arms. Holding her felt right, like the universe had clicked into place.

Brian intercepted us. "Damien got away."

Rage simmered. "Find him," I snarled before carrying Sophia to the car.

"Where are we going?" she yawned.

"The hospital. You and the baby need checking."

She dozed off during the drive. At the ER, nurses rushed her inside.

"Call my parents," she murmured as they took her.

I did, then joined Nathan, Victoria, and Sebastian in the waiting room.

"Any news?" I asked.

"Not yet," Nathan said.

Victoria fretted. "Where’s Sophia?"

"Being examined," I replied.

Silence fell. This place dredged up memories—of William’s death, of seeing Isabella again after years apart. Of the shootout where I’d chosen Isabella over Sophia. That moment had changed her.

Now, pacing the room, I admitted the truth: I wanted Sophia. But my past actions stood between us. The love in her eyes was gone. She only tolerated me for Liam’s sake.

A nurse appeared. "Mr. Blackwood?"

"How is she?"

"Dehydrated, but otherwise fine. The baby’s healthy."

Behind me, Victoria gasped—she hadn’t known about the pregnancy.

"Can I see her?"

The nurse led me to Sophia’s room. IV lines snaked from her bandaged wrists, stitches marred her lip.

"Is Isabella okay?" she asked immediately.

Damn her kindness.

"No updates yet," I said, fighting the urge to hold her hand.

"I’m sorry," she whispered, tears welling. "I didn’t mean for her to get hurt. I just wanted to escape."

I gave in, clasping her hands. "Why did you run?"

She stared like I’d lost my mind. "Why stay? When Damien gave you the ultimatum, I knew you’d pick Isabella. I escaped to save our baby."

Her words gutted me. How could I blame her? I’d spent years proving Isabella came first.

Gripping her hand, I forced the truth out. "I was coming for you, Sophia. You were my choice."

Her eyes widened.

"I’d have let Isabella die to save you."

The shock on her face didn’t change my certainty. She’d been my priority for a long time. She owned me—even if she didn’t know it yet.