Marcus held Sophia tightly, his strong arms wrapped around her as if shielding her from the entire world.
Slowly, her hysterical sobs softened into quiet sniffles. She stayed pressed against his chest for a long moment, letting him stroke her hair and whisper soothing words.
After a while, she pulled back slightly, looking up at him with teary, grateful eyes. Her voice was soft and vulnerable.
"I would have never believed they could do something like this to me…" Sophia whispered, her voice trembling. "They were supposed to be your friends… our friends."
Marcus's jaw tightened. He cupped her face gently with both hands.
"Me too," he said, voice low and filled with cold fury. "I never knew they were snakes. But don't worry about them, Sophia. I'll make them regret this for the rest of their lives."
Sophia looked up at Marcus with a loving, teary smile, her eyes shining with admiration.
"Thank you, Marcus… I don't know what I would've done without you."
