Derek's POV:

I had never expected to find her at this high school, much less sitting in my class. I froze for a moment, caught by her intense green gaze, but I forced myself to pull it together and reluctantly looked away so I could write my name on the board for the class.

"I am your new math teacher," I said as I wrote on the board, my hand a little tense.

"Mr. Walsh!"

"Yes," I replied, turning toward the blonde girl two rows over who had raised her hand.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" she asked bluntly. I ran a hand through my hair before returning to my desk. I had expected that kind of question on the first day, so I smiled as I set the piece of chalk on the ledge.

"No, I am single," I answered. "But I am far too old for you, young ladies."

I turned toward her while the others laughed and whispered about my response, but unfortunately, she did not look at me. A small ache tightened in my chest, but it was better this way. She was only seventeen, and now that I was her teacher, there was no way I could allow even the slightest hint of the eye games we shared before. Even if this situation felt disastrous for both of us, I had to act as the responsible adult.

I began explaining the theme of the upcoming lessons and what I expected from them throughout the year as I walked around the classroom. The blonde girl next to her never took her eyes off me, and I gave her a warning look, which kept me from seeing what Alix was doing on her notebook, even though I had not assigned any work since we were only discussing the program for the year.

Alix's POV:

When he looked away, I realized I should not read anything into the way he had stared at me so intently. It must have been just as surprising for him to find me here as it was for me to see him standing at the front of this classroom, dressed in clothes that did not truly represent him, even if I had to admit they suited him incredibly well. But I could not let myself linger on that. He had to be uncomfortable with the situation. After all, I was the unfortunate girl who had been assaulted and ruined his evening.

I ran my hand through my hair to hide as much of my face as possible, ashamed, and pulled out my sketchpad just as a girl asked him the question to which I already knew the answer. I knew he had a girlfriend. A beautiful blonde with voluptuous curves that looked nothing like me or any of the girls in this room. Yet the answer he gave was not what I expected, and I looked up at him when he replied to her. I saw the seriousness in his eyes when he said he was too old for us.

I buried my face even deeper in my sketchbook and began to draw, trying to ignore the sound of his voice. I needed to focus on anything that would not make my chest tighten, because even hearing him speak hurt so much that I felt on the verge of collapsing onto my desk in tears.

So I spent the entire hour glued to my sketchbook while they discussed the upcoming lessons. I refused to glance in his direction for even a second. That was when I understood that I was going to suffer through a living hell this year. He knew and had seen my body in the worst condition possible. I knew that whenever he looked at me, he would think exactly what I thought: that night, when I went through hell and ruined his as well.

The bell finally rang to mark the end of class. I slipped my notebook into my bag, pulled up my hood, and quickly stood to leave through the back of the room. I did not need to make eye contact. I simply had to treat him like any other teacher. Yes, that was it! Just another teacher who would teach mathematics, which I would not understand anyway!

"Alix, wait for me!" Marina shouted behind me, but I ignored her and left the classroom without waiting.

Marina's POV:

Alix left like a whirlwind without saying a single word. I thought she would have been happy to see him again, even if he was our teacher, but as usual, she disappointed me. I quickly stuffed my things into my messenger bag so I could catch up to her, when his voice echoed from behind me.

"Miss Bowel!" he called out to me.

I looked at him, surprised that he already remembered my name.

"Yes, sir," I answered as I walked toward his desk.

"Could you tell your friend to see me during recess?" he asked. "I noticed she had some gaps in mathematics in previous years, and I would like to discuss several solutions to help her this year."

"Sure, Mr. Walsh," I replied, a bit disappointed that the conversation was about Alix.

If I had known he would give priority to the weaker students, I would have worked less last year. It would have given me the chance to enjoy a personal meeting with him too. I left the classroom and hurried down the stairs to join her for the next class.

When I arrived, Alix was already slouched over her desk with her hood up, completely absorbed in the world she had created for herself lately. I was slowly starting to worry about her condition. Still, I sat beside her without saying anything, even though I knew I had to tell her what he had asked of me.

"Alix," I said as the geography teacher arrived. "Mr. Walsh would like to see you during recess to discuss your math problems."

Alix did not answer and pulled her arms tighter beneath her head. So I did not push her.

