Chapter 275: Chapter 276 He Always Stays
SOPHIA’S POV
The next morning, I woke slowly to sunlight coming in through the windows.
For a few seconds, I didn’t move. My body still felt sore from everything that had happened over the past few weeks.
The injury in my abdomen still pulled painfully whenever I shifted too quickly. Even my wolf felt unusually quiet, curled up inside my mind as if she was recovering alongside me.
I noticed someone sitting beside my bed.
Zade.
He was asleep in the armchair near my bed.
His head had fallen against the back of the chair at an awkward angle. He was still wearing yesterday’s clothes. His shirt was slightly wrinkled, and his hair looked messy for once.
There was a half-eaten container of takeout on the nightstand beside him. Next to it were my medications.
I stared at them.
The pills had been separated neatly into little containers. A glass of water sat nearby. There was even a handwritten note reminding me what time to take each dose.
My chest tightened unexpectedly.
Nobody had asked him to do that. Nobody had told him to stay yet he had stayed anyway.
My wolf stirred quietly "He stayed."
I closed my eyes "I know."
"He always stays."
That hurt more than it should have.
Because somewhere deep down, I’d started noticing the difference between someone who loved me when it was convenient and someone who loved me when it was difficult.
I slipped out of bed. Every movement made my abdomen ache.
I pressed my hand against the mattress for support before slowly making my way toward the bathroom.
The door clicked shut behind me.
I lifted my head and looked into the mirror. For several seconds, I simply stared.
The woman staring back at me looked exhausted.
The bruises along my jaw had faded but they were still visible. There were still yellow and purple shadows where Helen had struck me. My skin looked pale.
My eyes dropped lower to the bandaging covering my abdomen. My breathing caught.
Slowly, I reached down and touched my stomach.
The bathroom suddenly felt colder.
I remembered waking up in that hospital bed and learning what had happened.
I remembered the doctor’s voice explaining everything. I remembered realizing I had lost a child I never even knew existed.
A tear rolled down my cheek before I could stop it. More tears came.
My wolf whimpered. The sound echoed painfully inside my head.
We were both hurt. We both grieved.
The child was ours and now, it was gone. A life....a tiny life. It was one before either of us even knew it existed.
The thought of it hurt me deeply.
My hand trembled as I whispered "I never got to meet you."
I rubbed my belly as if the child could hear me.
More tears slid down my cheeks as I cried silently. My wolf cried with me.
For several minutes, neither of us spoke.
Eventually I washed my face and took a deep breath. Finally, I forced myself to leave the bathroom.
The moment I got back to my room, I froze.
Zade was awake. His eyes immediately found mine, as if he had been waiting.
He smiled at me "Good morning."
My heart unexpectedly skipped at the sight of him. My wolf purred.
"Good morning." I whispered.
He stood up "I heated some water."
Before I could respond, he handed me a glass. The water was still warm.
It wasn’t hot or cold. It was exactly right, the way I liked it.
Zade always noticed the little things, unlike Damien.
He picked up my medication "You need to take these first."
I stared at him.
He looked completely serious, like taking care of me was the most important job in the world.
I smiled.
His entire face brightened at that. The transformation was ridiculous.
"You smiled." He teased.
I rolled my eyes "Don’t make it a big deal."
For the first time in days, my chest felt warm.
-
Later that afternoon, I was sitting on the couch in the living room when my phone suddenly rang.
I glanced at the screen. It was Patricia.
I answered immediately. “Hi Patricia"
Her voice sounded way too serious "Sophia."
My stomach tightened "What happened?"
There was a pause, then she sighed.
"I need you to sit down."
A cold feeling spread through my chest.
"I’m already sitting." I said.
"A gossip site published an article."
I frowned "What article?"
"It’s about your miscarriage."
Everything inside me froze.
"What?"
"They published everything."
My fingers tightened around the phone. My heart started pounding.
"What do you mean everything?"
Patricia’s voice trembled with anger "The hospitalization, the surgery and the miscarriage. They published the dates and even the doctor’s reports. They got everything, down to your ward number"
I stopped breathing. Even my wolf went quiet.
