Tangled Hearts

Chapter 8: Love and War

The air was crisp as Sophia and Asher walked back to her apartment after their shopping trip. Asher's arms were loaded with bags-more than he'd anticipated. His new clothes weighed him down, and he couldn't decide whether to thank Sophia or roll his eyes.

"You didn't have to buy this much," he said, adjusting the weight of the bags with a raised brow.

Sophia smirked, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "Oh, please. If I didn't, you'd still be wandering around in those hospital clothes. I did the world a favor."

Asher shook his head, a small smile creeping onto his lips. "I'm pretty sure I don't need this much. There are enough clothes here to last me a year."

Sophia smirked. "Oh, don't act like it's the end of the world. You'll look less like a lost vagabond and more like an actual person."

Asher chuckled softly. "You sure you're not secretly trying to turn me into your personal mannequin?"

"Maybe," she teased. "But seriously, consider it an investment. You can pay me back when you remember your billionaire identity."

"Billionaire?" he asked, shaking his head with a grin. "You've got some imagination."

Sophia shrugged. "I like to dream big."

As they walked, Sophia felt her walls beginning to crumble. Being around Asher was dangerous-not because of his mysterious past, but because of how safe he made her feel. Sophia, couldn't ignore the growing softness she felt for him. She had spent so many years building walls around herself-walls she'd carefully crafted to keep everyone at arm's length, especially her father, who saw her as nothing more than a pawn in his business game. After leaving her family to study medicine, he hadn't spoken to her in five years, and she had never once felt like she belonged.

But with Asher, there was a comfort she had never known. She wasn't sure what it was-his calm presence, the way he made her feel like she wasn't entirely alone-but it was dangerous, playing with fire like this. She barely knew him, yet here she was, letting him in, trusting him in ways she'd never trusted anyone before. And still, it felt right. For the first time in years, she felt seen. Truly seen.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a commotion from a nearby alleyway. A group of men loomed over a frightened woman, their laughter echoing in the dim light.

Sophia's blood boiled. Without a second thought, she dumped her shopping bags into Asher's already full hands.

"Hold these."

Asher sighed, rolling his eyes but stepping back. "Here we go," he muttered to himself. He had saw this before on the day he woke up from hospital. "Those guys are in for a real lesson," he said, watching as she stalked toward the group.

Sophia strode into the alley, her voice firm and commanding. "Hey! Back off!"

The men turned to her, grinning smugly. One of them, a wiry guy with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, sneered. "And what are you going to do about it, sweetheart?"

Sophia smiled coldly. "Oh, you're about to find out."

Before the man could react, Sophia launched a swift kick to his knee, sending him crashing to the ground. Another lunged at her, but she dodged effortlessly, slamming her elbow into his ribs.

"Stop!" one of the men shouted, backing away as Sophia pulled out her phone. "We were just joking, okay?"

"Yeah, real funny," she said, narrowing her eyes. "I've got the cops on speed dial. Want me to give them a call?"

The remaining men paled, scrambling to help their fallen friends. "No, no, we're sorry! We'll go!" they stammered before bolting out of the alley.

Sophia turned to the woman. "Are you okay?"