Derek's POV:

The recess bell rang, and I let the students leave while I waited for Alix to arrive. In truth, I had asked her friend to pass on the message because I wanted a reason to talk to her about the discomfort she must have felt having me as her teacher. But after looking over her academic records, I noticed she excelled in art yet struggled in mathematics. Even though my intention to see her came from something else entirely, her math grades turned out to be a useful excuse.

What I really wanted was to speak to her about not shutting herself off in my class just because I had been there on that night. I knew very well it must have been unbearable for her since then, and seeing me now, every day, standing at the front of her classroom, had to bring back that cursed night each time she looked in my direction.

Minutes passed, and Alix still did not come to find me. It was exactly what I had expected, but I refused to let it end like that. They had gymnastics with Ayden, which might have made things easier for me.

I headed to the gym where I found Ayden setting up equipment for the next lesson.

"So, are we not saying hello to friends?!" I called out as I stepped in.

Ayden turned around, surprised.

"Damn. I knew there was a new math teacher, but I never thought it would be you!" He said as he gave me a fist bump.

"I told you you'd be surprised by my new job."

"And even down to the outfit," he added, eyeing my suit.

"Yeah, well, it's the first day." I laughed.

"Say, do you have a student named Alix Stevens who has class with you in five minutes?" I asked, running a hand through my hair. "Could you send her to my classroom? I need to talk to her about her math problems."

"No problem. Besides, I think she's unable to attend the class at the moment," he informed me. "She submitted a medical certificate."

Was she ill? That would explain why she had been lying on her bench when I entered the classroom. When the bell rang to mark the end of recess, I said goodbye to Ayden and headed back to my room, leaving the students to file into the locker rooms.

Alix's POV:

When I entered the gymnasium, I was just as surprised as Marina to see the gym teacher. Had they all gathered in this high school or what? A quick look at Marina told me she was completely charmed; she was practically drooling. I walked toward the bench, determined to draw quietly, when the teacher approached me.

"Alix, right?" He asked as he came closer.

I lifted my head halfway. Surely he did not know who I was, so I should not worry.

"I had a visit from your math teacher. He needs to discuss math support with you, and since you did not attend the class today, I gave my approval."

I took back everything I had just thought. He had to know who I was and what had happened to me if he was asking to send me to his class. But why was he insisting?

I put my sketchbook away, even though I had just taken it out, and stood up to leave the gym, dragging my feet.

Why was he so intent on seeing me? Yes, I was terrible at math, but I was not the only one, and he should have understood that if I had not gone during break, it was because I did not want to see him.

I crossed the courtyard without rushing, when I heard a whistle above my head. I looked up toward the source of the sound and saw Derek leaning at the window, watching me with a teasing smile. That was when I realized I had no choice but to go to his classroom, even if I wanted to turn around and run. Yet, at the same time, a small part of me could not help wanting to know what he really wanted from me.

Since I had not hurried upstairs, he was still waiting for me, leaning against the wall beside the math classroom door with his arms crossed, staring at the bricks in front of him.

Even from the side, his presence was striking. He was genuinely handsome, but I forced myself to shake my head. He was my math teacher now, and more than that, he was the man who had found me on the worst day of my life. I tugged at the sleeves of my sweater and walked toward him slowly, keeping my head low.

Derek's POV:

She finally arrived in front of me, and just as I expected, she dragged her feet. But I could not blame her. More than being her new teacher, I was the man who had discovered her on that cursed night, and even for me, standing here with her felt complicated.

I stepped into the classroom without saying anything and leaned against my desk while she stopped two meters from the doorway.

"I'm not going to hurt you. You can come closer," I told her gently as I opened her file.

She stepped forward but kept a safe distance, and I understood why. I did not push her. I ran a hand through my hair, realizing how deeply she did not want to be here with me.

"I know the situation must be hard for you, but you need to focus on your studies above all," I said firmly but calmly. "I'm here to help you, but for that, you need to give me the chance."

Alix's POV:

I did not answer and stayed there in front of the first row, staring at the floor and wondering what he was truly trying to do. I could not understand why he did not see that I wanted to stay in my corner, follow the classes, and avoid interacting with anyone. I already had no desire to be at school, and this situation made everything even worse.

I pulled my arms in tighter, clenching my hands at the very thought of being so close to him. He had been the one who saved my life twice in the same night. If he had not been there, I would not be standing here, listening to him talk about my studies and that math class I cared nothing about.

I was so lost in my dark thoughts that I did not notice him moving until his polished shoes appeared in my field of vision. I jolted, realizing he was right in front of me.

