The Sins of a Brother

Chapter 7

As Sophie was unpacking Aiden's luggage, she noticed a lacy black lingerie that didn't belong to her. Her heart began to race with a mix of emotions - anger, betrayal, and confusion. She felt her palms sweating as she clutched the delicate fabric in her hand.

Aiden walked into the room with an air of confidence, as if he knew he could talk his way out of any situation. But Sophie was not going to let him off the hook so easily. She confronted him about the lingerie and demanded an explanation.

Aiden's face twisted into a smirk as he brushed off Sophie's concerns, claiming that she was overreacting and being irrational. He insisted that the lingerie belonged to a business associate and that there was nothing to worry about.

Sophie's blood boiled with anger at Aiden's dismissive attitude. She knew deep down that he was lying and that he had been unfaithful. But Aiden's manipulative behavior had always made her doubt herself and question her own instincts.

As Mark listened to the heated argument between Sophie and Aiden from his bedroom, he felt a deep sense of relief that the kids weren't there to witness it. The tension in the air was palpable, and he could hear Aiden's voice escalating into a violent outburst. Mark's heart ached for Sophie as he heard Aiden degrade her with hurtful words and accusations.

Suddenly, Mark heard a scuffle followed by a blood-curdling scream from Sophie. He leaped out of his bedroom and sprinted towards the source of the noise, only to see Aiden's car screeching out of the driveway.

Fear gripped Mark's heart as he ran into Sophie's bedroom. The sight that greeted him made his stomach churn with disgust and rage. Sophie was lying unconscious and bloodied on the floor, her clothes torn and bruises on her face.

Without a second thought, Mark rushed to her side and lifted her head, cradling her in his arms. He could feel her shallow breaths against his chest as he looked down at her tear-stained face. The anger inside him boiled over as he realized the extent of Aiden's violence towards her.

Mark knew he had to act quickly to get Sophie medical attention. He carefully lifted her up and carried her to his car, driving as fast as he could to the nearest hospital. As they drove, he held Sophie's hand tightly, hoping and praying that she would be okay.

Finally, they arrived at the hospital, and Mark rushed Sophie into the emergency room. The doctors and nurses quickly took over, assessing her injuries and providing the necessary treatment. Mark paced back and forth in the waiting room, his heart heavy with worry and fear.

Suddenly, Mark saw Sophie being rushed out of the emergency room on a stretcher. The medical staff told him that they had to get her to the operating room as soon as possible because she had internal bleeding that needed to be stopped. Mark's heart dropped as he watched her being wheeled away. He felt a wave of fear and guilt wash over him. He should have protected her, he should have done something to prevent this from happening.

Mark paced the hospital waiting room, his mind racing with thoughts of what could have happened to Sophie. He didn't even want to think about the possibility of losing her.

As mark paced the waiting room he felt a presence come up behind him, as he turned he saw his brother Edward standing there.

Edward's eyes were filled with concern as he asked, "What happened, Mark? Is Sophie going to be okay?"

Mark's eyes welled up with tears as he recounted the events of the night before. Edward put a comforting hand on his shoulder, "I'm so sorry, Mark. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Mark shook his head, feeling helpless and lost. All he could do was wait for news on Sophie's condition. The minutes turned into hours, and the waiting room was filled with the sound of beeping monitors and the low murmur of worried voices.

Mark paced anxiously in the waiting room as he waited for any news on Sophie's condition. After what felt like hours, the surgeon finally came out to speak with him.

"Mr. Parker, I'm the surgeon in charge of Sophie's case," the doctor said, approaching Mark.

"How is she? Is she going to be okay?" Mark asked, his voice shaking with fear.

The surgeon hesitated for a moment before responding. "She's still in surgery. We were able to stop the bleeding, but she lost a lot of blood. We won't know the full extent of her injuries until she's out of surgery."

After receiving the update on Sophie's condition, the surgeon rushed back to the operating room. Mark felt his heart racing and his mind spinning as he tried to process what had just happened. He turned to Edward and said, "Stay here and call me if there's any news. I'm going to track down Aiden for a talk".

Edward nodded in understanding, concern etched on his face. "Do you want me to come with you?" he asked.

"No, I'll handle it," Mark replied firmly.

He left the hospital and drove to Aiden's office, his mind racing with anger and worry. When he arrived, he stormed into Aiden's office without knocking. Aiden was taken aback by his brother's sudden appearance.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Aiden asked, clearly irritated.

Mark found his brother half-dressed with his secretary on his lap. "What the hell is wrong with you, Aiden?" Mark demanded.

Aiden looked up at Mark, his face twisted with anger. "Get out of my office, Mark. This is none of your business."

"None of my business?" Mark's voice rose to a dangerous level. "You cheated on Sophie, and now she's lying in a hospital bed fighting for her life. You're damn right it's my business."

Aiden sneered. "She was nothing to me. Just a surrogate to produce children. If you hadn't tried to be her knight in shining armour this would not have happened, she would not have questioned me, but tou had to convince her she is strong and independent. And now she's probably dead, thanks to you."

Mark's eyes narrowed, and he stepped forward, grabbing Aiden by the collar. "Don't you dare blame this on me. You did this, Aiden. You hurt her. And now you're going to pay for it."

Aiden struggled against Mark's grip, but he couldn't break free. "You can't do this, Mark. You'll ruin me."

"I don't care," Mark spat. "You deserve to be ruined. You deserve to rot in jail for what you did to her."

As Mark tightened his grip on Aiden's collar, Aiden gasped for air. "Mark, please," he wheezed. "I can't breath!"

Mark's grip loosened slightly, and Aiden took the opportunity to push him away. "You're crazy, Mark. You're going to regret this."

Mark's eyes blazed with fury. "No, Aiden. You're the crazy one. And if Sophie dies tonight, so do you."

With that, Mark stormed out of the office, leaving Aiden trembling and humiliated as the whole office came running to see the commotion.