Chapter 3~ Good friends

SOPHIA. 

My stomach churned when I found Elias and my best friend in our matrimonial bed. I could hear their loud moans from downstairs. 

Even though I took slow steps, ascending the stairs slowly, my heart kept sinking little by little the closer I got, knowing I would find my husband in our bed with another woman. 

Minutes later, he was shoving divorce papers in my face and forcing me to sign them. 

There was no sign. There was no warning. I never once imagined the man I loved would one day betray me like this. 

This felt like a nightmare. 

“Sign the divorce papers, Sophia! I want to marry Violet! She’s carrying my baby!” Elias’s cold voice sent a chill down my spine. 

I glanced at the paper that he had thrown my way, my heart clenching in pain. 

“And if I don’t?” I replied defiantly, not wanting to go down without a fight. 

Elias’s eyes flickered with anger. He ran a hand through his hair before coming towards me and grabbing my neck. 

“Don’t test my limits, Sophia. It’s either you sign those divorce papers or I force you to!”

The scene quickly changed and I realised I was dreaming. And it was a bad dream. 

Elias found out I signed the divorce papers and imprisoned me. 

“I’ll never let you go!” His grin was so wide it sent a chill down my spine. 

“You’re mine, Sophia!” 

He wrapped his hand around my neck and squeezed, blocking my air supply. 

I couldn’t breathe. 

I tried to scream, but my lips felt heavy. 

I felt so helpless. 

Was I going to be Elias’s prisoner my whole life?

My eyes suddenly shot open and I jolted up in bed, my heart pounding so violently I thought it would burst out of my chest. 

For a moment, I couldn’t differentiate between a dream and reality, my mind reeling with vivid images of Elias forcing me to divorce and then locking me up when I did what he wanted. 

Luckily, it wasn’t real… it was just a terrible dream. My relief didn’t last long when I became aware of my surroundings. 

Looking around, my heart sank when I realised I wasn’t at the villa. 

This room was unfamiliar. It was bigger, with floor-to-ceiling windows and the only two walls were white in colour, matching the silk beddings I was in. 

The curtains were gray and white and there was a small sitting area near the balcony with two blue couches. 

Where am I?

I didn’t have time to admire the room because panic crept into me. Did that jerk, Elias, decide to change the location of my prison?

Did someone find out what he was doing and he moved me so as not to raise suspicion?

My heart sank into the pits of my stomach. 

The click of the door made me jump and I moved to the edge of the bed, my heartbeat skyrocketing as I prepared to make a run for it. 

“Go away! I don’t want to see you!” I yelled, frustration rushing through me. 

Why won’t he just let me go?

I was tired. 

The door opened and a tall man walked in, holding a tray with a bowl on it.  

My heart leaped to my throat. I was about to yell again when I froze, my eyes falling on the man who was now looking at me with his cerulean blue eyes. 

In the three years that he had been gone, nothing about him had changed. He’s still as handsome as ever. Medium dark brown hair, a chiselled jaw with a neatly trimmed beard and the sexiest blue eyes I’ve ever seen. 

“Lucas,” I breathed out in relief. “You’re back?” 

Lucas walked into the room and placed the tray on the bedside table. He frowned and his eyes fell to my feet. 

I was curious about what he was looking at. So, I followed his gaze and heat crept up my face when I saw my dirty feet. 

Images from earlier flashed through my mind and I recalled how I had escaped from the villa. The housekeeper helped me out and I ran like my life depended on it. 

“You need to eat something,” Lucas said in his deep voice and my stomach decided right then that it was the best time to rumble. 

I placed a hand over my stomach as if it would drown out the sound but it became louder instead, making me blush profusely. How embarrassing! 

Lucas let out a chuckle. He pointed at the bowl. “That’s chicken soup. Your favorite.” 

My heart warmed because he still remembered what I liked even though we had not met in three years. 

Lucas Hart was the second son of the chairman of the Hart Group and also Elias's uncle. They were the same age since Lucas was born when his father remarried.

Although no one knew this, Lucas and I used to be very good friends. Until, suddenly, after Elias and I got married, he became distant. The next thing I knew, he had left the country. He didn’t even say goodbye.

I picked up the bowl of soup and finished it quickly, not caring that Lucas was looking at me. I was starving. I thought Elias would let me go if I refused to eat or drink anything but the jerk didn’t even care. 

After putting the bowl back on the tray, I glanced at Lucas who was standing by the door as if I would bite if he sat next to me. 

“When did you return?” I asked. “Are you the one who saved me?”

I remembered almost being hit by a car and a man came out but I couldn’t make out his frame. The next thing I knew, I was in Lucas’s house. 

“I just got off the plane two hours ago and yes, I saved you,” he replied. “You jumped in front of my car and almost met our maker.” 

The knot in my stomach suddenly loosened at his words. I was safe here. 

“Are you ok? What happened? You look a mess,” Lucas asked, his eyebrows creasing as he looked me over. 

I averted his gaze, feeling ashamed. I couldn’t bring myself to answer that question.

What would I say, that his nephew went crazy and locked me up?

“I see… a lover’s quarrel?” His deep voice reached me. “I’ll call Elias and tell him to pick you up.” 

My heart flew out of my chest. “No, don’t call him! We’re already divorced!”