Zachary held Sophia tightly at the doorway. He made sure his hug was strong enough tofort her but still gentle, so she would not feel even the slightest difort.


    Meanwhile, Sophia leaned against his chest. She stayed quiet as her tears streamed down, soaking through his shirt within seconds. Even though Zachary noticed she was crying, he did not try to stop her. Instead, he quietly stroked her hair, offering a silent kind of strength.


    At first, Sophia cried in a muffled, restrained way. Yet, gradually, her body started trembling, and her sobs grew louder and more uncontroble.


    Zachary let out a quiet sigh in his heart, then turned and carried her into his home. Since they lived right across from each other, it was quite convenient. Once inside, he led her to the couch and set her down. She had been in his ce countless times before, but this time, her emotions werepletely different.


    "Here, have some water first," Zachary said, pouring her a mug of warm water. He gently ced it in her hands and made sure she was holding it steady.


    Sophia took a small sip. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her emotions were all over the ce. She asked, "Zachary, are you really sure you won''t regret this?"


    "Sophie, I''d only regret it if I kept holding back and never told you how I truly felt," Zachary replied. He reached over and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Let''s both be a little braver, okay?"


    He added sincerely, "I''m not rich like Marcus, and I can''t spoil you the way he spoils Natalie. But what I can give you will always be exactly what you need- love, respect, gentleness, patience, loyalty,mitment... all of it. I''ll give you everything I have to offer.


    "I talked to my parents, and they don''t think you''re not good enough for me. Actually, they feel deeply for you. Have you heard the saying, ''love me, love my dog''?"


    Sophia nodded. "Yeah, I''ve heard of it."


    "That''s how my parents feel about you. You''re part of the package," he said with a warm gaze. "You know my younger brother, Zane. He used to date Ruby, but he swore to me that he never bullied you."


    Zachary exined, "The whole thing between him and Ruby was always one- sided. She was just using his name to do shady stuff behind his back. Because of that, both my parents and I gave him a serious wake-up call."


    Sophia suddenly smiled at the memory of the days she spent recovering at Goodwill Pharmacy. "Yeah, I remember. Back then, Natalie gave him an ultimatum -either break up with Ruby or get kicked out of the pharmacy. He didn''t even hesitate and broke up with her right away."


    "Exactly, so there''s no need for you to hold anything against Zane. He''s just a kid who has zero say in our family. If he finds out you''re with me now, he''ll probably bug you nonstop, begging you to put in a good word for him with Natalie."


    Zachary chuckled as he said it because he knew exactly how much Zane idolized Natalie. Hearing that, Sophia suddenly felt lighter inside.


    "Okay. Your words really lifted a weight off my chest. " She looked at Zachary, never having imagined the two of them would end up here.


    Had she fallen for him? Of course, she had. Over the years, no matter what role he yed in her life, he had always been the one who stayed by her side. He knew her better than anyone else, and he treated her better than anyone ever had.


    Sophia leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him. Her voice was muffled. "Zachary, thank you. Really... Thank you so much."


    "No, it''s me who should thank you... for giving me this chance," Zachary whispered as he pulled her in tighter. "Sophia, believe in yourself, and believe in me too, okay?"


    "Okay."


    After Sophia said that, Zachary smiled gently and cupped her face, carefully wiping away her tears. "Sophia, can I kiss you?"


    Sophia froze for a second. A few painful images shed through her mind, but before she could answer, Zachary leaned in and kissed her. His kiss was tender and lingering, and he gently wrapped his arm around her waist, moving with such care that she gradually began to rx.


    He knew she carried many painful memories, but none of them had ever been her fault.


    When the gentle kiss finally ended, Sophia''s eyes filled with tears again. They rolled down her cheeks as she reached out and hugged Zachary tightly.


    "Sophia, we should probably grab the groceries now," Zachary said with a soft smile, not bringing up the past at all. "Even if we''re just ying house, we should at least bring back something to make it look convincing."


    "Okay," Sophia replied, a little embarrassed.


    She stared at Zachary. He was handsome, calm, and ssy. She had never once seen him lose control of his emotions.


    All these years, he had been there, guiding her and quietly filling the gaps in her heart that had long been left empty. However, she had always avoided thinking further, instinctively keeping her guard up.


    Even so, Zachary never pushed Sophia-not once. Had it not been for Samuel''s harsh words and overhearing that Jonathan wanted to set her up with someone, Zachary probably would have kept holding back.


    "Wash your face first. We''ll head out after that."


    "Okay."


    Since they lived across from each other, Zachary had a full set of her toiletries at his ce. Sophia washed her face and put on light makeup, making sure her eyes no longer looked so puffy before stepping out of the bathroom. "I''m ready."


    Zachary reached for her hand. "Alright. Let''s go."


    "Okay."


    Just as they opened the door, the unit across from Zachary''s swung open too. Jonathan and Melissa burst out at the same time, both of their faces full of panic.


    Samantha came rushing out behind them. When she saw Zachary and Sophia still there, she ran over and grabbed Sophia''s arm.


    As Samantha spoke, Melissa finally broke down and sobbed. "My precious Cee... Please, let her be okay!"


    "Everything''s going to be alright,"


    Jonathan said, trying to keep it


    together, though he was clearly on edge too. Mr. Holt, Sophia, you two know the city better than we do. Please, we''re begging you. Help us save Cee."


    "What happened?" Zachary stepped up calmly, trying to steady them. "Mr. Remington, don''t panic. Tell me everything slowly."


    "A stranger called using Cee''s phone just now. They said something happened to


    her at the park," Jonathan exined, his voice shaking. "She was mugged. And she almost... she almost..."


    He could not finish the sentence, but everyone there immediately understood what he meant.


    "We''ll head over right now," Zachary said as he grabbed Sophia''s hand, moving into action with calm authority. "Don''t crowd the elevator. The more passengers it carries, the slower it moves."


    "Mr. and Mrs. Remington, you go first. Ms. ir, you should follow them. When we get to the first floor, I''ll drive. Nobody pushes or rushes, got it?" "Yes, we''ll do as you say," Jonathan and Melissa agreed quickly. They were clearly too panicked to think for themselves and needed someone to take charge.