SOPHIA’S POV

The next morning felt cold, not physically cold.

The hospital room itself was warm enough but inside me, everything felt numb and empty.

My body hurt so badly that even breathing felt exhausting, and my wolf remained unusually quiet after what happened the previous night.

She no longer growled angrily or whimpered loudly. It was worse now. She had completely withdrawn into herself.

I slowly opened my eyes and stared blankly at the white ceiling above me. The bruises across my face hurt, especially the swelling near my cheekbone. My abdomen still burned horribly from Jessie’s attack, and every tiny movement sent pain through my body.

I looked terrible. Even without a mirror, I knew that.

The nurse who came earlier to check my temperature could barely hide the pity in her eyes when she looked at me. She kept hesitating while changing my IV drip, almost like she wanted to say something but was too afraid.

Everyone in this hospital knew who I was - Damien Stone’s wife, the woman currently hated by the Stone family.

A knock suddenly came from outside the ward. Then two police officers walked inside.

I immediately sat up slightly despite the pain. I felt hopeful about the police coming. Maybe someone finally cared. Maybe they came because the nurses reported the assault last night.

The older officer looked uncomfortable the moment his eyes landed on my bruised face. Even the younger one looked disturbed by my condition. My hospital gown barely covered the dark bruises on my arms, and the cut near my forehead was still bandaged.

“Mrs. Stone,” the older officer said carefully.

I swallowed painfully “Yes.”

“We came regarding your report.”

Finally.

“They attacked me in this room,” I whispered weakly. “There are cameras outside the hallway. The nurses saw them enter.”

The officers exchanged a glance. That tiny movement alone made my stomach sink.

Something was wrong.

The older officer cleared his throat awkwardly.

“We investigated the matter,” he said.

Investigated? It hadn’t even been long.

“How?” I asked weakly.

“There’s insufficient evidence.”

I stared at him. For several long seconds, I genuinely thought I heard wrong.

“What?” I whispered.

“The hallway camera happened to malfunction during that time,” he muttered quietly.

I almost laughed. Of course the Stone family handled everything already.

Even now, even after everything... the Stone family still controlled everything around me so easily.

I looked back toward the officers.

“So that’s it?” I asked quietly.

Neither of them answered immediately. The silence itself was enough.

The older officer finally sighed heavily.

“Mrs. Stone... perhaps it’s better not to pursue this matter further.”

My chest tightened painfully. Not pursue it?

I’d been beaten while lying helplessly in a hospital bed after losing my baby. And they were telling me not to pursue it?

I stared at them quietly. The bitterness inside me spread slowly like poison.

“I understand,” I whispered.

The officers looked relieved. That reaction hurt more than I expected.

After that, they left. When they left, there was silence.

My wolf whimpered softly inside me. She sounded devastated now.

I leaned back against the pillows and closed my eyes.

Reporting it was useless, absolutely useless. The Stone family could bury anything they wanted. People like me could never win against families like theirs.

A tear slowly rolled down my cheek. I wiped it away but more followed afterward.

My chest hurt unbearably, not just because of the miscarriage or the assault. But because I finally understood something clearly now.

I truly had no one.

My wolf curled painfully into herself. She was exhausted.

Hours passed slowly afterward. Nobody came to see me.

The nurses entered occasionally to change my medication, but most of them looked nervous around me. One of them quietly informed me that the hospital administration hoped I could return to work soon because staffing was tight.

I genuinely thought I imagined it at first.

“Return... to work?” I repeated weakly.

The nurse looked embarrassed. “They said you’ve already rested for many days.”

I stared at her in disbelief. My body still hurt every time I moved. I’d just suffered a miscarriage. I’d been assaulted inside the hospital.

Yet they were already worried about staffing shortages?

My wolf let out a weak, bitter sound inside me. Even she sounded disgusted now.

The nurse quickly apologized and hurried away.

I looked at the untouched hospital tray sitting nearby. The food had gone cold long ago. I didn’t even feel hungry anymore.

My body felt weak and dizzy from lack of food, but I was tired.

I reached for my phone. For a long moment, I simply stared at Damien’s contact.

My wolf immediately became restless. She hated this. She hated that we still wanted him, hated that we still hoped for something from him after everything.

But right now... I truly didn’t know who else to call.

I dialed his number and the phone rang.

He answered.

“What?” Damien’s cold voice came through immediately.

My chest tightened painfully.