"I want you to trust me and let me help you move forward," he told me as he gently placed his fingers on my hood and lowered it. I clenched my fists inside my sleeves, unsure how to react to what he had just said.

"How about we start by reviewing math together during gym class since you're not paying attention to the lesson?" he continued, stepping back by a meter. I kept my head lowered, unable to understand what was happening with him. Why was he insisting like this?

"Now if you think you don't need it, I won't insist," he said in a soft voice. "It's up to you to decide."

I did not understand where he was trying to go with this. Did he really think I could focus on math exercises with him when I was barely managing to survive at all? Since that night, my entire life had turned into a survival stage, facing each minute and each breath with effort. Even the air I had been breathing since that day felt like acid in my lungs, so I saw no reason to accept any help from him that would not make it easier for me to breathe and keep surviving this miserable life.

"It's my way of keeping the promise we made to each other in the park that night," he confessed softly. I lifted my gaze to him, completely stunned by what he had just revealed. His intense green eyes looked at me with tenderness instead of the disgust I had expected.

Alix's POV:

We had been sitting at the desk for thirty minutes, and although I heard him talking and writing, nothing he said stayed with me.

I still could not understand why he insisted on helping me when I was just a kid who had been violated and had no strength left. He really should have walked away.

Just like that night in the park, I still did not know why he had been there either.

I sat on my chair as far away from him as possible, my arms locked over my chest, my head lowered, when he placed a sheet of paper in front of me. His arm brushed mine, and the contact made me jump.

"I'm sorry," he said as he gets up. "I'll position myself facing you, you'll feel more comfortable."

God, if he stood in front of me, I would feel his eyes on me and imagine he was thinking about that night.

"Here are some exercises. I'm going to help you do them," he said to me while handing me the pencil.

When I did not take it, he set it on the table and leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed.

"Very well, you may leave."

I lifted my head in surprise. His green eyes studied me closely as he cracked his neck, a sound that sent a shiver through me. His face had turned so cold.

"I told you, you could leave," he repeated coldly.

I lowered my gaze, packed my pencil case, grabbed my bag, stood up, and rushed out of the classroom.

I ran into the bathroom in tears, unable to understand why he had turned so cold toward me. He had been the one who offered to help, but everything came back to the promise we made. I never asked him to keep it. "I didn't ask anything of him! I just want to be left alone!"

I sobbed so hard that my chest tightened. Why does it hurt so much?

When I closed my eyes, all I could see was that icy look he gave me, and I could not make sense of the change in him.

Derek's POV:

I had not wanted to make her cry, but I felt I had no other choice. She needed to understand that she had to focus on something other than what happened that night. I hoped helping her with math would give her a moment to breathe and keep her thoughts occupied, but I had not managed to reach her.

I gathered the papers from the table and noticed she had dropped a note from her pencil case.

It was a small strip of paper, barely fifteen centimeters long, with a single sentence written across it. I read it, and my chest tightened painfully. The words on the paper said, "If I want to see him again, I must stay alive."

I dashed out of the classroom, running down the hallway toward the stairs, but I did not see her anywhere. I turned back, frustrated with myself for frightening her when all I wanted was to help.

That was when she appeared in front of me, stepping out of the restroom, her hood pulled over her head, her bright green eyes filled with tears. I could not stop myself from pulling her into my arms and holding her tightly right there in the middle of the school hallway.

Footsteps echoed in the stairwell, and I grabbed her hand, guiding her back into the restroom she had just left. I pressed her gently against the door, hoping those footsteps were not coming our way.

The steps passed by and faded down the corridor, and I let out a slow breath, suddenly aware of how close our bodies were and how damp her hand felt in mine.

She did not move at all, and as the weight of what I was doing finally hit me, I released her hand and stepped back. She raised those tear-filled green eyes toward me, and I made the worst mistake of my life by leaning in and pressing my lips to hers.

Ever since finding that note in her pencil case, I felt as if I had no strength left to resist. I knew I should not cross that line with her, but that look had held me since the night I first saw her at the nightclub, and a part of me desperately wanted to see that intensity in her green eyes again.

Alix's POV:

I pulled my hood over my head. I just wanted to go home. I could not bear seeing myself in that mirror anymore, the mirror that always brought back that night and now Derek's cold expression.

I stepped out of the bathroom, and my eyes met his intense green ones at that exact moment, tears running down my cheeks as I froze in place. He moved toward me and held me tightly in his arms.

