Chapter 8

"Lucas, I kinda feel like having some Western food tonight." In the ER, Eva had just regained consciousness with an IV in her arm. She leaned weakly against the bedhead, fiddling with the hem of her gown like even asking Lucas to have dinner with her was too much to ask. "Sure, whatever you want, Eva," Lucas said, gently pinching her cheek before pulling her into his arms. "You've been through a lot. Whatever you want, just say it. I owe you... big time." And Sophia owes you too... "Okay." Eva nodded sweetly. "Then can you peel me an apple first?" Lucas let out a small laugh and awkwardly grabbed an apple to start peeling it. The last time he did this was probably three years ago—for Sophia. Back then he wasted half the fruit trying to peel neatly. Damn, why is he thinking about her again? A weird sense of unease crept up on him. "Lucas, are you upset?" Eva whispered, noticing the shift in his expression. "No." "Then feed me." Eva puckered her lips and gave him a pitiful look. She didn't relax until he gave in with a nod. Then, with a bright grin, she leaned forward and opened her mouth, waiting for him to feed her a slice. Click! The ER door flew open. A bodyguard rushed in, panic all over his face. "Mr. Bennett, Mrs. Bennett is missing!" "What?!" The apple slice and the knife went straight into the trash. Lucas jumped up and bolted out the door without even stopping after bumping into Rebecca. Eva yanked out her IV, the stand crashing to the ground beside her. Sophia freaking Bennett. Always her. Three years! And Lucas still cared about her! "Losing your cool now won't fix anything!" Rebecca snapped as she walked up to Eva and tapped her on the forehead. "I told you to drop the crazy act, didn't I? Now look—Lucas still has feelings for Sophia, and the worst part? She's about to have his baby!""You really think I wanted this? If I didn't act all pitiful, you think Lucas would still care about me?" Eva clenched her fists so hard, her nails dug deep into her palms. "Sophia... and that little monster in her belly, they both have to go. Especially... that monster." ... It took Lucas three whole days to finally find Sophia. "Sophia, you're really not coming back with me?" In the messy hotel room, shards of broken porcelain littered the floor. Lucas stood solemnly, eyes bloodshot, watching Sophia who gripped a table lamp like it was a weapon. He hadn't slept, hadn't rested—just spent three days combing through the city. And for what? For her to flip out, smashing vases and trying to cut him up? Was everything he'd done still not enough for her to give up on him? "You're my wife," Lucas said coldly, "Even if you die, you'll still go down as a Bennett!" Sophia stared straight at him, but there was coldness in her eyes where once he saw himself. "And what about your precious Eva? If I go back, where's she gonna sleep?" Her voice cracked, words sharp as glass. "Divorced or not, I'm not going back. You'll have to kill me first. Because as long as I'm breathing, I'll keep running! Even if it's just for an hour or a minute, I'll run. Lucas, I hate you! I never owed you a damn thing, so why are you hellbent on destroying me? And our baby?!" "Sophia… Don't push me." Lucas was practically shaking. He took a long breath and stepped closer, ripped the lamp from her hands, and grabbed her by the hair, dragging her toward the door. Thud. Sophia stumbled hard, landing straight on the sharp ceramic shards. Blood oozed out from fresh cuts on her arms and legs as shattered pieces pierced through her skin. "It hurts... it hurts so bad..." she whimpered. Lucas turned around, and the moment he saw the blood pooling beneath her, his heart dropped like a rock. "Sophia!" he panicked, scooping her up and rushing her into the car. "Drive! To the hospital, now! Get every damn doctor ready!" Ring ring... ring ring... Lucas' phone buzzed. Caller ID: Rebecca. "Yes, Aunt Rebecca? What's going on?" "Lucas—" her voice cracked, clearly crying, "It's bad! Eva—Eva's been kidnapped!"