I felt shocked to my core. How was this even possible?
Patricia continued "They’re claiming the baby’s paternity was uncertain."
"What?"
My hand started shaking. The room suddenly felt too small, too suffocating.
I hung up and immediately opened my tablet. The article appeared instantly, without me even searching for it.
My name was everywhere. In the article, I saw photos, hospital records, dates of the miscarriage.
The article wasn’t what hurt most. As I read it, my heart raced faster.
In the article, they suggested that the paternity of the child was uncertain. They said it was most likely Zade’s and not Damien’s.
My heart dropped to my stomach.
“No” I whispered.
It was posted this morning yet it already had thousands of comments. People were calling me a cheater, a liar, a gold digger, a manipulator.
I felt my chest tighten painfully. My breathing became uneven.
Then something caught my attention. It was a specific detail - my ward number.
I noticed another detail - my attending physician’s name. Then another - internal records.
This wasn’t random. No reporter could have gotten access to this information, not legally.
Someone had fed it to them. Someone with access. Someone inside.
Maybe someone inside the Stone network.
The realization made my blood run cold.
Zade appeared beside me "What happened?"
I silently handed him the tablet.
The further he read, the darker his expression became.
By the end, his jaw was clenched so tightly I thought he might break his teeth. His wolf’s anger practically filled the room.
Without a word, he pulled out his phone, then he dialed.
His beta answered almost immediately.
"Boss?"
"Find whoever leaked this." Zade ordered. "I want names and evidence. I want everything."
"I’m on it."
I reached over and grabbed Zade’s wrist.
His eyes snapped toward me "Don’t. Sophia, don’t"
The room became quiet.
I looked directly into his eyes "I know who this came from."
"You do?"
I nodded slowly "Maybe not the exact person but I know where it came from. It has to be someone inside the Stone circle."
His wolf growled. Mine did too.
For once, both wolves agreed completely.
Zade looked ready to burn down half the city.
"I’ll handle it." he said.
I shook my head. "No."
He frowned "No?"
I slowly lowered his phone "I want to do it."
He stared at me.
I continued "They think I’m weak. They think I’ll be embarrassed."
I felt calm inside me. For the first time in weeks, I wasn’t feeling helpless. I was angry. And anger felt better than pain.
"I’ll expose them." I said. My wolf lifted her head proudly. "On my terms.
Zade lowered the phone. Just like that. He didn’t argue or try to take control. He understood me.
"Okay." He said.
Before I could say another word, my phone rang.
Lance.
I answered immediately "Hello?"
His voice was calm "I saw the article."
I closed my eyes "I’m sorry."
"You have nothing to apologize for."
“It’s embarrassing”
“Don’t be embarrassed. Look, Professor Archer already released a statement."
I blinked in shock "What?"
"He was furious."
I couldn’t help smiling. That sounded exactly like Professor Archer.at least, there were people who defended me,
Lance continued "He publicly defended your character."
My eyes widened "What?"
"He also clarified your academic achievements and he confirmed your PhD position remains reserved."
I felt tears sting my eyes, not from sadness. These were tears of relief.
For the first time all day, I could breathe.
Lance continued talking but I barely heard him.
For the first time since the article appeared, I felt protected, not by one person, but by people who actually knew me.
There were still people who believed in me, who trusted me.
When the call ended, I noticed Zade was watching me.
"Who was it?" he asked.
I smiled slightly "Lance."
His expression didn’t change, not even a little.
"Ah."
That was all he said.
Then he stood up.
I frowned "What are you doing?"
"I’m making breakfast."
I looked at the clock. It was nearly evening.
"Breakfast?" I asked.
He shrugged "Breakfast food is comforting."
With that, he disappeared into the kitchen.
A few seconds later, loud noises started coming from inside. I heard the sounds of cabinet doors, pots, pans drawers...more drawers. In fact, it was a suspicious amount of drawer activity.
I couldn’t stop myself from laughing. My wolf laughed too.
For the first time in what felt like forever, the house didn’t feel heavy.
And from the kitchen, I could hear Zade muttering to himself while aggressively making breakfast.