I was stunned and confused, unable to understand why he had suddenly changed again, yet the moment he held me, something inside me felt calmer. He took my hand and pulled me back into the restroom, closing the door while still keeping me close.

We stood like that for a long moment, and I did not dare move. He was very near, but I did not feel frightened. His hand holding mine felt so warm and protective.

Then he suddenly drew back and let go of me. I instinctively lifted my head toward him, and he pressed his lips against mine. I did not dare to move, staring at his face so close to mine as he pulled away and rested his forehead against the door beside my head.

"You should leave the restroom before it rings," he said to me while taking the door handle and opening it.

I did not think for a second and rushed out of the bathroom, completely unsettled by what had just happened. It was only a kiss on the lips, yet my heart beat so fiercely that it felt as if it might burst out of my chest.

I walked down the stairs as the bell rang at the end of class, and I slipped into the first restroom on the floor below, locking myself inside a stall. I touched my lips with my fingertips, the same spot where his lips had been just moments earlier.

Marina's POV:

I could not believe that the new math teacher was that tattooed guy on a motorcycle and that the gym teacher was that handsome guy with the blue eyes.

After two hours of gymnastics and a refreshing shower to calm my emotions from the morning, I picked up my phone to find out where Alix had gone.

She had disappeared from the class after speaking with the teacher, and since she had not been on the bench at the end of the lesson, I started to worry.

I had to admit she had been acting strange since that terrible night. She had always been quiet, but now she was completely closed off, even with me. She barely talked to me when I was at her place, and she kept drawing tattoos for that biker. And now she barely looked at him during math class, and she did not go to see him during recess when I told her he wanted to talk to her.

It was the third time I called her, but it always went straight to voicemail.

"Marina, are you coming to eat with us?"

"No, I need to meet up with Alix," I replied as I left the changing rooms.

I looked around the courtyard, but she was nowhere in sight. I decided to head to the classroom where we had lessons after lunch, but I did not find her there either.

"Damn it, Alix, where are you?" I muttered to myself, irritated.

I took out my phone and tried calling her again, just as I walked past the math teacher, who greeted me.

It went straight to voicemail again.

"Alix, where are you? We were supposed to have lunch together. Answer!" I muttered under my breath, growing more annoyed.

She had really gone too far this time.

Alix's POV:

I had gone back home. I could never look Marina in the eye after what had just happened. I could barely believe it myself, wondering if it really happened or if I had imagined everything.

Luckily, my mother was working at the restaurant, so I was alone when I arrived.

I took off my sweater, dropped my phone on the floor, and noticed it flashing. I had ten missed calls from Marina and one message. I had completely forgotten to tell her I was heading home, and I called her as I slipped off my shoes.

"Where are you?!"

Marina was furious, and I could not blame her.

"I came home; I was not feeling well."

"You could've warned me; I thought you disappeared like that night."

My blood ran cold when she said that.

"I'll swing by later to bring you your notes. By the way, the math teacher has stuck to his routines. He came to school on his motorcycle, and just like that, he went out for a ride during the lunch break. After all, with the speed at which he rides, he surely could do it." She laughed.

She hung up while I was still touching my lips with my fingers, thinking about the place where his had been. I sat down at my desk, took my pencil case out of my bag, and realized the paper was gone. I turned the pencil case over, emptied the bag, shook out my notebooks, but I could not find it anywhere.

I tried to figure out where I might have dropped it, but the only place I had used my pencil case was in the... Oh my god, what if I lost it in his classroom?

Just as I panicked at the thought of losing it there and him finding it, the intercom rang.

"Is this Miss Stevens' residence? I have a package for her."

"I'll open up for you right away," I answered as I pressed the door button.

My mother must have ordered something silly online again; she loved doing that, especially when she had just been paid.

I went back to my bedroom and put on my long black cardigan, waiting for the delivery person to come up. The doorbell rang, and I opened the door.

"You were quicker than I..."

I stopped, realizing it was not the delivery person at all but Derek, looking at me with those intense green eyes.

"I'm relieved; you got home safely." He seemed genuinely relieved.

I stared at him, surprised, unable to understand what he meant or why he was standing at my door.

"I'm going back to school; it wouldn't look good if the teacher skipped class on the first day," he said to me with a smile.

Before I could react, he headed toward the elevator, paused, turned back around, and stepped up to me again. He reached into his pocket and handed me something.

