Chapter 168: Chapter 168 Good News For Bianca
SOPHIA’S POV
It was way past one in the morning when I finally got to my room.
I didn’t turn on the main light. I moved through the dark by mory. This house was the one I had grown up in. I knew these floors totally now.
I stopped at Klara’s door first.
I pushed it open just enough to see her. She was exactly as I had left her - curled on her side, the blanket pulled up to her chin. She was breathing slowly.
I stood in the doorway for a mont, just looking at her.
Sleep, I thought.
I pulled the door closed without a sound and went to my own room.
-
I changed slowly. My movents were also tired. My right arm had stiffened during the drive back. I could feel the injured muscles tightening the way they always did in the cold. I worked around the bandage carefully, keeping my movents small.
When I finally lay down and pulled the covers up, my body felt heavy.
Sleep should have co imdiately.
It didn’t.
My mind wouldn’t stop. I thought of everything that happened.
I thought of Bianca’s voice on the phone, the way she whispered. I thought of how scared she sounded. I had known Bianca for twelve years. I had heard her loud and furious. I’d heard her heartbroken and ridiculous with laughter. I had never heard her whisper like that before.
Then Zade. I thought of how he gripped Marcel’s collar calmly then how he drove
back through the city in silence.
I didn’t know what to do with Zade. I had never known what to do with him, and the longer this went on the less certain I beca that the question had an answer.
And then Damien. I thought of how he gripped my arm tightly, the look on his face afterward, standing over Tiffany on the floor.
His words echoed in my head - Why have you turned so cold?
He said it as if the cold had co from nowhere, as if it hadn’t been built by him.
My heart felt heavy and tangled with all of it. There were too many people, too many emotions, too many things pulling in too many directions.
I reached for my phone. I saw one new ssage from Lance, sent forty minutes ago.
Lance: Hope you’re ho safe. Rest that arm tonight - no excuses. See you tomorrow.
His ssage made
smile. His words made
feel warm inside.
I typed back: Ho safe. Arm is resting. Thank you, Lance.
I sent it, then scrolled up.
There was another unread ssage above Lance’s. This one was from Damien, sent two hours ago, after I had left Stone Manor.
Damien: I’m sorry for grabbing your arm tonight. I know I hurt you. I know I had no right. I’ll sign the papers soon, I promise. I’m sorry, Sophia.
My wolf stayed still inside . She didn’t stir. She didn’t react. She just watched. There was no anger reading his ssage, no residual hurt.
I felt nothing. I didn’t have any emotions.
I set the phone face-down on the nightstand without replying.
The dark outside the curtain began to change. It was nearly dawn when I finally drifted off.
-
"Aunt Sophia."
Sothing shook my shoulder. I slowly opened my eyes.
"Aunt Sophia, wake up."
It was Klara.
I opened my eyes completely now. Grey morning light was coming through the curtain. Klara was on the edge of my bed, already dressed.
"What ti is it?" I managed.
"Almost nine." She held my phone out to . "Dad called. He wants you to call him back. He said it’s not urgent, but he said it twice, which ans it is."
I pushed myself upright, moving slowly. My arm ached a bit. My eyes felt gritty. My body felt like it had slept for two hours, which was approximately accurate.
"Okay," I said. "Give
a few minutes."
Klara narrowed her eyes at . "You look terrible."
"Good morning to you too."
"I helped to make breakfast." She stood. "Don’t co downstairs until you’ve washed your face."
She left. I sat on the edge of the bed for a mont, holding my phone, and then I stood and went to wash up.
Twenty minutes later, after my face was washed and I was dressed, I called my brother back.
He picked up on the second ring.
"Sophia." He spoke softly "How are you? How’s the arm?"
"Healing," I said. "What is it, Marco? Klara said you called."
"Yes. I have sothing to run by you. It’s about Bianca."
"What about her?"
"I ran into Thomas yesterday at the business district - you rember him, he runs the Toer Group’s hospitality division. We got to talking, and it ca up that he’s looking for a food content consultant, soone to develop recipes and on-screen content for their new hotel restaurant chain. It’s a real position, Sophia. Contracted, properly paid, stable. The kind of work that builds sothing. I thought of Bianca imdiately. You once told
about the food channel she had, the followers she’s building - it’s exactly the profile they’re looking for. Soone with genuine passion and an audience already responding to them."
I was quiet for a mont, thinking of Bianca’s face last night. I thought of how passionate she was about this.
This was a good stable position. It would be inco that had nothing to do with Marcel, nothing that connected her to that life at all.
It would be a clean start built entirely on what she had made for herself.
"She’s interested," I said, before I had even finished the thought.
Marco chuckled. "You haven’t asked her yet."
"I know her." I picked up my tea from the table. "She’ll be interested. Can you send
the details? I’ll talk to her today."
"I’ll send everything through this morning, my love. How are you really, Sophia? Not the arm. You."
I looked out the kitchen window at the morning. Sowhere in the garden, a bird was singing through the sa four notes repeatedly.
"I’m getting there," I said.
"That’s enough," Marco said gently. "That’s all it needs to be."
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