Chapter 7

"Stupid! What's the use of me having useless minions like you!" A tense atmosphere occurs in a VVIP ward when two Phoenix members return from their duties to find their boss's child.

Mark who was lying with his legs sprained from gunshot wounds was inflamed knowing the performance of his men was so embarrassing. He felt even more embarrassed when he couldn't do anything for now. Unfortunately, on the day Sophia disappeared at the airport, Mark received gunshot wounds to both legs. Add to that the fact that someone knocked Julia unconscious and dumped her in the middle of the street covered in blood. Even now Julia is still in a poor condition because there are many wounds on her body.

Mark was angry with himself for not being able to protect his wife and children. He felt useless. And as a result, he took his disappointment out on his men.

Ben who was standing right beside his father's bed could only be silent. Don't dare to say anything.

"I don't want to know, destroy Terrion if Sophia has been kidnapped by that bastard boy!" Mark closed his eyes tightly as some of his men came back out to do as he was told. As for Ben, the man just sighed softly before calming Mark.

"Dad, I'm sure Sophia will be back soon."

..

..

Sophia opened her eyes. And yet again she is faced with an endless nightmare. What she caught was still the darkroom where she was first brought here. Sophia sighed in resignation. She felt like she was trapped in a palace of darkness. She always hoped that this kidnapping was just a nightmare when she fell asleep in an expensive hotel that her father had booked in Paris.

But what is called a dream will not last this long.

Her eyes started to glaze over. Sophia wanted to go home. She missed her father. Missing her mother. And miss Ben. During being confined in this big house, Sophia almost minute cried. Her eyes were swollen and red. Sophia didn't know how long she had been here, but for sure a few days in that place felt like a century. She felt like she was trapped in a 19th-century Tudor-style mansion surrounded by black clouds that were ready to make a storm in the sky at any time.

Sophia got out of bed and opened the window blinds.

No. She didn't want to run away anymore. She's traumatized. She just wanted to see the atmosphere outside the huge prison she was living in now. But again there was only a grove of the forest as far as the eye could see. Pathetic. A house of this size seems to have been purposely built in a quite remote area. It was as if the owner wanted to live in a house that could bring a calm atmosphere; in contrast to the hustle and bustle of the city of Los Angeles.

Snow always falls lightly in early December. Sophia hates the cold, but she loves snow. Every year, Sophia always looks forward to winter. Play with her friends under the snow, build forts and snowballs. Then throw each other so that the opponent's fortress is destroyed. It was her routine or maybe until now.

Sophia also loves the snow because Christmas always happens in winter. Christmas makes the house feel warm even if it's a blizzard outside, and that's her favorite part. She always celebrates Christmas with her family. Her father would give her the present she wanted. Her mother would also hug her all Christmas Eve. And Ben would take her for a walk to the mall the next day.

Usually entering the month of December, the father had bought a tall and large Christmas tree as requested by Sophia. Then the man will also take her shopping for Christmas tree knick-knacks. Then, she and her brother will decorate the Christmas tree together with her mother who is always ready with a camera in her hand to capture their moment of togetherness. Then the last one, and the one she was most looking forward to, was when she put a flashing star above their Christmas tree.

It was his routine to welcome Christmas in years past. And Sophia thinks that this year's Christmas will be very different. The days leading up to Christmas will be very different from previous years.

A few days ago Sophia was expecting to celebrate Christmas with her mother in Paris. They'd be walking around the Eiffel tower on Christmas Eve and making video calls with Dad and Ben in LA. She will capture every moment of her first Christmas in Paris, then print her photo and she will paste it on the wall of her room.

But he was wrong. The days of welcoming Christmas this year have come so bad. It was so bad that Sophia felt frustrated at the thought of the sudden change in her life.

Pathetic.

Sophia doesn't believe in the Miracle in December anymore. And most importantly, Santa won't be visiting a monster's house.

Sophia made the windows mist with the help of her breath. Her fingers are randomly drawing a figure of the snowman.

This year, for the first time Sophia hated winter. For the first time, she wished this winter was just a dream that happened when she took a summer nap in her house in the warm air.

But it was all just an illusion that kept playing in her brain like a broken record.

Suddenly a drop of blood hit the shirt she was wearing. Sophia looked down and sighed softly at the red stain. Her anemia always recurs in winter. She couldn't do anything because the medicine she needed was in the suitcase, and she didn't even bring anything here, neither did her cell phone.

Suddenly the door opened while Sophia was wiping her nose with her sleeve. The girl turned and her eyes met Daniel's.

Sophia tried to remain calm as Daniel approached her.

"Lucas told me to take you to dinner," the man said flatly.

Wow! Sophia was a little surprised. Dinner together? So far there was only a tray with food and a glass of mineral water which had been placed on the table when she woke up. She hadn't even left this cramped room since she came, not even when Daniel dragged her to the rooftop.

"I..." Her words were cut off as Daniel stepped closer to her. Sophia was already alarmed before the man's hot hand touched her chin with a light touch. Daniel made her look up as those piercing eyes fell on her reddened nose.

"What's with your nose?" Daniel asked.

Sophia looked away from the other way when she was caught staring at the man intently, "Just a nosebleed."

"Why?"

"I'm always like this when I feel cold. I.. have anemia," she trailed off at the end. Sophia didn't know if the man would care about her when she mentioned the illness she had suffered from since childhood.

Sophia knew that Daniel's eyes were fixed on her. But Sophia still didn't have the brave to meet his gaze. All werewolves were like that, using their sharp eyes to intimidate their prey.

As the man gave her space, Sophia breathed a small sigh of relief.

"Let's have dinner."

"Go ahead. I'll be right back. I have to clear my nose."

Daniel nodded and started to turn towards the door, but he stopped in his tracks. His eyes scanned Sophia's appearance up and down.

"Tell Lucas if you need clothes. The shirt you're wearing looks tattered."

Sophia nodded quickly.

Then Daniel left her room.