"I believe this is yours," he added.

I tore my eyes away from his intense gaze for a moment and saw he was holding the small piece of paper from my pencil case. Embarrassed, I lifted my gaze back to him.

"I'm glad you survived," he told me, his green eyes soft with tenderness, before he walked back toward the elevator.

Derek's POV:

The day was finally over, and I met Ayden at the exit of the high school after picking up the copies for the next math class. The real classes would begin tomorrow, but for that, I needed to focus and think about anything other than his teary green eyes and the taste of his soft, salty lips.

Just thinking about it made my chest tighten for a moment. I had crossed a line I should never have crossed.

"So, the first day!" Ayden exclaimed as he joined me in the parking lot. "I bet you spent your time being hit on by the students."

"You can talk. I've heard about the handsome, sexy gym teacher!" I retorted.

"Sophie is waiting for us at the bar for your first day of work. Don't worry, I didn't tell her anything. I only told her that I would pass the message to you." He laughed. "She'll never believe it."

It was obvious that Sophie would be surprised to hear that I had finally become a math teacher, although she knew how much I loved the subject. And since we finished early, I had time to work on my motorcycle.

We joined Sophie at the bar, where she was already seated and flipping through some files. She lifted her gaze when she noticed us arriving and looked at me, startled by my outfit.

"Wait, did you hit your head after boxing that jerk or what?" She started to laugh.

"I knew you'd like me this way," I said to him with a sly smile, placing a soft kiss on his cheek.

"You'll never guess what he does for a living," Ayden told her as he sat down and called the server over.

Sophie leaned back in her chair, crossed her arms, and studied me for a moment while the server came to take our order. I loosened the buttons on my shirt and rolled up the sleeves. I could finally breathe a little better.

"Wait, I know." She leaned forward on the table and gave me a sly smile in return. "You've become a gigolo."

Ayden and she burst out laughing, and I rolled my eyes at the wild idea she came up with, even if, honestly, I could have pulled it off.

"You're far from the truth," Ayden remarked as I lit a cigarette. "Derek is the new math teacher at my high school."

"No way, you're kidding!" she said to me, astonished. "You, a teacher!"

She started laughing like a madwoman, and I took a sip of my beer, giving her a hard look. I still did not understand what she found so funny. There was nothing wrong with becoming a math teacher. It was just like when she announced that she wanted to become a lawyer, although she had a solid motivation for that choice.

Sophie's POV:

I looked at Derek and could not help laughing at the idea that he had become a math teacher. This was the same guy who slept through half the classes, but honestly, he never needed to study with the IQ he had.

"Since when do we dress up in suits to teach a class?" I asked with a mischievous smile.

Derek gave me a charming smile.

"I had to stand out to the headmaster, didn't I?" he said this while brushing his thumb against his lip.

"Don't tell me that you..." I said, feeling a little disgusted.

"You really think I'm a gigolo. You're becoming insulting," he responded coldly.

I smiled, fully aware that none of this was serious. Even if he liked to flirt as much as I did, he was simply a natural charmer who enjoyed every little moment.

As we chatted about random things with Ayden, Derek looked distant, his thumb back on his lips, his eyes completely lost in thought.

"By the way, did you manage to see that girl? Wait, how does it go again..." Ayden started.

I glanced at Derek, who still seemed lost in his thoughts.

"Oh yes, Stevens!" Ayden exclaimed, snapping his fingers. "Alix Stevens, right?"

Derek's eyes met mine as soon as I reacted to the name, and the look on his face told me everything. The surprise in his expression matched my own. Seeing how troubled he became at that moment, I realized it was indeed the girl from that night.

"You're kidding!" I exclaimed. "Is this girl at your school?"

Derek leaned back in his chair and took a sip of his beer, avoiding my gaze. I did not need Ayden's confirmation to know the truth. There was no way I could be mistaken. I remembered the way he had looked at that girl, remembered the emotion in his eyes. I knew exactly what he felt.

Derek's POV:

Ayden talked too much, and judging by the furious look Sophie was throwing at me, I needed to be very convincing if she ever suspected what I had done today. She would actually kill me.

But she would not be wrong either. Even I did not understand what came over me. When I saw that paper in her hands and her tears falling in front of me, I could not resist those magnificent, shining green eyes. The pain I felt in that moment, the distress she sent through her gaze, left me unsure of how to comfort her or calm my own heart.

