Chapter 65
Letícia Bliss
I still felt sick for keeping things from her.
For looking Sofia straight in the eyes, the kindest, most stubborn person I knew, and hiding what she begged me to tell her.
But there was no other solution.
I had to do it to protect her.
I've accepted that now, what's done is done, even though inside... I was a mess... A storm inside me.
When Aunt Marta called that morning, talking about Uncle Joseph’s transfer, I already knew.
There was something in her voice… the way she said it — it wasn’t just a hospital update.
She wanted me to go with Sofia. She wanted me to stay by her side... Well... of course I would.
When I asked, she explained everything about the hospital, the payments, and Sofia's boss.
And when Aunt Marta said his name, Adrian Valehart, I swear, I couldn’t believe it.
I never imagined that they were so close after all. I still didn’t understand why, but I knew something bigger was going on behind.
Then, after talking to Aunt Marta and asking Sofia, so I could go along, we made the trip.
At the clinic, when the doors opened and I saw the stretcher being rolled, I froze.
My uncle…
The strong, calm man I remembered from my childhood was unrecognizable.
His neck was bandaged. Bruises covered his arms. His body looked… broken.
I glanced at Sofia immediately.
The hopeful smile she’d been holding onto slowly faded until it was gone completely.
And right there, in front of that stretcher, I saw it happen.
Her happiness shattered.
She stood still, her eyes wide, her body frozen... Her breathing was heavy.
I put my hand on her shoulder and tried to whisper something... something comforting... but it didn't work. It was as if my voice had... disappeared.
She couldn't take her eyes off him.
And so did I... I alternated between looking at him and her.
That's when something caught our attention.
Aunt Marta... She appeared and ran in, looking nervous and white as a sheet.
She went straight to Sofia and tried to hug her.
But Sofia…
Sofia wasn’t just a scared girl anymore.
When she grabbed Aunt Marta’s arms and demanded answers, I saw it.
That flicker. That light in her eyes.
The same one her mother used to have.
That "thing" that lived inside them both.
For a second, my whole body shivered.
And I remembered who Sofia really was.
"Is she... waking up?" I asked myself.
She was Serena’s daughter, after all.
And no one... not even I, could hide it forever.
Touched her shoulder, trying to calm her down.
"Sofia, calm down, please... "
I whispered, feeling fear consume me completely.
She took a deep breath, her expression still fixed on her aunt's face, but gradually she began to relax... Her face softened a little.
When she let go of Marta's arms, I was finally able to breathe easier.
For a moment, I feared that something terrible might happen.
We went together to the room.
The silence was heavy.
Sofia walked a few steps ahead, squeezing the bag against her chest.
When we enter, we feel the cold air hitting our skin.
Uncle Joseph was still, his face serene, calm.
I ran to him and pulled the sheet, trying to cover the bruises.
I didn’t want Sofia to see that.
Even though she has seen everything.
My gaze crossed with that of Aunt Marta, and she turned away.
Was there something she was hiding?
Something I didn’t know either?
Damn it...
Why didn't she tell me on the phone that he was like this?
Did she really think I wouldn't notice?
I stood by the bed and noticed his very slow breathing.
I felt a pang of guilt and fear, the kind of fear that comes when we know too much and also... when we don't know enough.
When I turned around, I saw Sofia sitting there, holding a photo in her hands.
The eyes swollen, the body shrunk, in silence.
I took one step. Then another. Until I sat down beside her.
I wanted to say something, anything, but nothing came out.
How can you make someone feel better if they are hiding from their own truth?
Well... That was a good question.
That's when I heard it... I think everyone heard it.
The sound was... A hoarse, weak moan... and it was coming from the bed.
Sofia was the first to move. She jumped up, stood up.
Her eyes wide.
“Dad?” Her voice faltered, she was trembling... As if she couldn't believe what she had heard.
We rushed toward him.
Joseph stirred, slowly, his face tightening in pain.
Their fingers were intertwined. His chest rose and fell violently.
“Dad...” Sofia whispered, holding his hand, she smiled nervously, she was trembling. “I'm your daughter, Sofia.”
I felt my throat slowly close up.
I thought he would smile back, maybe pull her close, or say how much he missed her. And how happy he was to see her again.
Then... the answer came.
He opened his eyes.
Tired eyes, very red... And I saw how empty they were, without any emotion... empathy, nothing.
My heart sank and I... took a step back.
And he murmured, “...Serena.”
The name.
Her mother’s name.
Sofia blinked, confused. Her smile faltered.
“No, Dad… it’s me… Sofia…”
But his face hardened, confusion turning into coldness.
His tone changed too, rough, distant.
“You...What are you doing here?”
He yanked his hand away from hers.
She flinched, like she’d just been struck.
“Dad…” her voice broke. “What’s… what’s wrong with you? Why are you—why are you doing this?”
He turned his face away.
Didn’t answer.
Didn’t even look at her again.
Sofia began to cry, the tears running faster and faster.
And I, not knowing what to do, just held her arm, trying to get her out of there.
"Come on, Sofia... " I muttered, pulling it softly. "Let’s let him rest a little, okay? He just woke up, he must be confused..."
She didn't say anything, she just kept looking at him, the man she loved most... But he... was just staring at the wall as if she didn't exist.
And that... She knew it hurt her deeply.
When he finally took a step, he let himself be guided by pure instinct.
We left the room and, before the door closed, I saw Aunt Marta going to the bed, it seemed like she was trying to talk to him... But I didn't know what it was... I couldn't hear what they were saying.
But the way he turned his face to her... In a cold, distant way, as if he wasn't there, but... Someone else.
That made me understand that not even she had control over what was happening.
I walked with Sofia to the hall, and I could feel how trembling I was.
And so do I.
She leaned against the wall, in tears, and I hugged her hard.
She cried low, her face buried in her hands.
And I didn’t know what to say, just kept looking forward, trying to understand what the hell was going on. What was all that?
Joseph would never treat his daughter that way.
Never.
He loved her more than anything, I was sure of it.
Or was he... maybe not the same?
I looked at the end of the corridor, at the glass that reflected the clinic outside, and a horrible feeling began to spread inside me.
The same thought that had been chasing me since the moment I saw that body full of marks:
" There’s something wrong behind all this."
I sighed, passing one of my hands on the face.
Nothing made sense.
Because if Uncle Joseph was trying to avoid his own daughter, it was for a much greater reason than pain or regret.
Of this, I was sure.