Chapter 37
Henry’s POV:
My footsteps echoed through the corridors, my usual composed demeanor cracking with each passing minute. I stalked through the hospital, searching for my wayward wife.
“Sit, a young nurse called out timidly, the west wing is off–limits during
“I don’t care,” I snapped, my perfectly tailored suit at odds with my frazzled state. William’s demands rang in my care: Find Sophis, Bring her here tone,
My phone buzzed for the tenth time. Without checking the caller ID), I harked into the receiver, “Where are you?
The silence on the other end stretched for a heartbeat too long before Isabella’s trembling voice responded, ‘Henty? What’s wrong? Did… did I do something?”
A muffled sob carried through the line, making my jaw clench. I pressed my fingers against my temple, frustration mounting. “I ask one simple question, and you start crying?”
“Henry, Isabella’s voice trembled with practiced vulnerability, “you’ve changed. You never used to speak to me this way. Is it because of her? Because of what she said about us?”
“Isabella. My tone carried a warning. “Don’t start.”
“But I love you so much,‘ she whispered, her voice breaking. “And lately, you’ve been so distant. Like you’re slipping away from me…
“I’m in the middle of something, I cut her off, my patience wearing thin. “We’ll talk later.”
“I… I just want to stay with you!” Isabella’s voice cracked with hurt before the line went dead.
I stared at the darkened screen, bafflement replacing my irritation. Had I said something particularly harsh? Isabella’s tears, once so moving, now felt performative, exhausting. When had that changed?
In William’s VIP suite, my grandfather’s face turned thunderous at the sight of me entering alone. “What are you doing here?” he roared, veins standing out on his forehead. “Get out!”
“Grandpa, please calm- I began, only to duck as a perfectly polished apple whistled past my ear.
“OUT!” His voice carried decades of authority. “You useless…” He grabbed another apple from the bedside basket. “Where’s Sophia? I want Sophia!*
“Grandfather, your blood pressure-”
To hell with my blood pressure!” His chest heaved with exertion. “I won’t take another pill until Sophia’s here! Get out of my sight, you worthless excuse for a grandson!”
“Grandpa, my voice held barely contained frustration, Sophia isn’t answering her phone. I can’t just magically make her appear.”
‘Because you drove her away!” He slammed his fist against the bedside table, rattling the medical equipment. “Five years! Five years I’ve watched you treat that girl like dirt while chasing after Isabella Scott./And now you have the audacity to stand there and make excuses?”
“You don’t understand-”
I understand perfectly!” His face turned an alarming shade of red. “Sophia is worth ten Isabellas, but you’re too blind to see it. She takes care of this family, of Billy, of me – while your precious Isabella does nothing but cause trouble!”
“Don’t bring Isabella into this,” I warned, my composure finally cracking.
“Why not? Afraid to hear the truth?” His laugh was bitter. “At least Sophia has real strength. She doesn’t need to play weak and helpless to get attention.
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Chapter 37
Now get out and don’t come hack without her!
I retreated to the doorway, maintaining my composure through years of practice. Fine, I’m going. Just please don’t get too excited?
‘GET OUT!‘ Another apple crashed against the closing door.
Sophia’s POV:
Meanwhile, in a locked women’s restroom, I pressed my palm against the unyielding door, fighting down panic. My phone showed no signal, and my increasingly desperate calls for help had gone unanswered.
The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead as I assessed my situation. The door wouldn’t budge, and the silence beyond suggested this section of the hospital was deserted. My eyes caught on the window – small, but not impossibly so.
A stainless steel support bracket jutted from the window’s upper right corner. Beyond it, I could see the open window of the hospital corridor. It wasn’t far, perhaps fifteen feet at most. The drop below, however…
Don’t look down, I told myself, carefully climbing onto the window ledge. Just don’t look down.
My fingers found the bracket, testing its strength. The metal was cold and solid under my grip. Taking a deep breath, I began inching sideways, trying to ignore the way my arms trembled with effort.
One hand over the other, keeping my body pressed against the building’s facade. The wind tugged at my clothes, threatening my already precarious balance. Sweat made my palms slick despite the winter chill.
After what felt like hours but couldn’t have been more than minutes, my reaching fingers found the corridor window frame. With a final surge of desperate strength, I pulled myself through, collapsing onto the polished floor just as voices approached around the corner.
“You’re sure Sophia Wilson is locked in that bathroom?” a woman’s voice asked. “No one will let her out?”
go near it until tonight at least.” “Absolutely,” came the smug reply. “I put up an ‘Out of Order‘ sign. Neither maintenance nor cleaning staff will
“Perfect. Miss Scott will be pleased. She promised to put in a good word with Mr. Harding about your promotion.”
“But what if Mrs. Harding tells someone about this?” The second voice held a note of anxiety. “She seems… different lately. Not as easy to push around.*
‘Don’t worry about that.” The first voice dripped with confidence. “Miss Scott has it all planned out. Even if she talks, who would believe her? Besides, this is just the beginning. Miss Scott says Mrs. Harding needs to learn her place – properly this time.”
Their footsteps faded down the corridor, leaving me trembling in the shadows.
not out of concern, but because William demanded it. And Somewhere in this labyrinth of corridors and secrets, Henry was probably still searching for me – Isabella… Isabella was weaving her web tighter, ensuring I remained exactly where she wanted me: trapped, isolated, powerless.
I pushed myself to my feet, I was done being anyone’s victim.
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