ALEX . . As I settled in next to her, a frown walked up onto her face. “What are you doing here?” Romi shot me a nasty stare, but that didn’t bother me. I was more focused on why I hadn't been able to reach Sophie. “I think I’ll give you guys some space,” Romi stated, rising to her feet and moving to another table. “I thought I told you to leave me alone.” Sophie narrowed her eyes and folded her arms. “And I never agreed to that,” I shot back, raising my brows. “And I’m only here because you changed your line,” I added, my gaze locked onto hers. “How many lines are you going to change because of me?” “I didn’t change it. I just blocked you,” Sophie remarked. She picked up her buffalo wing and took a bite out of it. I froze at her words. But I became distracted; my gaze lingered on her as she ate. I loved the way her eyes lightened up when she savored anything delicious. It was one of her favorite dishes. There was a nice spot in Brooklyn that made the best one, and I always
Sophie..Romi shot a burning stare from the other side of the wide desk at our temporary office at the hotel. Well, she had been doing it for probably an hour.“I’m sorry for smudging your lipstick.” I apologized for what felt like the hundredth time.Romi had fixed her lipstick, but her eyes still burned with fury. “If you are angry about something, I wouldn’t know if you don’t tell me,” I stated, dropping the pen and leaning back. “I’m not a mind reader, you know.” Romi leaned in. “You’re not giving me the full gist here,” she commented, biting the cover of her pen. “Something feels amiss.” She added.Instantly, I knew what she was referring to. I searched for the right way to say it. “Alex isn’t aware of the pregnancy,” I finally said, deciding there was no best way of putting it out there.Romi's eyes widened, her lips falling open as she tried to process the news. “What the hell. Why.. Wait." Confusion tied her tongue, and the right words just couldn’t come out. I told her e
CHAPTER 22Sophie ..A loud bang on the table startled me awake. My eyes fell on Mr. Beckham, his hand planted on the table as he glared at me, his eyes burning with rage.“My office now,” Mr. Beckham commanded, his voice sending a scorching heat down my spine. My heart pounding in my throat, I rose to my feet unsteadily, and I trailed behind him down the corridor. Every step felt like a hard labor job as fatigue stiffened my limbs.For the past week, it felt like I had been waking up on the wrong side of the bed every morning as I battled with morning sickness. But today, it was like I woke up on the worst side, as the symptoms were merciless. My hand subconsciously wrapped my stomach as it churned brutally.Even after finding myself in a deep mess, I still struggled to keep my eyes open. Entering the office, I closed the door behind me with trembling hands.Mr. Beckham settled in his swivel seat, his critical gaze still burning with the same intensity. “I’ve noticed you’ve not be
Sophie . . Today, unlike every other morning, seemed beautiful. I sat on the office table, a wide smile plastered on my face as I continued my work. Aside from the little fatigue lingering in my body, I was perfectly fine. Then, the nausea struck me. I sighed, knowing this feeling wasn’t going away anytime soon. But I wasn’t going to let it affect my happy state. “Someone looks excited,” Romi stated, sitting across from me. “Is that pineapple juice?” She questioned. I shrugged. Pineapple juice wasn’t a drink I would drink even with a gun to my head. Its acidic taste always stung my tongue, but here I was—savoring every drop of it as it romanced my taste buds. I still didn’t fully understand why. Romi giggled as she opened her laptop; the clicks of her fingers against the keyboards felt soothing for no reason at all. Everything seemed joyful today, for no reason. Romi suddenly looked up, drawing my attention. “We are supposed to go to Hampton to get those paintings tod
Sophie..Alex’s eyes kept dancing between mine and the road. It had been thirty minutes since we left the bustling city, now replaced by a serene environment dominated by small buildings and trees. The silence lingered, occasionally breaking Romi’s laughter whenever she saw a funny video on her phone. I turned my head away from Alex, facing the window, counting the trees and buildings, attempting to suppress the nausea brewing in my stomach. Also to distract myself from his dominative presence that slowly soaked into me. His cologne, unlike others, didn’t assault my nose.A subtle warmth jerked me back to reality as Alex cupped my hand, his eyes still fixed on the road. His big hand completely swallowed my hand, making it feel small. Masking the soothing warmth with a frown, I attempted to pull my hand away, but he responded by tightening his grip. “Resist again; I’ll be cuffing you to me. Then we’ll be stuck for the whole day.” Alex turned and winked at me before gazing back at
Alex . . I trudged inside my room, my legs too heavy to take me to my bed, so I collapsed on the sofa. Its softness eased the tension in my joints caused by my office swivel chair—maybe I do need to get a better-cushioned one. I shut my eyes, enjoying the comfort the silence offered, and began to unbutton my shirt. “Alex!” My mother charged through the door, her voice sharp, cutting through the calmness, grating my ears. Can’t a man have peace in his home? Another sigh escaped me. I opened my eyes, and they landed on her. Her eyes gleamed with fury, her brows furrowed, and I could only wonder what I had done wrong this time. “What did I do again?” I questioned, wiggling my brows. Tiredness drained the life out of my voice. “How would you embarrass Mia like that?” My mother questioned, tapping her feet against the floor. “Oh God,” I groaned as another headache shot through my head. I’ve had a stressful day, and all I needed was rest, not some old woman nagging at me—especia
Sophie ..My legs trembled as I descended the stairs; cramps held them captive. I had thrown up multiple times just this early morning. The nausea relentlessly churned in my stomach, and my eyes felt heavy like I hadn’t experienced sleep in my entire life.Entering the kitchen, my weary eyes fell on Luca. His athletic frame was clad in a well-ironed white dress shirt. The sleeves were short, exposing his toned arms. As he lifted the mug to his lips, his biceps flexed subtly, hinting at a strength that was impossible to ignore. Despite my physical discomfort, a spark flickered in me.“Good morning.” Luca greeted me, his eyes darkening in a sultry manner as they lingered on me, tracing my frame.My heart palpitated as I ran my hands across the black skirt that hugged my curves like it was the last day on Earth. “Is something wrong with my outfit?” I questioned I hesitated to put it on, but I loved body-hugging clothes. For someone as petite as me with hips as my only prominent featur
Sophie . . Walls do have ears. The air suddenly became cold, each breath sending fearful shivers through every nerve in my body. A ragged chuckle escaped my constricted throat. My fingers clutched my skirt. “Fred,” I called his name out as soon as I remembered it. “No, I’m sure you didn’t hear us properly.” I blink rapidly. Romi chipped in. “We were arguing if pregnant women can get horny,” she said with a forced smile. “Sophie isn’t pregnant.” Fred straightened his position, taking his back off the frame. His hands were back in his pocket, and he began approaching us. “You know, among the five senses, one tends to stand out more than the others,” he said, pausing as if searching for the next words. “And for me, it’s my ears.” A sinister smile tugged at the corner of his lips. The chill in the room intensified. With each step he took forward, the thud echoed in my ears like he was walking inside of my head. “With my pregnancy, I’m not getting laid anytime soon.” Fred