A Heart in Denial

Everything hurt.
The first thing Sofia became aware of was the sharp pain in her shoulder.
The second was the steady beeping of a machine somewhere nearby.
Slowly, she opened her eyes.
A white ceiling greeted her.
Hospital.
The memory of the hotel flooded back instantly.
Victor.
The gunshot.
Adrian.
Her heart skipped.
She turned her head and immediately winced from the pain.
Then she saw him.
Adrian sat beside her hospital bed.
His head rested against the chair.
His eyes were closed.
For the first time since meeting him, he looked peaceful.
Human.
Vulnerable.
Sofia stared at him quietly.
His shirt was wrinkled.
The bruises on his face were still visible.
And judging by the untouched coffee on the table, he hadn't left her side.
The realization warmed her chest.
As if sensing her gaze, Adrian suddenly opened his eyes.
For a second, relief flashed across his face.
Then his usual cold expression returned.
"You're awake."
Sofia smiled weakly.
"Good morning to you too."
Adrian exhaled heavily.
"You scared everyone."
Everyone.
Not me.
Everyone.
Sofia almost laughed.
Even now, he refused to admit what he felt.
A doctor entered moments later.
After checking her injury, he gave a reassuring smile.
"The bullet passed through without damaging anything serious."
Sofia relaxed slightly.
"How long have I been here?"
"Two days."
Her eyes widened.
"Two days?"
The doctor nodded.
"You'll need rest, but you'll recover fully."
After he left, silence settled between her and Adrian.
Finally, Sofia spoke.
"You stayed."
Adrian looked away.
"There wasn't much else to do."
The lie was terrible.
Even Sofia knew it.
Before she could respond, the hospital door opened again.
A familiar woman stepped inside.
Selena.
The room instantly became tense.
Selena froze when she saw Sofia awake.
Then relief flooded her face.
"Oh thank God."
Sofia smiled politely.
"I'm okay."
Selena nodded.
But Sofia noticed something strange.
Selena looked exhausted.
Like she hadn't slept in days.
Dark circles rested beneath her eyes.
Her hands trembled slightly.
Something was wrong.
Adrian noticed too.
"What happened?"
Selena hesitated.
Then she looked toward the closed door.
"We need to talk."
Adrian immediately stood.
Sofia expected them to leave.
Instead, Selena spoke quietly.
"Sofia should hear this too."
A bad feeling settled inside Sofia's stomach.
Adrian clearly felt it as well.
"What is it?"
Selena took a deep breath.
"Victor isn't after revenge."
Silence.
Adrian frowned.
"What?"
Selena looked directly at him.
"Not entirely."
Sofia's pulse quickened.
Selena's expression became serious.
"Years ago, before my accident, I found something."
"What?"
"A file."
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
"What file?"
Selena swallowed.
"The evidence Victor went to prison for."
The room became completely silent.
Sofia frowned.
"I thought your father gave that evidence to the police."
"He did," Selena replied.
"But there was another copy."
Fear slowly crept into Adrian's expression.
"And Victor thinks you still have it."
Selena nodded.
"That's why he's after me."
Everything suddenly started making sense.
The kidnapping.
The threats.
The obsession.
Victor wasn't just seeking revenge.
He was searching for something.
Something he believed Selena possessed.
Adrian ran a hand through his hair.
"You should've told me this earlier."
Selena's eyes filled with guilt.
"I was trying to protect you."
Adrian laughed bitterly.
"Look how well that worked."
The tension between them felt heavy.
Painful.
Years of history hung between every word.
Sofia looked away.
She suddenly felt like an outsider again.
A third wheel in someone else's story.
Then Selena surprised her.
"I'm sorry."
Sofia blinked.
"What?"
Selena looked directly at her.
"For everything."
Sofia didn't know how to respond.
Selena smiled sadly.
"You didn't deserve any of this."
Before anyone could say more, Adrian's phone rang.
He answered immediately.
"Yes?"
His expression darkened.
"What happened?"
A long pause followed.
Then he stood abruptly.
"When?"
Sofia's stomach dropped.
Bad news.
Definitely bad news.
Adrian ended the call slowly.
"What is it?" Selena asked.
His eyes moved toward them.
Then he spoke.
"Victor attacked one of our warehouses."
Silence.
"And?"
Adrian's jaw tightened.
"He stole something."
Fear flashed across Selena's face.
"What?"
Adrian looked directly at her.
"A file."
The color drained from Selena's face.
Because they all knew exactly which file Victor was looking for.
And if he had finally found it...
Everything was about to get much worse.

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