He sounded irritated, not concerned.

I swallowed hard “Damien...”

“What do you want?”

For several seconds, I couldn’t even speak properly. Because suddenly... I felt embarrassed.

“I...” My voice cracked. “I don’t feel well.”

Silence.

“What now?” he asked impatiently.

Something inside me cracked completely at that moment.

I stared blankly ahead while tears filled my eyes again.

“I just...” I whispered. “Can you come here?”

The silence afterward felt endless. Then Damien sighed coldly.

“I’m busy.” He said.

Before I could say anything, he hung up. The call ended.

I stared at the dark phone screen in complete silence. My wolf completely froze inside me.

Then slowly... painfully... she lowered her head. The rejection hurt worse than I expected.

Even after everything he’d done to me... a stupid part of me still hoped he would care if I was hurting. But he didn’t. He truly didn’t.

Tears rolled down my face silently again.

I pressed my lips together tightly to stop myself from crying loudly. I felt pathetic.

After several minutes, I unlocked my phone again. This time, I opened Bianca’s contact.

I typed weakly: Are you busy?”

Her reply came immediately.

Bianca: I’m never busy for you. What’s wrong?

The moment I saw that simple response, tears filled my eyes again. Unlike Damien... Bianca actually replied immediately.

I swallowed painfully before typing slowly.

Me: I’m at the hospital. Can you come?

Bianca called immediately. The moment I answered, her worried voice exploded through the phone.

“Sophia? What happened? Are you okay?” She asked.

“I’m fine.”

“You sound terrible,” Bianca snapped.

Something about the concern in her voice made my chest ache painfully again.

“I...” My voice broke.

“I’m coming right now.”

The call ended.

Less than forty minutes later, the ward door burst open. Bianca rushed inside looking concerned.

The moment her eyes landed on my bruised face, she completely froze.

She dropped the bags in her hands and hurried toward the bed.

“Sophia...”

The horror on her face nearly made me cry again.

For the first time since everything happened... someone finally looked genuinely heartbroken for me.

Bianca carefully touched my swollen cheek.

“Who did this?” she whispered shakily.

I looked away quietly. Bianca immediately understood.

“The Stone family?”

I stayed silent.

Her expression instantly darkened with rage.

“That disgusting family...” she hissed.

Bianca noticed the untouched food tray nearby.

“You haven’t eaten?”

I shook my head weakly “I wasn’t hungry.”

She opened the bags she brought. The smell of warm porridge and soup quickly filled the room. Only then did I realize how starving I actually was.

My stomach hurt painfully from hunger.

Bianca arranged everything on the small table beside the bed then glared at me.

“You’re eating.” She said.

“I’m tired.”

“I don’t care.”

Despite her harsh words, her eyes looked red. She was trying hard not to cry.

My chest tightened painfully again.

Bianca scooped some porridge into a spoon and held it toward me.

“Open your mouth.”

I opened my mouth and allowed Bianca to feed me. For several minutes, neither of us spoke.

Then Bianca suddenly exploded angrily.

“And this stupid hospital!” she screamed.

I blinked weakly.

She looked furious now “They’re already pressuring you to return to work? Are they insane?”

I looked down quietly.

“You’re barely alive right now.” She said.

Just then, my phone suddenly rang. I glanced at the screen.

It was Patricia.

I hesitated briefly before picking up.

“Sophia!” Patricia’s cheerful voice filled the phone instantly. “Come home tonight! Marco bought seafood, and Klara keeps asking for you.”

My throat tightened painfully. I could already imagine the warmth of home.

Tears burned my eyes.

“Sophia?” Patricia sounded confused now. “Are you there?”

I quickly forced my voice to be steady “Yeah. I’m just working”

“You’re still at work?”

“Mm. Overtime.”

Bianca looked furious beside me. Patricia sighed sympathetically.

“You work too hard.” She said.

My wolf whimpered painfully.

If Patricia knew the truth... she would come immediately I couldn’t bear that right now.

“I won’t make dinner,” I whispered softly.

“Aww.” Klara’s tiny voice suddenly shouted through the phone. “Auntie Sophia! Come home!”

My chest shattered completely. I bit my lip hard to stop myself from crying.

“I’ll come son,” I whispered.

“Promise?” Klara screamed.

“...Promise.”

After ending the call, Bianca looked at me quietly.

“How much more are you planning to endure alone?” she asked.

At that question...I finally broke down completely.