Chapter 4 I'll Sleep with You

Sophia jerked back like she'd been zapped, her head buzzing. Nicholas just woke up like that?

She gawked at Nicholas's open eyes, her throat constricting as she cleared it awkwardly. Her mind raced, her thoughts a disorganized flurry. Feeling flustered and unsteady, she bolted downstairs to the living room, her face painted with anxiety, like something huge had just gone down.

Warren, catching her frantic energy, asked urgently, "Sophia, what's up?"

"Mr. Martinez!" Sophia was all excited, "Nicholas, he just opened his eyes! You guys gotta come see!"

Hearing this, Warren's furrowed brows relaxed, and he sat back down. "Sophia," he said casually, "that's just a normal thing for someone in a vegetative state. Happens now and then. You'll get used to it."

Warren exhaled and put the remote on the table. The first time he saw Nicholas open his eyes, he was just as pumped.

"Alright," Sophia said, calming down, though her heart still pounded in her chest.

Lorenzo, sprawled on the sofa, looked at Sophia mockingly. "Aren't you supposed to be good at medicine? How could you not know this? The doctors said this is basic stuff!"

He sat up and looked at Warren, "Dad, isn't she a fraud? Acting all skilled during the day, and now she can't even tell if someone's awake or not!"

Warren frowned, "Enough, stop talking!"

But Lorenzo, catching that flash of fury in Warren's eyes, only felt a twinge of victory. He shot a smug, provocative glance at Sophia. "Sophia, I think you should quit medicine! You just got lucky during the day! Nicholas isn't some guinea pig for you to mess with! If something goes wrong, can you handle it?"

"Lorenzo, that's not right," Sophia said calmly. "I just married into the family and, naturally, I hope Nicholas recovers fully. When I saw his eyes open, my mind went blank out of sheer hope and excitement. I rushed down to tell you all because sometimes, when you care deeply, you act out of impulse rather than logic."

Sophia glanced at the people sitting on the sofa, her gaze landing on Lorenzo. "The first time you saw Nicholas open his eyes, you must have been as excited as I was, right? At that moment, who had the time to check carefully?"

Warren's grip on his cane loosened, and everyone looked at Lorenzo.

Lorenzo stammered, "Of course! I was anxious too... it's been so long, I forgot... forgot."

"Lorenzo, your memory is really bad!" Sophia smiled. "I thought you were targeting me!"

Lorenzo shot to his feet, finger aimed at Sophia, ready to unleash a torrent of curses. But when he met her icy, threatening gaze that seemed to say, 'Do you really want everyone to know what happened last night?' he slowly sank back into his seat.

His face twisted. "No, I was just worried everyone would be happy for nothing! Don't take it to heart!"

'Sophia is not someone to mess with, she has to be driven out sooner or later! To avoid causing trouble here!' he thought.

The room fell into an oppressive silence. Warren, sensing the tension, turned off the TV, picked up his cane, and stood up. "Alright, don't stay here. It's late, everyone go to sleep!"

Everyone stood up, heading to their rooms one after another. Lorenzo shot Sophia a cold glare before storming off.

Sophia calmly straightened her collar and headed upstairs, feeling someone's eyes on her. She whipped her head around, her gaze sharp.

There was a kid leaning on the railing on the second floor, wearing white pajamas, looking all soft and innocent. His big eyes were locked on her, full of curiosity.

"Why aren't you sleeping?" Sophia asked.

Lorenzo paused, staring at Sophia squatting on the stairs. Talk about a bad penny always turning up!

Sophia squatted in front of Barry, looking at his soft face, her heart melting.

Barry blinked and shook his head.

"Can't sleep alone?" Sophia asked again.

Barry stayed silent, not much of a talker. Sensing the need for a change in approach, Sophia gently asked, "Do you want to sleep with me?"

The boy, clinging to her presence, seemed to find comfort in her. It felt natural to invite him, expecting his agreement to come easily.

"No way!" A sneer came from the stairs. Lorenzo walked over and stood in front of Barry, looking at Sophia with disdain.

"You want Barry to sleep with you? Have you looked in a mirror lately?" He gave Sophia a once-over, mocking her. "See if you're worthy! Hurry up and leave!"

Turning his attention to Barry, Lorenzo's tone hardened, "And you, staring at her instead of sleeping? She just got here, and you aren’t worried she might hurt you?"

Barry moved closer to Sophia, an instinctive need for protection flashing in his eyes. He stared at Lorenzo warily, his loyalty to Sophia unyielding despite the threat.

Lorenzo's frustration boiled over. "Hey, you little brat!" he snarled, reaching roughly for Barry's hat, trying to yank him away. "Go to sleep!"

With surprising agility, Barry dodged, his eyes flooding with determination as he looked at Sophia. "I'll sleep with you," he declared firmly, his voice soft yet steady. Tentatively, he stretched out his hand, his small fingers seeking hers for reassurance.

Diana, standing at the corner of the third floor, looked surprised, staring at Barry holding Sophia's hand, her mouth agape.

'Fine, let Sophia stay!' she thought.

Barry had been without a mother since he was young, not close to anyone, finally, someone he liked. The Martinez family was wealthy, they could afford it!

"Did you hear that, Lorenzo?" Sophia smiled. "Move aside, let us pass, don't delay Barry's sleep!"

Lorenzo was furious, glaring at the two of them. He stormed off into his room.

"Alright, let's go," Sophia said to Barry.

The bed was big, enough for three people. She placed Barry in the middle of the bed, covering him with a blanket. "Wait for me, I'll be back after washing up."

Half an hour later, Barry was still awake when she came out of the bathroom, sitting on the bed, staring at her, patting the bed beside him, signaling her to come over.

Sophia smiled happily, tucking them both in, "Sleep now, it's late."

Barry was stubborn, eyes wide open, staring at her. Sophia pondered, "How about I tell you a bedtime story?"

Her gentle voice filled the room, and Barry slowly closed his eyes, his small body snuggling into Sophia's arms. A smile appeared on his small lips, his whole body relaxed. Sophia's embrace was so warm, it felt so cozy to sleep in.

Seeing Barry asleep, Sophia reached out and turned off the night light.

"Ah!" In the dead of night, a piercing scream came from beside her, making Sophia's head buzz. Sensing something was wrong, she opened her eyes abruptly.