Chapter Fourteen

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ASHER

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ASHER

As the car came to a halt in front of Isabella's apartment, I spotted the woman standing outdoors, leaning against the brick wall, and instantly recognized her.

I heard Isabella release a sigh as she prepared to exit the car, and as we both stepped out, her sister promptly came over to her.

Although I couldn't grasp the exact words she was speaking, the look on Isabella's face made it clear that something was wrong. To respect their privacy, I chose to stay back and give them some space.

"Who did this to you?" Isabella exclaimed, her sudden concern raising my own worries. I hurried to her side, eager to understand the situation.

As I approached them both, I finally spotted the bruise forming on Sofia's cheek, just beneath her eye.

"Sofia, please, tell me who did this?" Isabella pushed, her voice trembling as she gripped her sister's shoulders, urging her to reveal the culprit.

I placed my hand gently on Isabella's lower back, guiding her to the side so that I could get a closer look at Sofia's face.

"Was it a man?" I asked, receiving a nod from Sofia. With care, I lightly traced my finger over the developing bruise, noticing her sudden flinch as I made contact.

"Michael?" Isabella whispered, her hand quickly covering her mouth in shock.

Another nod from Sofia confirmed that Michael was indeed involved, but I remained uncertain about who this Michael was.

"Who's Michael?" I asked, glancing over at Isabella for an explanation.

"Her boyfriend, well, her ex-boyfriend," she corrected herself. "They've had an on-and-off relationship for a while," Isabella explained.

"Why did he do this to you?" I asked, leaning slightly to get a better look at Sofia's face.

Suddenly, tears streamed from her eyes, and she emitted a sorrowful sound as she collapsed into my arms.

"He had been seeing this woman," she said between harsh breaths. "And I found them together at the Hilton," Sofia explained, her voice trembling with emotion.

Without a moment's hesitation, I carefully guided Sofia into Isabella's embrace. "Get her inside," I instructed. "Call me if you need anything."

The drive to the Hilton was brief, not due to its proximity to Isabella's apartment, but because I kept my foot firmly on the gas pedal the entire way.

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