Chapter 201
SOPHIA’S POV
I hadn’t slept all night.
My body felt heavy, my eyes burned, and my head throbbed, but none of that mattered the moment I noticed the change.
Ashley’s breathing had slowed.
I leaned forward slightly and touched her forehead. The moment my fingers touched her skin, I froze. The heat was still there, but it wasn’t as intense as before.
It was lower, calmer, like her body had finally started to win the fight.
I let out a deep breath, one I didn’t even realize I had been holding.
“Ashley I whispered softly.
My wolf stirred again, but this time it wasn’t restless. It was calm, alert, watching over her like it had been all night. The tension inside me eased just a little, though not completely.
Ashley’s eyelids fluttered slowly, then opened.
For a second, her gaze was unfocused, still caught between sleep and waking. Then her eyes found me.
“Mom she said weakly.
The word was soft, fragile, but it still reached me deeply. It didn’t sound forced this time. It didn’t sound hesitant. It sounded… natural.
“I’m here,” I replied gently, leaning closer.
She blinked slowly. “I’m hungry,” she murmured.
I felt relief so suddenly that it almost made me dizzy.
“What do you want to eat?” I asked softly.
She thought for a moment. “Fish… porridge p>
I smiled, brushing a strand of hair away from her face.
“Okay,” I said. “I’ll make it for you p>
Her eyes softened slightly, and she nodded. She still looked tired.
“I’ll be back soon,” I added.
She didn’t protest. That alone told me how much better she was feeling.
I stood up slowly. My body protested from the long night, but I ignored it. I glanced at Damien, who was sitting on the other side of the room. His eyes were on Ashley, but his expression shifted slightly when he noticed me.
“She’s better,” I said quietly.
“Yeah p>
“I’m going home to make her something to eat,” I added.
He didn’t object.
“I’ll stay here,” he said.
I nodded then turned and walked out of the room.
The hospital corridor felt quieter in the morning. The tension from the night had faded.
My wolf was quiet now, but I could still feel it watching, alert, as if it didn’t fully trust that everything was okay yet.
When I got into the car, my body finally started to feel the exhaustion I had been ignoring. My hands felt weak against the steering wheel, and my eyes stung from lack of sleep. But I couldn’t rest.
Ashley was waiting. That was all that mattered.
When I arrived at the villa, everything felt strangely normal. The house was quiet, as if nothing had happened the night before. But to me, everything had changed.
I walked inside quickly, heading straight to the kitchen.
I moved quickly, gathering the ingredients I needed – rice, fresh fish, a few simple seasonings. I started cooking but my mind was still at the hospital.
I kept thinking about Ashley’s face when she woke up. I thought of the way she called me “Mom.”, the way she asked for food.
It had been such a small moment, but it meant everything to me.
I prepared the fish, making sure it was clean and soft enough for her.
Every step mattered. Every detail mattered.
My wolf stayed close. She was focused like it was helping me, guiding me to do this right.
“This is for her,” I whispered softly to myself.
As the porridge cooked, the scent began to fill the air. It was simple and comforting. I stirred it slowly, making sure the texture was smooth, easy for her to eat.
For the first time since the night before, I felt a small sense of peace.
Then, a sudden noise broke it.
Before I could react, something hit my arm hard. The pot slipped.
The bowl I had just poured the porridge into tipped over, crashing onto the floor. The hot porridge spilled everywhere, spreading across the tiles.
I froze.
For a second, I didn’t understand what had happened. Then I turned. Tasha stood there.
Her expression was unreadable, but there was something cold in her eyes.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
She crossed her arms casually. “Oops. Did I do that p>
My chest tightened. My blood boiled with anger.
“You knocked it over,” I said.
She shrugged. “It was in my way p>
Anger flared inside me instantly. I clenched my fists, trying to control myself.
“That was for Ashley,” I said.
“And?” she replied in a dismissive tone. “It’s just food. You can make another one p>
Something inside me snapped.
“You did that on purpose,” I said.
Tasha smiled “Do you have proof p>
I stepped forward without thinking. I had the urge to crack her head against the wall but I kept myself from lashing out. My daughter was still in the hospital and she needed me.
“You think this is funny?” I asked.
She didn’t move.
“If you’re done acting, you should clean it up,” she said coldly.
Before I could stop myself, I reached out and grabbed her arm.
“You’re going too far,” I said through clenched teeth.
Her expression changed instantly.
“Let go of me,” she snapped.
“No p>
She pushed me suddenly.
I stumbled back slightly. My already exhausted body struggled to keep balance.
“You’re the one going too far,” she said loudly now. “Don’t touch me p>
My wolf stirred again. This time she was angry, ready to react.
“Don’t play games with me,” I said, stepping forward again.
She shoved me harder this time. I grabbed her wrist again, and suddenly, we were struggling. I pushed her and she pushed me back. We kept going.
“Stop it!” she shouted.
“You started this!” I shot back.
At that moment, the front door opened. Damien walked in.
We both froze.
Tasha reacted instantly. She pulled away from me and stumbled backward. Her expression changed completely. Her eyes filled with tears as if they had been waiting to appear.
“Damien!” she cried. “She pushed me p>
I stared at her in disbelief. What the p>
“That’s not what happened-” I started.
“Enough,” Damien growled.
He walked toward us. His eyes moved between us quickly before settling on me.
“What did you do?” he asked me.
I felt my chest tighten again.
“I didn’t-” I tried to explain.
“She attacked me,” Tasha said quickly, her voice shaking. “I didn’t even do anything p>
“That’s a lie,” I said immediately.
But Damien didn’t look convinced. He wouldn’t believe me. I knew it.
“Tasha wouldn’t lie about something like this,” he said.
The words hit me like a slap.
“And I would? You didn’t even ask what happened,” I said
“I can see what happened,” he replied.
“No, you can’t,” I said.
He frowned. “Sophia, this isn’t the time for this p>
I let out a bitter laugh. “Of course, it isn’t p>
“Tasha is a guest here,” he continued. “You need to tolerate her p>
I stared at him in shock.
“Tolerate her?” I repeated.
“Yes,” he said firmly.
The room felt suffocating.
I looked at him, really looked at him, and something inside me broke completely.