Sophia’s POVI was about to answer Craig's question over the phone when Reese came over and tapped the end button. I looked at her in surprise, wondering why she had interrupted me. Her face was red, and she looked quite angry, even though her eyes were sleepy.“Now, sleep! No phone!” Reese declared, her voice firm despite her tiredness. I couldn't help but smile at her determination. I pinched her nose affectionately, thinking that I would just explain to Craig tomorrow.“Alright, alright, no phone,” I chuckled, lifting Reese up and placing her gently on her bed. She snuggled into my pillow, already half asleep. I grabbed a storybook that was lying on my bedside table and began reading it to her. Eventually her eyes closed and she was sound asleep. “I love you, Reese,” I whispered, giving her a kiss on the cheek and lying down next to her to sleep. Soon the big day came for Julia and I to present our refined proposal to the entire team. As I stepped into the meeting room, my heart
Sophia’s POVThe meeting ended, and despite my best efforts, I couldn't hide my disappointment. I managed to keep a smile on my face, but inside, I felt crushed. I ignored the sight of Julia basking in their victory, focusing only on the need to retreat to my small office and be alone.Elijah’s eyes shifted to me, and it seemed like his gaze meant to tell me something. I hurried away quickly, not caring to find out. As I entered my office, I hoped to find solace in solitude, but my wish was not granted. Serena followed me in, ignoring my request to leave. She locked the door behind her and sat down on the couch, looking at me expectantly.“What do you want, Serena?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.“Well, do you know why Elijah chose Julia’s design over yours?” she asked straightaway, her eyebrows furrowing. She seemed greatly bothered by this, and I silently wondered why she wasn’t celebrating with them instead. “I’m not interested to know why,” was all I answered as I turn
Elijah's POVKnowing that Sophia was working in the same building where I was, every single day, drove me crazy. I often found myself glancing around in the lobby, in the elevator, in the hallways… always searching for her, hoping to catch a glimpse. Today, Trevis and I had a meeting. Finally, I had good reason to go to Urban Next Design Studio. At first, I didn’t see Sophia anywhere. Then after the meeting, my heart went crazy when I saw that her office door was ajar. Taking a quick peek inside, my heart dropped. There she was, closely sitting together and poring over some designs, even whispering to each other. Sometimes she would giggle, oblivious to my presence.That architect even had the nerve to put his arm around her and rub her back!It was all I could do not to pull him away from her and punch him in the nose. I shook my head as I tried to control the anger that threatened to consume me. “What’s happening to me?” I asked myself as I went back to the top floor and closed th
Julia’s POVI’ve always told Chris no, that I didn’t want that DNA test. I’m not interested in finding out what life I had before I went missing as a child. And I don’t care about going back to the Bakers. This is my life now, and I’m happy and content where I am. I don’t want to complicate things. Every time Chris had visited me in the past, he would always mention new things about their family. He revealed their wealth, but that wasn’t enough to allure me back. My parents had the same kind of wealth, and they had always given me what I wanted ever since I’d been adopted. I’m lucky to have rich and good parents now. How can I be sure that the Bakers will treat me the same? It might not be good to open up the past again. But these were my sentiments before I’d met Elijah Sinclair and found out that he was deeply connected to Sabrina Baker. I remembered looking up into his eyes that first time at the restaurant and hearing his deep, velvety voice, feeling it roll across my skin an
Elijah’s POV“Sabrina…” I whispered as I sat in my large, mahogany-clad office, my gaze fixed on a very old photo I held in my hand. A wave of nostalgia washed over me. The photo captured a moment frozen in time, one of laughter and innocence, with Sabrina's bright smile lighting up the frame. A tinge of guilt spread throughout my chest as I thought about all the years I had failed her because I was never able to find her, even when I had all the money in the world. A series of knocks interrupted my thoughts, followed by the door swinging open to reveal two familiar faces—Chris and Trevis, my closest friends. “Morning, Elijah,” Chris greeted me, his eyes twinkling with excitement. “I've got some news for you.”I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “What's up?”“I got the results of the DNA test,” Chris began, grinning widely. “And it turns out that Julia is actually Sabrina! Can you believe it? After all these years, we now have her back!”I wasn’t that shocked, but I couldn’t understand
