Chapter 7
Sophia hovered on the brink of death for hours.
Outside the operating room, Alpha Francis stood vigil, signing one blood–stained critical notice after another, his face ashen with worry. The night dragged on, filled with
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nothing but the hum of machines and the sharp scent of antiseptic.
Finally–finally–the danger passed.
By dawn, Sophia was transferred to a regular ward.
When she slowly opened her eyes, she found her right hand held tightly in a familiar, calloused grip. Alpha Francis sat beside her, his normally sharp, almond–shaped eyes bloodshot with exhaustion. It was clear he hadn’t slept a wink.
He stared at her like she was the only thing keeping him tethered to the world, his gaze thick with emotion–intense, heavy, unshakable. Like a net, it wrapped around her and wouldn’t let go..
She remembered the terrifying moment before she lost consciousness–the rush of cold, the crushing weakness, and then his arms around her as he ran for help. If he
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his arms around her as he ran for help. If he hadn’t gotten her to the hospital in time… she wouldn’t be here now.
Seeing her awake, Alpha Francis stood abruptly and leaned in closer. “You’re awake. How do you feel?”
It had been so long since anyone looked at her like she mattered. Since her parents‘ death, no one had worried for her like this. Not even Lawrence.
Tears welled up in her eyes, unbidden.
Alpha Francis’s expression changed instantly. Panic flickered in his eyes. “What’s wrong? Where does it hurt?” He reached over and hit the call button–once, twice, three times, desperate and frantic.
Sophia let out a soft laugh through her tears. “It’s not that… I just… really want to marry
you!”
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He froze.
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Then, slowly, he bent down until their
foreheads nearly touched, his voice low and rough. “Then let’s get our license today. Right now.”
She blushed, a bit embarrassed. “I… I’m still in the divorce cooling–off period.”
A smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
Before he could say more, the doctor and nurses rushed in, responding to the call. They checked her vitals, examined her carefully, and after a thorough review, nodded in reassurance.
“She needs rest, the doctor said. “But if it’s just for an hour, and she avoids strain, she should be fine.”
Sophia blinked in confusion. “An hour… for what?”
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Alpha Francis didn’t answer. He only looked at the doctor, gave a satisfied nod, and said, “Good.”
That afternoon, he carefully carried her out of the hospital and into the car, not offering any explanation. They drove in silence, the scenery flying past in a blur.
The car finally came to a stop.
At the entrance to the Civil Affairs Bureau.
Sophia barely had time to register the building before the doors opened and out walked Alpha Lawrence and Miranda, smiling brightly, holding freshly printed marriage certificates in their hands.
They had only come on a whim, just to see if the divorce certificate was ready.
To their surprise, it was.
And since they were already there, Miranda
suggested they make it official–why not get
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suggested they make it official–why not get married on the same day?
Now, Miranda giggled as she edited a post on her phone, waving the red certificate at the camera while Alpha Lawrence stood beside her. She captioned the photo:
“After all the twists and turns, I finally ended up with the right one.”
The moment the post went live, a large hand reached into Lawrence’s view and snatched one of the red booklets right out of his hand.
Alpha Lawrence turned and smiled in surprise. “Alpha Francis! You’re here too? Thanks to you, I finally got the divorce. And Miranda and I are officially married!”
Alpha Francis tucked the divorce certificate into his coat pocket with a calm, unreadable expression. “No need to thank me.“”
Lawrence’s smile faltered. “Wait… that’s the
me and Sophia I
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divorce certificate between me and Sophia. I need to give that to her.”
Alpha Francis glanced at him, his voice cold. “No need. I’ll hand it to her myself.”
Then he opened the car door–and carried Sophia out.
She leaned into him naturally, as if this kind of closeness had long become second nature. It was the same intimate pose Lawrence had seen just yesterday, when he’d passed them on the street.
He stared at the pair, then at the bold characters on the building: Civil Affairs Bureau.
A horrifying thought began to form.
His face turned pale.
His hands trembled.
Even his voice shook as he asked. “Sophia…
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what are you doing here with Alpha Francis?”
Still pale and weak, Sophia rested in Alpha Francis’s arms and looked at Lawrence.
Her voice was quiet, but the words hit like a hammer:
“What else do you do at the Civil Affairs Bureau? We’re here to get married.”
