Chapter 19: Fainting

The moment Sophie saw the number, her eyes burned. The weight of exhaustion, frustration, and weeks of pressure finally broke loose.

She bit down hard on her lip, fighting back the tears threatening to spill.

Within seconds she slipped into the empty break room, her fingers trembling as she opened her banking app. She located the familiar account and wired exactly three hundred thousand dollars.

When she hit "Confirm," the burden she'd carried for months collapsed in an instant.

She sent Laura a message: [Mom, I've wired the money. Make sure he pays off the debt. Don't let him do something like this again.]

Her phone buzzed almost immediately—a long voice message full of gratitude. Sophie didn't open it.

She typed another: [I'm broke now. If anything like this comes up again, don't ask me. This is the last time. Think of it as paying back the years you raised me.]

Minutes later, more messages appeared.

Sophie glanced at them. Laura's tone had shifted—gratitude replaced with sharp accusation, like she'd lost her personal ATM.

[Yes, I know you didn't want to send the three hundred thousand, but is that all I'm worth after raising you all these years?]

[Do you have a conscience? Have I ever let you go without food or clothes?]

[Ungrateful brat!]

There were more insults. Sophie didn't bother reading them.

She leaned against the cold wall, eyes closed, feeling the world tilt.

That night's celebration was at the Grand Globe Hotel's rooftop revolving restaurant.

The atmosphere was electric. Everyone was riding the high of victory.

As one of the project's key players, Sophie became the center of countless toasts.

"Sophie, you pulled off a miracle! This one's for you!"

"You're incredible! I'm sticking with you from now on!"

She forced a smile, holding a glass of juice, responding politely to each person.

She had no appetite. Days of sleepless nights had left a dull ache pulsing at her temples.

Sebastian, the boss, spoke only once at the start—"Enjoy yourselves"—then sat at the head of the table, quietly cutting into his steak, removed from the noise.

But his gaze never left the woman smiling in the crowd.

She'd put on light makeup to hide the fatigue, but the shadows under her eyes and the pale lips couldn't be concealed.

Her smile was flawless, but it never reached her eyes—like a paper flower ready to crumble.

"Come on, everyone, a toast to Sophie! Without her, this project wouldn't have been such a success!" the project manager called.

Glasses lifted, eyes turned toward her.

Sophie rose, trying to raise her glass. But her arm felt weighed down by steel.

Laughter around her blurred, muffled, as though behind glass.

The floor seemed to sway. Her vision doubled.

"Sophie? What's wrong? You look pale," a colleague asked, concerned.

She tried to say she was fine, but no sound came.

The room spun. Darkness closed in. Her body swayed.

A shout broke through the noise.

Before anyone could react, a tall figure moved fast.

Sebastian reached her in time, scooping her into his arms before she hit the floor.

She was light as air, her forehead burning against his palm.

Holding her, his usually cold face showed something new—anger, and a flicker of panic he didn't recognize.

"Don't just stand there! Keys!" His voice was sharp as he barked at Aiden and the others.

Without waiting, he strode toward the elevator.

She lay still against his chest, so fragile she felt like she could shatter. His arms tightened instinctively.

Across town, Emma sat in her luxury apartment, scrolling through her phone in boredom.

Sebastian had cut her off from the outside world, leaving only Aiden to deliver supplies.

She hated it. She called Aiden almost daily, fishing for news about Sebastian.

Her phone rang just as Aiden was checking Sophie into the hospital.

"Aiden," Emma's voice was soft, wounded. "I... I'm not feeling well. Could you bring me some medicine?"

Aiden was distracted, his mind elsewhere. "Ms. Roberts, sorry. Mr. Carter has an urgent matter. I can't leave right now."

Emma caught the key word instantly. "What happened to Sebastian? Is he alright?"

"Mr. Carter's fine," Aiden said, already impatient. "Sophie collapsed at the celebration dinner. He brought her to the hospital. I'm here now—"

The line went dead.

Hospital. Sophie. Celebration.

The words exploded in Emma's mind, forming a picture that made her blood boil.

Alone together. At a hospital. She couldn't let Sophie have that chance.

Her eyes hardened. She grabbed a pillow, pressing it to her face. When she spoke again, her voice carried genuine pain and short, uneven breaths.

She called Aiden back.

"Aiden... I... can't breathe..."

Aiden froze. One way or another, Emma had been tied to Sebastian. If something happened to her, he'd be held responsible.

"Stay calm, I'll come get you right now!"

"No... no need," Emma's voice was weaker now, but she gave an address with exact precision. "I'm almost at Saint Vale General Hospital."

Aiden's stomach dropped.

That was exactly where they were.

Sebastian had just settled Sophie into a bed, made sure the nurse started an IV, and stepped out into the hall. His expression was dark.

He leaned against the wall, fingers still remembering the heat of her skin.

Sophie worked like a soldier who didn't care about her own survival, but when she fell, she was breakable as glass.

He thought of her eyes flashing in defiance days ago in the car, and then at her now—silent, pale—something restless began to stir inside him.

Aiden appeared, supporting a pale, wavering woman.

"Mr. Carter, Ms. Roberts..."

Sebastian's gaze landed on Emma. His brow furrowed.

"Sebastian," she breathed, eyes glistening as if he were her only anchor. She reached for him, weakly. "I feel awful... dizzy..."

He stepped back, avoiding her touch.

The familiar, deliberate scent of her perfume hit him, and his body recoiled.