Sophia’s POVI took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart. My heels clicked sharply against the polished marble floor of the Urban Next office, echoing my determination. This is it. I have to do the right thing, no matter the consequences. As I approached Trevis's office, I squared my shoulders.“Ms. Bennett,” his assistant greeted me with a nod, recognizing the resolve in my eyes. She signaled for me to enter.“Trevis,” I said, stepping inside and closing the door behind me. The owner of Urban Next looked up from his desk, surprise flickering across his face at my abrupt entrance.“Sophia,” he replied, leaning back in his chair. “To what do I owe this unexpected visit?”“I need to talk to you about the new project assigned to Julia.”His brows knitted together in confusion. “I know you were disappointed that your proposal wasn’t chosen, but I also thought you'd be pleased for her. You've always had a good relationship with Julia.”“That's exactly the problem,” I said, my
Sophia’s POVI stormed out of Urban Next, greatly pissed off at Elijah. My mind raced, a tangle of frustration and disbelief. How could he be so blind?“Sophia, wait!” Elijah's voice rang out behind me, his footsteps pounding against the floor as he caught up with me in the hallway. I didn't slow down.“Sophia,” he repeated, more urgent now, grabbing my arm gently. “Please, just listen. Julia—or Sabrina—she's been my friend since we were kids. I know her well enough to know she wouldn't do something like this.”I turned sharply, yanking my arm free. “Of course, you do. Because Julia's Sabrina, right? And you're always right about everything.” My voice dripped with sarcasm. “But let me tell you something, Elijah. You're being quite unfair. These people that you choose to trust may have no credibility at all.”He looked genuinely baffled and taken aback. “What do you mean?”I scoffed, crossing my arms. “You also studied design, didn't you? Surely you can see the similarities in our work
Elijah’s POVI stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows of my office on the top floor, looking down at the park below where several kids were playing happily. It reminded me of when things were so simple and I could just be happy and carefree with Sabrina. Sighing, I sank back into my leather executive chair and let it swivel as my thoughts went back to my conversation with Sophia. Immediately, I called my assistant Connor to my office. “Connor, I need you to look into Craig. Something about him doesn’t sit right with me,” I said, getting straight to the point.“Of course. I’ll get on it immediately,” Connor replied without hesitation. That’s one of the reasons I valued him so much. He never questioned my instincts.“And there’s something else,” I continued, glancing at the clock on my desk. “I need you to get a copy of Julia and Sophia’s design from Trevis. I want to review them closely.”“Understood. I’ll have it to you by the end of the day,” Connor promised.“Thanks. I appreciate
Sophia’s POVMy heart pounded as I gripped the phone tighter. "Mom? What’s wrong?"There was a moment of silence, just soft, uneven breaths on the other end of the line. My stomach twisted painfully. "Mom, talk to me!""S-Sophia…" her voice cracked, and I felt my chest constrict. "They’re here."I blinked, my mind struggling to keep up. "Who’s here?""Chris and Emily. They’re home."I inhaled sharply, my breath catching in my throat. For a second, I couldn't move, couldn't think. My pulse raced as my mind fought to process what she had just said.Chris and Emily are back.My grip on the phone loosened, my knees nearly buckling from the sudden rush of emotions. Relief, disbelief, overwhelming gratitude."Oh my God," I whispered, pressing a hand to my chest. "Are they okay?""I… I don’t know," my mother admitted, still sounding shaken. "They haven’t said much. But you need to come quick."I didn’t hesitate. "I’ll be right there."As I ended the call, I turned to see Elijah watching me,
Sophia’s POVThe kitchen was quiet except for the faint sizzle of eggs in the pan. It was still very early in the morning, and I could see the sun rising through the window. Normally, I would have stopped to admire the view. But my mind was still preoccupied with a lot of chaotic things. I had barely slept.Everything Lucas had told me last night still lingered in my mind, a tangled mess of unanswered questions and uneasy truths. Hugo Tournier. He had been part of my family's past all along, a ghost lurking in the shadows, and now he was back. It settled over me like a heavy fog, impossible to shake.But as much as my thoughts circled around Hugo, it was Elijah’s reaction that unsettled me more. The way he had looked at me. The sharpness in his voice when he told me I didn’t need to talk to Lucas anymore, that Joe would handle the investigation.He hadn’t accused me outright, but I could feel the tension beneath his words. The distance. Lucas was a sensitive issue between us—alwa
Sophia’s POVLucas stood in front of me, his face partially shadowed by the porch light, his eyes unreadable but filled with something that made my stomach twist—regret, sorrow, maybe even guilt.“I don’t even know where to start,” he murmured, running a hand through his hair.I crossed my arms, bracing myself. “Just tell me what you found.”He exhaled sharply, nodding. "I started looking into the records of missing children around the time you disappeared. A lot of reports were vague, but… I found something." He hesitated before continuing, his voice tight. "There was an old witness statement—a retired cop who had once suspected a man named Hugo Tournier."My breath hitched. The name. I had heard it before. Grandpa George had mentioned it when we talked about the man who might have taken me.Lucas continued, unaware of my growing realization. "The name meant nothing to me at first, but when I dug deeper, I realized it was connected to your family."My pulse quickened. “Connected how?