"Stop it, Sophie, Derek isn't stupid," Ayden said. "He won't risk his future for a seventeen-year-old girl when there are so many beautiful women just waiting for him."

But Sophie did not look away. Her stare stayed fixed on me the entire time, right up until her phone rang.

"Answer me, I have nothing to be ashamed of," I said coldly. "I'm not leaving."

Sophie stood up and stepped outside the bar to answer the call.

"What's her problem?" Ayden asked me. "She knows you'd never do something like that, so why is she getting defensive?"

"You know Sophie. She always has to imagine things," I replied, trying to sound indifferent.

Sophie's POV:

"Hello?"

"Hello, this is Bellevue Hospital. We've been trying to reach Miss Stevens for days without success. You have been listed as a contact for her, and it's imperative that she comes in for follow-up examinations."

I paced back and forth while listening to the woman speak. That girl was unbelievably reckless. She should not avoid the hospital, especially after everything she went through.

"I'll do what's necessary to bring her to you," I said before hanging up.

As if I did not already have enough work, now I had to play big sister to this kid.

I walked back into the bar, grabbed my bag, and finished my glass of wine in one breath.

"I have an emergency, but you! You better behave yourself!" I snapped at Derek under Ayden's questioning gaze.

Marina's POV:

I arrived at Alix's apartment, and she greeted me wearing her usual long black cardigan.

"At least you open the door for me," I threw at her, still annoyed that she had stood me up at the high school.

"Sorry, but it was too hard for me," she said it quietly, before turning back toward her room.

While she closed her sketchbook, I caught a glimpse of part of a face on the page, but nothing more.

"Here are your lessons to copy for tomorrow." The French teacher had already scheduled a test for tomorrow. What a pain!

Alix took the papers and placed them on her desk without even looking at them.

"By the way, did you see the handsome math teacher in the end?"

Alix froze for a moment and avoided my gaze as she walked over to sit by the window.

"Yes, he wants to give me math lessons during gym class since I don't participate."

"Wow, great! Go for it. It's a chance for you to spend time with the tattooed man," I exclaimed. "After all, this way you can study his tattoo details even more."

Alix did not answer me. She wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her head on them while staring out the window. I let my eyes wander across the drawings on her wall, including the ones of our new math teacher's tattoos.

"You should consider enrolling in the drawing class. I find your drawings are becoming more and more beautiful and incredibly detailed," I admitted.

"I'm not inventive enough. They're just copies," Alix murmured as she leaned her face closer to mine.

"But you drew them from memory," I said, joining her by the window. "Imagine what you could create if you used your imagination. The drawings would be amazing. I think you should go for it."

Alix's POV:

Maybe Marina wasn't wrong, and deep down, I had always wanted to draw like my father. But right now, the only things I could bring myself to draw were his tattoos. Whenever I tried to sketch anything else, my mind went straight back to that alley, and I was thrown into the horror of that night all over again. The only thing that calmed me was thinking about him, his intense gaze, his tattoos, that promise, and now that kiss. I ran my finger over my lips under Marina's questioning gaze.

I turned my face away and stood up from the window, embarrassed.

"You're right, I have nothing to lose by going. I'll go register tomorrow during lunch," I said.

After all, I needed to do my best so he wouldn't worry even more.

Her face and eyes when I came out of the restroom had been so full of sadness that it felt like my heart would break.

I really wanted to make an effort for her.

"Great idea! I recognize you well there," Marina said as she pulled me into her arms.

I was truly lucky to have her as a friend. Despite the way I had behaved since that night, she never asked questions or pushed me to go out.

I needed to pull myself together, no matter what. I could not let the people around me keep worrying about me. Tomorrow would be a fresh start.

The apartment doorbell rang. I stepped out of Marina's arms and went to answer it, relieved to feel that I had regained even a little control.

"Are you planning to keep avoiding calls from the hospital?"

I opened the door to a furious Sophie.

I stared at her, stunned to see her standing there as she marched into the apartment, still furious, and then turned toward me with a glare so sharp it felt like it could cut through me.

"Do you think you can just forget what happened that night by not responding?" she shouted at me sternly. "Do you really believe you're going to get away with this!"

I could not bring myself to explain that I had never received any calls from the hospital because I had not given them my mobile number. She was so furious, so terrifying in that moment, that the words refused to leave my throat.

"Why would the hospital call you, and why must you forget that night?"

I froze, suddenly remembering that Marina was still in my room.