Chapter 186
SOPHIA’S POV
My chest felt tight, as if something inside me was slowly breaking apart, piece by piece, and I didn’t have the strength to hold it together anymore.
I told myself I was fine, that I had already chosen this path, but the ache in my heart refused to listen.
I closed my eyes for a moment, and Damien’s face appeared in my mind without permission. In my mind, I saw the way he had looked at Tiffany, the softness in his eyes, the way he was gentle with her.
The scenes replayed over and over again. I swallowed hard, trying to push the images away, but the more I resisted, the stronger they became. It hurt more than I wanted to admit, more than I thought it would, even after everything that had already happened between us.
Before I could gather myself, I suddenly felt something warm over my shoulders. The unexpected warmth made me freeze for a second, and I turned around.
Zade was standing behind me.
“You’re freezing,” he said quietly.
I opened my mouth as if to protest, but no words came out, and I didn’t have the energy to push him away. Instead, I just stood there.
“I’m fine,” I murmured weakly, even though it was obvious I wasn’t.
“You’re not fine,” he said firmly.
Before I could react, he reached out and pulled me into his arms.
I stiffened for a brief moment out of habit. My body reacted before my mind could catch up. But then something inside me gave in, and the tension slowly melted away. I didn’t resist him this time. Instead, I leaned into him.
My forehead rested lightly against his chest as his arms wrapped around me.
His embrace was different from Damien’s. It wasn’t distant. It was protective and warm.
I could hear his heartbeat. For the first time that night, the noise in my head quieted, even if it was only a little.
“Don’t do this to yourself,” Zade said softly above me. His hand moved gently over my back, as if he was trying to calm me down. “Don’t suffer because of him. He’s not worth it p>
I knew he was right, or at least part of me knew, but letting go wasn’t as easy as saying it out loud
“I’m not I started, but my voice broke halfway through, and I couldn’t finish the sentence. The truth felt too heavy to speak.
Zade sighed quietly, and I felt his chin rest lightly against the top of my head. “You don’t have to lie,” he murmured. “Not to me p>
His words made my chest ache even more, but this time it wasn’t just pain. It was something softer, something I didn’t know how to deal with. I stayed there, in his arms, longer than I should have, longer than I ever would have allowed before.
Slowly, I tilted my head up, looking at him. His eyes were darker than usual. They were filled with an intensity that made it hard to look away. For a brief moment, everything around us seemed to disappear, leaving only the two of us.
His hand moved to my face. His fingers brushed lightly against my cheek.
My breath caught in my throat, and I felt my heart skip a beat. The way he was looking at me made my cheeks warm.
Zade leaned in slightly, closing the distance between us. My body tensed again, but I didn’t move away. I could feel his breath, warm against my skin, and my heart started racing uncontrollably.
For a second, I thought he was going to kiss me.
And I didn’t stop him.
That realization shocked me more than anything else. I should have pushed him away, should have said something, but I just stood there, frozen, caught in the moment.
Then, just as his lips were about to touch mine, he stopped.
He closed his eyes tightly for a second, as if he was fighting something inside himself. Then, he pulled back abruptly.
The sudden distance left me feeling strangely empty.
I was confused. Why did he pull away?
“I can’t,” he said quietly. He ran a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated with himself. “Not like this p>
I blinked, still trying to process what had just happened.
“What I whispered.
Zade looked at me again.
“I don’t want to take advantage of you,” he said honestly. “Not when you’re like this. Not when you’re hurting p>
His words surprised me. I had expected many things from Zade, but not this – not restraint, not respect.
“I’m not that kind of man,” he continued “Even if I want to be p>
I didn’t know what to say. My thoughts were a mess, and my emotions were confusing.
He gently lifted my chin, forcing me to look at him.
“Sophia,” he said softly “I love you p>
The words hit me harder than anything else that night. My eyes widened slightly, and my breath caught in my throat.
I stared at him. For a moment, I wasn’t sure I had heard him correctly.
“I mean it,” he continued. “I’m not playing with you. I’m not chasing you just because I’m bored or because I want something I can’t have p>
My heart started beating faster again, but this time it wasn’t just confusion. It was something deeper, something that made me feel vulnerable.
“I want to give you everything he never did,” Zade said “I want to be there for you. I want to protect you. I want to make you happy p>
I didn’t know how to respond. No one had ever said something like that to me so directly, so openly.
“I I started, but I couldn’t finish.
My cheeks felt warm, and I looked away, suddenly feeling shy.
What was wrong with me?
Zade didn’t push me for an answer. Instead, he just sighed softly and stepped back, giving me space again.
“You don’t have to say anything right now,” he said gently. “I just needed you to know p>
He gestured toward the door behind me.
“Come on,” he said. “Let’s go back inside p>
I nodded slowly. my mind was still trying to process everything that had just happened.
Together, we walked back into the banquet hall.
Inside, the atmosphere was lively. People were gathered in groups, laughing and talking.
As soon as I stepped in, my eyes found Damien.
He was standing near the center of the room, with Tiffany by his side. People surrounded them, praising them, complimenting how well they looked together. Their voices were filled with admiration, calling them a perfect match.
“They look so good together p>
“Such a beautiful couple p>
“Honestly, they’re made for each other p>
I forced myself to stay calm. I kept my expression neutral. I had already expected this. It shouldn’t hurt anymore.
Then, suddenly, another voice cut through the crowd.
“That’s enough p>
The room fell quiet for a moment as everyone turned to look.
The voice belonged to Ken. He stepped forward. His expression was calm but his presence immediately drew attention.
“I think you’re all forgetting something,” he said.
His eyes moved to me before returning to the crowd.
“Sophia is still here,” he continued. “And she deserves respect p>
People started murmuring. Some people looked at each other with confusion.
Ken’s eyes moved toward Damien. “If anyone here thinks it’s acceptable to treat her unfairly, they should think again p>
He turned slightly toward me. His expression softened just a little.
“If anyone gives you trouble,” he said clearly, “you can come to me p>
The atmosphere grew tense. I could feel all eyes on me, on Damien, on Tiffany.
And just like that, everything changed.