Chapter 193

"I never imagined he would treat me like this..."

"I know. I understand." Noah smiled gently. "If you don't love Liam, of course, you wouldn't love me either."

"Sophia, I never expected you to fall for me."

"But I was convinced by your sincerity, and I'm willing to do anything for you."

"Don't worry, I would never hurt you or force you into anything you don't want."

"Never."

Tears welled in Sophia’s eyes. "Thank you, Noah. I’ll take care of you."

And she did.

Noah spent two weeks in the hospital, and Sophia never left his side.

She even tossed his phone away, cutting off all outside contact.

Yet, on the day of his discharge, a group of burly men intercepted them at the hospital entrance, forcing them into a sleek black van.

Noah was still weak from his illness, and Sophia, pregnant, had no strength to resist.

Their mouths were taped shut as the van sped toward a desolate cliff.

"Next year today will be your death anniversary," a man in black sunglasses sneered coldly.

Sophia trembled.

Noah pulled her close, his voice steady. "If we’re going to die, at least tell us—who wants us dead?"

"Who else? The marriage you ruined. Didn’t you realize?" The man signaled to his men.

With brutal force, they shoved Sophia and Noah over the edge.

Sophia’s scream echoed through the air—

"Ethan—!"

The men left without a backward glance, returning to Harborview City to collect their payment.

But fate had other plans.

Sophia and Noah landed on a truck piled high with soft hay, cushioning their fall.

A month later, they relocated to an even more remote town—Willowbrook County.

Sophia appreciated the isolation. No one would find them here.

The only regret? She couldn’t visit her mother’s grave.

But survival came first.

Especially with the baby growing inside her.

After settling in, Noah took Sophia to the local maternity hospital for her first prenatal checkup.

The doctor confirmed the baby was thriving.

Despite everything, life persisted.

Time passed swiftly.

Sophia adjusted to small-town life, finding comfort in its simplicity.

Six months later, her due date arrived.

That morning, while watering the vegetable garden behind their cottage, a sharp pain struck her abdomen.

She called out to Noah, who was working nearby.

"Brother... I think the baby’s coming."

Five Years Later

The afternoon sun draped Sophia’s slender frame in golden light as she stood on the construction site, helmet secured, directing workers with quiet confidence.

"Ms. Montgomery, your design saved us a fortune," the site manager, Gregory Wilson, praised. "The materials are better, the costs are lower—homeowners are buying units based on your plans alone."

Sophia smiled modestly. "Please, just call me Sophia. I don’t have an official engineering title."

"Nonsense! Your skills speak for themselves. This site wouldn’t run half as smoothly without you."

She glanced at the rising structure, pride swelling in her chest.

This was her passion.

For four and a half years, she’d worked in this quiet town, providing technical support for a local construction firm.

Her days were spent between the office and the site—budgeting, adjusting blueprints, ensuring structural integrity.

It wasn’t the glamorous architectural career she might’ve had in Harborview City, but the steady income—over $10,000 monthly—supported her small family comfortably.

That was enough.

A safe life. A stable job.

No more running.

No more fear.

At 3 PM, she left the site, strapped on her helmet, and rode her electric bike home.

The town was small; her commute took barely fifteen minutes.

Their cottage, nestled at the mountain’s base, boasted a vibrant garden and sunlit courtyard.

Parking her bike, she approached Noah, who sat basking in the fading sunlight.

"Time to go inside," she said softly. "Let me help you."

Noah opened his eyes, his gaze warm but firm. "Sophia, I told you—don’t cut work short for me. I can manage the wheelchair myself."

His legs were paralyzed.

Five years ago, when their child was just six months old, hunters had found them again.

Noah had shattered his legs escaping.

They’d fled further, settling in this forgotten corner of the world.

At first, Sophia washed dishes in a dingy diner, living in a leaky shed with a baby and a disabled man.

Then, one day, when both Noah and the child fell ill, she’d marched onto a construction site and taken a man’s job—doing the work of two.

Dawn till midnight, she labored until her body ached.

But when the site faced quality issues, she stepped up, proposing solutions that impressed both the contractor and developers.

They learned she was an architect.

Six months later, she became indispensable.

Now, her salary supported them all.

Noah and Sophia shared no romance—only survival, loyalty, and an unspoken promise to protect each other.

And that was enough.