In the hospital room, Daniel sat by Sophia's bedside.
The anesthesia hadn't worn off yet, and she was still unconscious.
For some reason, even though he should have been worried about the critically injured Sophia, the image of Emily's retreating back kept replaying in his mind.

In his memory, Emily was always bright and vibrant.
But the Emily he saw earlier was shrouded in a heavy, depressive aura.
Daniel took out his phone and opened his chat with Emily.
He was shocked to realize their last conversation was a month ago.
In the past, even when he was out and didn't come home, Emily would still send him messages from time to time.
But this time, there had been nothing for an entire month.

Daniel pursed his lips and stepped out of the room to call his Beta.
"Go to the best soup place in town, get a nourishing chicken soup, and deliver it to Emily. Make sure you tell her to drink it."
He then went back to their chat and sent Emily a message.
[Emily, I'm having my Beta bring you some soup. Be good and drink it, then get some rest.]

Daniel knew he was at the top of Emily's chat list.
Whenever he messaged her, she always replied within two minutes.
One minute, two minutes, three minutes...
A full half-hour passed.
The chat remained silent. There was no response.
Daniel frowned, the strange feeling in his gut intensifying into a dull sense of unease.
But then he reassured himself. She probably just went to sleep as soon as she got home.
The thought calmed him down.
He put his phone away and pushed the door to the hospital room open.
Just as he entered, Sophia's eyelashes fluttered, and she weakly opened her eyes.
"Daniel..."
Daniel immediately took her hand and pressed it to his cheek, gently stroking her pale face.
"Sophia, how are you feeling? Does anything hurt?"
Sophia's eyes instantly filled with tears, which streamed down her temples.
"Daniel, it's all my fault. I... I couldn't protect our baby..."
Her words froze Daniel in place.
Sophia was pregnant with his child?!
But he was sure he had used protection every single time this past month.
Although he enjoyed seeking novelty outside his bond, he was always clear about who his fated mate was.
In his heart, only Emily was allowed to bear his children. Any other woman was out of the question.
Daniel's gaze on Sophia lost some of its sympathy and gained a hint of suspicion.
"Sophia, if I remember correctly, we used protection every time."
At his words, Sophia began to sob even harder, her voice choked.
"Daniel, are you accusing me of cheating on you?"
"Don't you remember? That night you got drunk at that business dinner... I helped you to your room, and as soon as we were inside, you pushed me onto the bed, and then... and then it just happened..."
Daniel frowned, trying to piece together his memories of that night.
After a long moment, a hazy recollection surfaced.
He did seem to remember something happening with Sophia on a night he was drunk.
The thought brought the sympathy back into his eyes, and he softened his voice.
"I'm sorry, Sophia. I was mistaken."
Sophia shook her head, her tear-filled eyes looking up at him.
"Daniel, when I found out I was pregnant, I wanted to tell you right away. But then I thought about how it was thanks to Emily that we could be together, so I asked her to meet me to thank her and share the good news."
"But I never imagined... that when she found out I was pregnant, she would change completely. She... she attacked me."
"If I hadn't met with her, our baby would still be safe. It's all my fault I couldn't protect him..."
By the end, Sophia was sobbing uncontrollably.
She placed a hand on her lower abdomen, her entire body wracked with grief.
Daniel was involuntarily reminded of when Emily lost their baby two years ago.
She had just lain in her hospital bed, not saying a word, just staring blankly at the ceiling.
A sharp pain pierced Daniel's heart, and he felt a sudden, urgent need to be with Emily.
Seeing him lost in thought, Sophia's expression grew even more pitiful as she gently tugged on his sleeve.
"Daniel, our baby is gone. Aren't you sad?"
In Daniel's mind, he would never allow any woman other than Emily to have his child.
Even if this hadn't happened today, he would have arranged for Sophia to have the pregnancy terminated as soon as he found out.
But he didn't say what he was really thinking.
He stroked Sophia's head and whispered soothingly.
"Sophia, you're more important than anything. As long as you're okay, that's all that matters."
His words instantly calmed Sophia's anxious heart.
As long as Daniel still had feelings for her, there would always be a chance for another baby.
Sophia pouted, her eyes red and swollen.
"Daniel, what about Emily...?"
Before she could finish, his phone rang, interrupting her.
Daniel answered, and his Beta's frantic voice came through the line.
"Alpha, I'm at your house, but there's no answer at the door. Do you think something might have happened to the Luna?"