Chapter 61 61
Sofía didn’t sleep at all that night.
Not even for a second.
She lay awake until dawn, her eyes repeatedly darting toward the curtained window… then the door… then back again. Her chest stayed tight, her nerves stretched raw with fear that he would return that the man from her past would barge in and finish what he had tried to take all those years ago.
Morning crept in quietly.
Fernando entered his room and immediately noticed her sitting upright on the bed, her back pressed against the headboard, dark circles shadowing her exhausted eyes. Her skin was pale, almost ghostlike.
“You didn’t sleep?” he asked calmly.
She blinked at him, then nodded faintly.
Without a word, she slipped off the bed and walked out of his room. Fernando didn’t stop her.
What terrified him was how deeply shaken she was.
If they had seen her at his house, then they knew exactly who she was. And that meant her life was no longer just fragile it was in danger.
Clenching his jaw, he forced himself to breathe evenly and began packing his things.
Sofía stood beneath the hot spray of the shower for a long time.
She needed it.
She needed the water to wash away the memory of the red eye, the smile, the terror clawing through her veins. She stayed there longer than usual, letting the warmth seep into her bones, coaxing her racing thoughts into stillness.
Eventually, it worked.
She dressed, dried her hair, and felt steadier when she stepped into the kitchen to make breakfast.
But her mind never stopped spiraling.
Fernando.
What must he be thinking of her now?
She knew—she knew what she saw last night was real. And she couldn’t keep him in the dark. She couldn’t risk his life by staying silent.
She was setting the table when he came downstairs.
They ate quietly, the silence heavy but not hostile. She knew he was waiting, giving her space.
“I’m s-sorry,” she murmured at last.
Fernando paused mid-bite and set his fork down, turning fully toward her. She refused to meet his eyes.
“For what?” he asked gently.
She swallowed, her gaze flicking again toward the windows and door, as if reassurance might be hiding there.
“L-last night,” she whispered.
“What happened last night?”
The question was calm, simple but just hearing it made her breath quicken.
“T-there… there was s-someone outside.”
The words scraped painfully from her throat.
Fernando’s jaw clenched.
He hated this hated seeing her like this.
“We’re leaving,” he said evenly.
Her brows knitted together. “W-what?”
“Pack your important things. We’re going on vacation for a few days.”
Her eyes widened. She blinked several times, trying to process it.
A vacation.
A chance to run. To avoid reality. To gather the courage she desperately needed.
Because deep down, she knew the truth.
That man was back.
He’d come to take what he never managed to claim before and this time, she knew he wouldn’t fail. He would kill her. And the most unbearable part was knowing she couldn’t fight him.
And if she stayed with Fernando… then his life would be forfeit too.
She couldn’t allow that.
Her eyes burned at the thought of leaving him but if abandoning him meant saving his life, then she would do it without hesitation. Leaving without explanation would be easier. If he hated her, at least he’d be alive.
She swallowed the tears threatening to spill and forced herself to sound normal.
“Why do you wear this all the time?” she asked suddenly, pointing to the wolf pendant at his neck.
“These are my roots,” he replied quietly so softly she didn’t hear him.
Then he turned the question on her, gesturing toward the heart-shaped pendant resting against her chest. “Why do you wear that?”
A small smile curved her lips. “It was my mom’s. It gives me strength.”
He nodded once.
“Pack your things, Ana. We’re leaving this evening.”
Confused but compliant, she said nothing and obeyed.
In her room, she broke.
She cried like a child, shoulders shaking, grief ripping through her chest. Just when she had found happiness, fate had decided to steal it away. She hadn’t even fully loved him yet and now she had to leave him.
Cruel.
So cruel.
By evening, Fernando loaded their suitcases into the car, and soon they were driving away from the city. It was winter break for both of them the perfect time for a getaway, and the worst possible time for goodbye.
“Where are we going?” she asked softly.
He glanced at her briefly. Her eyes were puffy, but thankfully he didn’t notice how long she’d cried.
“To the magical world,” he replied calmly.
She frowned. “I’m serious.”
“And I’m not joking,” he said lightly.
Despite herself, she let out a small giggle. The situation wasn’t funny but he was.
“I’m hungry,” she muttered.
“There’s food in the red basket,” he said, nodding toward the backseat.
She frowned. She hadn’t packed any food.
“I ordered it,” he added, as if reading her mind.
She nodded and ate quietly, stealing glances at him burning every detail of his face into her memory.
He was taking her on vacation.
And she was planning to disappear.
“Rest assured, doll,” he said suddenly, his deep voice catching her off guard. “I’m all yours.”
Her eyes widened, heat flooding her cheeks. She’d been caught staring.
Then
A massive, bear-like figure lunged into the road.
Sofía screamed as Fernando swerved sharply, the car veering off the road and plunging straight into the forest.