**Chapter 9**
Sophie found herself pressed against the cold, unforgiving surface of the car door, her heart racing as she stole furtive glances at the man seated beside her.
Marcus was the epitome of composure, his posture impeccably straight, and the gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose glinted in the soft light filtering through the window. Every facet of him radiated an air of unapproachability—from the sharp lines of his tailored suit to the way he exuded an aura of calculated control.
The silence between them was palpable, stretching like a taut wire, ready to snap at any moment.
“Nervous?” His voice sliced through the stillness, smooth yet laced with an undercurrent of something she couldn’t quite place.
Sophie felt her spine stiffen involuntarily. “Should I be?” she replied, her tone laced with uncertainty.
“That depends on what you’re hoping to prove.” His voice remained maddeningly neutral, as if he were discussing the weather rather than the weighty implications of their current situation.
Turning her gaze back to the window, Sophie fell into a silence that felt heavier than lead, and they remained that way for the rest of the drive. When the car finally came to a halt, she practically flung herself out, inhaling the fresh air like a lifeline, as though she had been submerged underwater for far too long.
God, being confined with him felt like suffocation, each second stretching into eternity.
Marcus observed her dramatic escape—the way she clutched her chest as if to steady her racing heart, the frantic way she gasped for air—but he remained silent. With long, measured strides, he headed toward the hospital entrance, exuding an air of purpose.
Sophie hurried after him, her heels clicking against the pavement, the sound echoing in the oppressive quiet.
Yet, as soon as they stepped inside, a sense of unease washed over her. The usual hustle and bustle of a hospital was conspicuously absent. There were no nurses darting by, no patients seated in waiting rooms, and the overhead announcements that typically filled the air were eerily missing.
“Why is it so quiet?” she whispered, instinctively moving closer to Marcus, despite her better judgment.
“This is Mr. Morgan’s private clinic.” A man in a white coat approached them, extending his hand with a polished smile that felt almost rehearsed. “I’m Dr. Zack Mason, Mr. Morgan’s personal physician.”
Sophie shook his hand briefly, pulling away as though she could sense the unsettling scrutiny in his gaze.

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