Sophie..My eyelids opened, and I quickly reached out for my phone. Opening it, my fingers ran across the smooth surface as I searched the web, checking the headlines. A thin thread of air escaped my lips; it wasn’t a dream. I raised my knees and pressed my forehead on it as my fingers played with my toes. I’d never felt so stupid in my life. I believed him yesterday. What was he fixing like this? My chest burned so much that tears spilled out of my eyes. The only sounds I could hear in the room were the ones in my head, my raging thoughts making sure my heart never believed his stupid words again. Another bitter sigh left my lips as I found myself drawing different invisible maps on the cotton bedsheets. The cool fabric against my skin offered no solace; instead, it reminded me of comfort I’d never find.I jolted up from my bed and dashed to the bathroom. Clenching the edge of the sink, I retched, relieving the nausea that had been brewing up.My body quivered as silent tears fo
Alex..I groaned, rolling over in bed. My eyes had opened, but my body lagged. Last night’s emotions still lingered, and I hated that. I had a company to run; the last thing I should be doing was wallowing in self-pity. Benjamin had nearly fried my phone with calls; I was too exhausted to answer. I’d probably call him when I’m at the office. With a weary sigh, I dragged my heavy body off the bed and trudged to the bathroom for my hygiene routine. I turned on the hot shower; they said hot showers relax your body and alleviate tension, but that was not the case for me. The cold water, like a thousand icy needles, pierced through my skin. The relief it brought was cellular.I dressed in my suit; thoughts still inhabited my mind. I made my way downstairs; the familiar routine of preparing for the day provided a little comfort. Reaching the bottom step, my gaze fell on my mother and Mia in the sitting room, flipping through what looked like a wedding magazine. Ignoring their presence
Luca . . From the hospital to the company was like a twenty-minute drive. Ten minutes her excitement was on the verge of exploding. I found myself occasionally smiling at her demeanor. The way her eyes sparkled, the way excitement made her fingers dance on her thighs. In the next ten minutes, we arrived at Howard’s construction firm. It was a company opening a branch here in Manhattan. Although I was handling the hotel, my father had also assigned me to this. So I had to juggle both. We stepped out of the car and headed towards the entrance of the building. I slowed my strides so Sophie could keep up. “Good morning, Mr. Brown." Tina, one of the workers, greeted us as she walked into us. I handed my case over to her. “Good Morning. Are the rest here?” I brushed the tip of my nose with a finger. “Yes sir.” “Alright then.” I turned to Sophie; subconsciously, my gaze softened, and my tone became gentle. “After the meeting, I’ll show you around. Is that fine?” The
CHAPTER 37 Sophie . . His fingers brushed against my lip, and a warm spark traveled all through my body. I froze; I shouldn’t be doing this. Was I allowed to do this? Allowed to enjoy this? I tried pulling back—moving, but only my throat did as I swallowed hard. My heart and stomach fluttered as his eyes danced between my eyes and lips, tracing every inch of my lips and observing every desire painted in my eyes. His musky cologne sedated me, the office fading into a blur. The only thing I could see was his stunning face. The only thing I could hear was my heart racing to him, and feel was his soft finger on my lips. The pregnancy hormones must have been messing with me because as his lips hovered over mine, I didn’t retreat. Instead, my heart raced, begging for more warmth. My lips prepared to welcome his. “Luca, my love.” A voice snapped me out of the sedative state. I whipped my head, and my eyes fell on a woman. She had raven black straight hair that cascaded down, a fe
Sophie..With an exasperated sigh, I collapsed on the bed. My legs were weak and tired from all the walking around. Although I didn’t walk as much as I usually do—house to car, car to the hospital. The scan room was the second door on the fifth floor of the hospital, so the walk from the elevator was a brief one. Yet it felt like I had walked from Egypt to Canaan.Different thoughts of what I could do today to break the chains that boredom had held me captive. Luca had gone to work—not Howard’s construction but the hotel. I was a jobless pregnant woman, also tired of going to my studio. Paula was at home, but we had never had a conversation. Sometimes I wanted to, but never have I ever seen a smile on her face; her cold demeanor froze me before I could start a conversation. I jolted up as a savior—a thought popped into my mind: I could play a game. Since I couldn’t decorate now, I could decorate one in a game. Settling on the seat, I opened my laptop. A mail popped up, and I click
Sophie . . Alex’s eyes bored into mine, his stare rousing conflicting emotions in me—one that felt like kicking his feet beneath the table and the other craving to rub my feet up his legs. Did he have to look that good in the black colored suit, the one that made his eyes pop? Did he know I was here? Is that why he sauntered in commanding the air to seduce me? Definitely not. Logic kicked my stupid heart, reminding me that this man had engaged who he had promised to leave. He had chosen her over for me. After promising he would never let me go , but that’s exactly what he did. My chest tightened, grounding me back to reality. But Alex’s stare was determined to send me back to the fantasyland. “Miss Sophie,” Mr. Wilson called out, flipping through the file before him as he adjusted his lenses. “Mrs Sophie.” Alex corrected, rubbing his chin, his eyes still fixed on me like I’d disappear if he took them off. Mr. Wilson’s eyes flew to mine before returning to my file before h
Sophie..“Come back in,” Alex ordered.“What is wrong with you?” My eyes widened. This was a workplace, and it was highly inappropriate for anyone to see us like this. Not after what had happened in the meeting. “Let me go,” I demanded with a strained voice as I struggled to escape his grip.Alex’s eyes met mine, and he smiled. “Why?” He tightened his grip. Lucy entered like she was treading on a field of hidden land mines. With each step she took to the desk, my body stiffened. I was going to be working with her, and she had caught me in the arms of our boss.“This is inappropriate,” I whispered as Lucy was still in the office, dropping the file on the desk. “She’s a worker here.” Alex chuckled. He was enjoying this. “Let’s put on a show for her then.” A seductive smirk tugged at a corner of his lips. His fingers returned to tracing my face.For a moment, I almost fell back into his hypnotism. But Lucy’s voice snapped me out again.“Sir, I have dropped it.”Alex, noticing my shif
ALEX..“I’m sorry, Alex, you gave up on me first.” Sophie dashed out of the office. I strode to my desk. The hard leather backrest offered support as I sank into the black vinyl chair. Silence had always been comforting for me, but this silence provided no peace. It only made my haunting thoughts clearer and louder.Her words stirred a pain in my chest. ‘A mistress’ she was my life, my everything. But that wouldn’t matter when I’m engaged to another woman. A bitter feeling was born in my chest, and I clenched my fist as I remembered my mother’s betrayal. And then there’s my child, to whom I owe a good family. My fingers flew to my temples, massaging them as throbs traveled across my head. How could I solve this where everyone gets a happy ending?Drawing the drawer of the metal desk, I rummaged through. I sighed. I had left my drugs at my office. After a knock on the door, Mrs. Moore glided in, swaying her hips as she placed one foot after the other. She settled in the other se