Emily’s POVDarkened streets stretched endlessly ahead as we sped through the city, the glow of neon signs flickering across the windshield. The sound of other cars was distant, almost muffled, drowned out by the pounding of my heart. My grip tightened on the edge of my seat, eyes darting to every shadowed alley, every figure on the sidewalk. It felt like eyes were on us—watching, waiting.Chris’s grip on the wheel was tight, his jaw set in a hard line. He hadn’t said much since we got the warning. The burner phone lay silent between us, the last message still glowing on the screen:“Do not go to the docks. You are being watched.”I swallowed hard. "Who sent it?""No idea," Chris muttered. "Could be someone helping us. Could be someone luring us into another trap."My stomach twisted. "So what do we do?"He exhaled sharply, eyes darting to the rearview mirror. "We can’t risk it. If someone’s waiting for us at the docks, we won’t stand a chance. We haven't been able to reach Crimson Ve
Sophia’s POVJared was safe. That was all that mattered.We were gathered in the house, the weight of the night still pressing heavily on our shoulders. But at least Jared was asleep now, curled up in his bed like nothing had happened. He hadn’t seemed afraid, hadn’t even realized the gravity of what Antoine had done. And for that, I was grateful. The last thing I wanted was for him to carry fear because of this.But once he woke up, I knew I would have to face the reality of telling him about his father. And why it was only now that he was finding out about Antoine. “We’re not pressing charges,” I had told Elijah. But we did have to watch our backs more carefully, to stay guarded and alert all the time. And we needed to make sure never to let Jared out of our sights again. Still, we had made Antoine promise never to pull something like this again. Not that his word meant much. I didn’t trust him, and I knew Elijah didn’t either. This wasn’t over. Not really.Phoebe sat beside me,
Sophia’s POVElijah and I sprinted through the mall, dodging past confused shoppers and security personnel as the urgency of the moment drove us forward. My heart pounded in my ears, my breaths coming fast and shallow.“We need to check the parking lot exits,” Elijah said, his voice tight with controlled fury. “If Antoine took Jared, he won’t risk staying here much longer.”Elijah nodded, pulling out his phone and dialing Joe. The moment Joe answered, Elijah got straight to the point. “Antoine’s here. He took Jared. We need to know if he has a car registered in his name or any known places he might go.”I looked at Elijah in anticipation. He nodded then ended the call. "He said he'll get back to us soon."My eyes darted around the busy corridor, searching for any sign of our son.Jared, my sweet boy. Where are you?Phoebe ran alongside me, her face streaked with tears. “He must’ve followed us,” she choked out. “I swear, I didn’t think— I mean, I saw someone watching, but I wasn’t sure
Sophia’s POVI pushed through the crowded mall, my heart hammering in my chest, my breath coming in short, uneven gasps. The world around me blurred into a haze of faces and voices, none of them the one I was searching for. Oh, god, Jared. Please be okay.My mind screamed his name with every step I took, my hands trembling as I grabbed Phoebe’s arm, trying to keep both of us steady.“He has to be here,” Phoebe said, her voice shaking as she wiped at her tear-streaked face. “He has to be here somewhere.”I wanted to believe her. I had to believe her. But the sheer panic clawing at my throat made it hard to hold on to hope. Jared wasn’t just missing—he seemed to have vanished into thin air. And the longer he was gone, the worse the possibilities became.“Elijah’s talking to security,” I said, scanning every store, every passerby, searching for even a glimpse of him. “They’re checking the cameras. We just have to keep looking.”Phoebe nodded frantically, but guilt was etched into every
Elijah’s POVAcross from me, I gazed lovingly at my wife. Sophia looked beautiful, her hair framing her face perfectly as she sipped her wine. For a moment, I let myself pretend that this was just a regular dinner date, that everything was normal.But it wasn’t.“The food’s amazing,” I said, taking another bite of my steak. “You picked a great place.”Sophia smiled faintly, but the crease between her brows betrayed the worry she was trying to hide. “I’m glad you like it,” she said softly. Her fork hovered over her plate for a moment before she set it down. “Elijah… do you think Chris and Emily are okay?”I reached across the table, taking her hand in mine. “They’ll be fine,” I said firmly, though the weight in my chest made me doubt my own words. “The mob’s on its last legs. Even if there are survivors, they’re scattered and in no position to orchestrate anything.”She nodded, but her eyes didn’t meet mine. “I can’t help but worry. What if… what if some of them intercepted Chris and E
Sophia’s POVLennon, who had recently been transferred to a local hospital in the city, sat up in his bed, looking pale but stronger than I’d expected. Morgana sat by his side, her hand clutching his as if letting go would make him disappear. Her eyes were wet with happy tears, her face a mix of relief and joy that she was finally reunited with him.Elijah stood at the foot of the bed, his posture stiff, but his expression was open, filled with something I rarely saw: vulnerability. He cleared his throat, his voice low but steady as he spoke. “Lennon, I need to say something.”Lennon looked at him calmly. “Go on.”“I…” Elijah hesitated, then sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry. For doubting you. For questioning your motives. You’ve done so much for all of us, for Morgana, for our family. And… I didn’t trust you the way I should have.”Lennon smiled faintly, shaking his head. “You don’t have to apologize, Elijah. I understand. With everything that’s happened, with all t