He Wants Me Back

Chapter 3

Sofia POV

My heart didn't stop beating. I thought it might jump out of my chest, but when the person at the door stepped into the light, I let out a shaky breath.

It wasn't Damian. It was a stranger with kind blue eyes and sandy brown hair.

"I'm so sorry," the man said, looking embarrassed. "Wrong room. I was looking for my sister."

After he left, I held Viktor closer. That scare reminded me that I could never really relax. What if Damian did find us someday?

***

"You need to get to work."

Amaya dropped a folder on my kitchen table with a thud. I jumped so hard, Viktor's bottle nearly slipped from my hand.

"Amaya!" I gasped, clutching the warm bottle like it was keeping me steady.

She put one hand on her hip, the other flipping open the folder. Her dark curls bounced around her face, and her brown eyes locked onto mine.

"You're going to turn into a hermit in this apartment," she said firmly. Her voice had that harsh sound, the classic Amaya no-nonsense tone that dared me to argue.

I glanced around the small living room Amaya had helped me set up. Soft yellow walls, baby toys scattered on the floor, and enough quiet to think. Maybe too quiet.

"It's only been three months," I murmured. "Viktor needs me."

Amaya sighed and sat beside me, placing a warm hand over mine. Her bracelets jingled softly, grounding me.

"I know it's scary," she said more gently now. "But that spark? The one you had before Damian crushed it? It's still there. The past is over, Sofia. And honestly, it doesn't deserve another second of your life."

I looked down at our hands, hers steady and sure while mine trembled slightly. My fingers curled tighter around Viktor's bottle, hiding the shake.

"I'm terrified, Amaya," I whispered. "I don't know who I am without fear, without looking over my shoulder."

"You're Dr Sofia freaking Langston," she said fiercely, her voice cracking just a little. "The woman whom I see as the strongest, who would never give up."

My chest tightened and I blinked back tears, but one escaped and landed on Viktor's blanket.

"What kind of doctor would I be?" I asked in a low tune.

"Paediatrics at St. Therese Hospital," she said, like she'd been planning this speech all week. "It's perfect right? Something you can handle even on your hard days. Part-time at first, you'll have flexible hours, and the daycare is right next door for Viktor."

At first, I hesitated.

But Amaya stood again, her posture commanding. "Don't say no without trying, Sofia. You're not just a survivor. You're still here, and you're still fighting."

I swallowed the lump in my throat and gave a watery smile. "Okay, I'll take the job."

Her eyes sparkled. "Now that's the Sofia I know."

The next day, I was at St. Therese Hospital, and every second felt like walking on glass.

My shoulders were tense from trying to look confident, and my feet ached from the new shoes. I looked professional on the outside.

But inside, I was breaking apart.

"The new doctor looks like she's carrying the world on her shoulders," someone whispered near the nurse's station.

I kept my eyes down, organising patient charts for the fifth time that morning.

"Pretty though," another voice added.

I pressed my lips together. The white coat Amaya picked for me felt too big. My scrubs seemed to swallow me whole.

The pediatric ward was alive with energy. Nurses rushed by with medicine trays, tiny patients called for their parents, and machines beeped steadily. Everyone had somewhere to be, something important to do.

While I had a new name tag that felt like armour, it was protecting the secret buried deep inside me.

I inhaled through my nose, forcing my hands not to tremble. My fingers gripped the clipboard as I fought the urge to run before anyone could see through my disguise.

"Are you alright?"

Suddenly, I heard a voice. The voice was deep, warm, and surprisingly gentle.

I startled and looked up quickly, and for a split second, I forgot how to breathe.

A shadow had fallen across the nurse's station, tall and imposing, making me crane my neck upward.

And there he was.

Tall enough to stand out in the busy hallway. His presence was impossible to miss. His white coat was crisp and perfect, moving like it belonged on him. But it wasn't just the coat, it was the man wearing it.

He had green eyes that were soft yet intense. He looked down at me, not just glancing, but really seeing me, like he could read every thought.

My breath caught under that gaze. And heaven help me, he had the kind of face that made you look twice, not pretty, but striking.

His jaw was strong and defined, his smile gentle but confident, and something about him felt magnetic, pulling me in despite myself.

The beeping machines, the crying children, even the ringing phones, everything seemed to fade. It was as if the whole hospital held its breath.

Then—

"Dr Cross!" someone called from down the hall.

The name hit me like lightning, I stood still and just stared at him.

But then my eyes dropped to the ID badge clipped to his coat. In bold letters: Dr A. Cross, Co-Founder.

And before I could catch my breath, a nurse appeared beside him, holding a tablet.

"Your board meeting is in ten minutes, Dr Adrian," she said smoothly, her voice loud enough for me to hear his name.

My fingers gripped the clipboard until my knuckles went white, and soon, my cheek was filled with heat.

Adrian Cross.

The co-founder of the hospital. My new boss.

However, there was something else, something that made me feel uncomfortable around him. When he smiled at me, and when the light caught his face just right, for one terrifying heartbeat, he looked like him.

Damian.

I was sure it was just my imagination, because his eyes were warmer, his smile kinder. However, there was something in the sharp angle of his jaw, the way he held himself, that sent ice through my veins.

"How are you doing?" he asked, extending his hand. "You must be our new paediatrician, Dr Langston."

I forced myself to shake his hand, trying not to flinch at how familiar yet different it felt.

"Yes," I managed to say. "Nice to meet you, sir."

"Welcome to St. Therese," he said warmly. "I think you'll love it here."

As he walked away, I stood in shock. Why do they have a striking resemblance?

Could it be just a coincidence?

No, there is no way the resemblance meant anything. I must be overthinking things again.

I was about to go back to my duty when a co-worker walked majestically up to me. “You think he's so handsome?” She chuckled. “Wait till you see his cousin. I heard his name is, Da—”

“Hilda! You should let her be!” Someone interrupted. And when I turned to see who, it was Amaya.