Sabrina’s POV
That morning, I woke up earlier than usual. The sun hadn’t fully risen yet, and the sky outside the window was still a pale blue, with faint shadows of trees swaying in the breeze. I sat at the edge of the bed, gazing out, the blanket still halfway covering my legs. A sense of unease clung to my chest—an emptiness I couldn’t quite explain. Not sadness. But not happiness either.Last night, Nicholas had come home with a battered face and news that Adrian had been arrested. The enemy who had haunted us for so long had finally fallen. I was supposed to feel relief. But now, as the tension began to fade and the immediate danger disappeared… new questions started to arise.Hazel.She was still in the hospital—weak and wounded—but at least she was alive. Nicholas and Bima had fought hard to prove she was just a victim. And I couldn’t deny the truth anymore: Hazel didn’t deserve all of this.But if Hazel is released… if she returns to our lives, what aboutNicholas's POV “I’m sorry, Hazel,” I said softly. “It took me too long to realize everything. I was too late.”Hazel closed her eyes briefly, then opened them again. “You… saved me, didn’t you? For that… thank you.”I lowered my head, gripping her cold hand. “You shouldn’t have been in a place like that.”Hazel glanced toward Bima and Prasetya, then back at me. “They said… Adrian’s been arrested?”I nodded. “We have enough evidence. Voice recordings, testimony from his men, transaction trails involving the murder orders—they all point to him. Including proof that he ordered the hit on me, and framed you.”Hazel’s face went blank for a moment. “So… all of this was really planned.”“You were used,” Bima said calmly. “Adrian exploited your anger to take down Nicholas. But he never cared about your life. To him, you were just a pawn.”Hazel closed her eyes, and a tear slowly slipped from the corner. I squeezed her fingers tighter, wanting her to know she
Nicholas's POVOur footsteps echoed through the cold, quiet hospital corridor. On either side, white doors were tightly shut, hiding stories of wounds that had yet to heal. Prasetya walked beside me with his usual alert expression, while Bima had gone ahead to Hazel’s room.I took a deep breath, trying to calm the erratic beating of my heart. Even though we had saved Hazel from the attempted murder, the guilt still clung tightly to my chest. A minute later, and I might never have seen her alive again.The ceiling of the hospital corridor looked like a row of endless shadows. The dim neon lights cast a cold glow, reflecting off the tiled floor. The sharp smell of disinfectant stung my nose, mingling with the faint scent of medicine and an invisible tension. The sound of our steps became the only rhythm accompanying our path to Hazel’s room, as if the outside world had silenced all noise to leave only these punishing moments of silence.Every step I took seemed to make
Sabrina’s POV I slid bread into the toaster and filled the coffee machine with water. The hiss of the machine filled the space, its scent oddly grounding.Nicholas came closer, grabbed two mugs from the shelf, and placed them on the table. “The lawyer said Hazel’s clarification process will move faster if her physical condition improves. They’ll also consider a recommendation from the hospital psychiatrist.”I just nodded, not wanting to think too far ahead. “You said she was conscious when you visited?”“Yes. She was weak, but she recognized me. Her eyes stayed on me for a while, like… like she wanted to say something, but didn’t have the strength.”I stopped stirring the eggs. “Did she ask about Charlie?”Nicholas hesitated, then nodded. “Yes. First thing she said was, ‘Is he okay?’ And I knew she meant Charlie.”Something stirred in my chest. “What did you tell her?”“That Charlie’s fine. That he’s growing into a strong little boy.”
Sabrina’s POV Hazel is Charlie’s biological mother. And I can’t erase that, no matter how hard I try. But I’m not just a substitute either. I’m the one who wakes in the middle of the night to calm his cries, who sits by his side when he’s sick, who draws with him in the living room, who knows his favorite color changes every month.I want to believe we can find middle ground. But the world doesn’t always give us what we want. Sometimes, all we’re left with are difficult choices. And as a mother, I don’t want to make the wrong one.Nicholas walked over to me, now holding a cup of coffee. He offered it to me.“I made you some coffee. You need this.”I gave a faint smile. “Thanks.”We stood side by side, looking out into the yard, sipping our coffee in silence. Until finally, Nicholas said, “Bima said Hazel will be transferred this morning to a better hospital. They have special security. The doctors are experienced.”I nodded. “Good. At least she’s getting
Sabrina’s POV I closed my eyes for a moment, letting the warmth of his body soothe the restlessness inside me. His words were simple, but they sank deep. In the middle of so much uncertainty, the one thing I could hold on to was the certainty that we’d face it all together.Outside, the sky was beginning to turn gold. Little birds flitted between the trees, and the soft whisper of wind slipped through the slightly open window. The morning was so calm, it felt almost unreal—especially compared to the chaos we had endured over the past few months.I looked around our room, now slowly filling with natural light. A pile of clean laundry still lay on the chair in the corner. Charlie’s books were scattered across the floor near his small bed, which hadn’t been used since the last time he slept with us. Everything looked so ordinary, so domestic… and maybe that’s what made my chest feel tight. Because after all the chaos, we had returned to this: routine, togetherness, and the
Sabrina’s POVThat morning, I woke up earlier than usual. The sun hadn’t fully risen yet, and the sky outside the window was still a pale blue, with faint shadows of trees swaying in the breeze. I sat at the edge of the bed, gazing out, the blanket still halfway covering my legs. A sense of unease clung to my chest—an emptiness I couldn’t quite explain. Not sadness. But not happiness either.Last night, Nicholas had come home with a battered face and news that Adrian had been arrested. The enemy who had haunted us for so long had finally fallen. I was supposed to feel relief. But now, as the tension began to fade and the immediate danger disappeared… new questions started to arise.Hazel.She was still in the hospital—weak and wounded—but at least she was alive. Nicholas and Bima had fought hard to prove she was just a victim. And I couldn’t deny the truth anymore: Hazel didn’t deserve all of this.But if Hazel is released… if she returns to our lives, what about