"Approach the enemy with the attitude of defeating him without delay."
-Miyamoto Musashi-
***
“Are you nervous?” Dion asked her as they were getting ready for Michel Louise’s birthday party.
“Hm, not really. It’s the opposite, I am eager to start the plan.”
Sofia replied as she applied a bold red lipstick that complimented her really well. Just like the night when she almost died, she chose to wear a ruby red dress with matching ruby earrings and necklace.
They were different in style, but these should be enough to act as subtle hints for Christian and a reminder of what he did.
When she was about to put on her necklace, Dion approached her and gently placed his hand on her hand which was holding the necklace.
“Let me help you put it on.” He picked it up and helped her put on the necklace. He was standing so close behind her she could feel his suit touchi
"Let it not be said that I was silent when they needed me."-William Wilberforce-***All three heads were turned toward the source of the voice and it was none other than Dion.He stood behind her and placed both of his hands around her shoulder protectively. He easily towered over her and his sharp gaze went straight to Christian and Layla.“Hm, this was not part of the plan, but I guess I should just go along with this.” She thought. Sofia put on a smile and placed her hand on his hand before answering.“Oh, it’s nothing, love. I just accidentally spilled some wine over this gentleman’s suit. I was offering a laundry payment but he refused it.”“Is that so? Well, my wife must be a little clumsy earlier, I hope you can forgive her.” Dion slightly emphasized on the word ‘wife’ which made both Christian and Layla a little taken aback and relieved at
"There are wounds that never show on the body that are deeper and more hurtful than anything that bleeds."-Laurell K. Hamilton-***“Good morning, Sofia.” Sofia woke up and was a bit stunned to see Dion’s face beside her. Ah, it was the third day they were in Paris but she still couldn’t get used to sleeping on the same bed as him.Dion and his family owned a few properties worldwide, including Paris. However, the one they had in there was a one-bedroom apartment.It was spacious, but didn’t have that many rooms, which was the reason why they had to share it during their stay in there.“Good morning, Dion.” Sofia removed the blanket and immediately got up. It was a bit awkward to lay in the same bed as him for so long.They were husband and wife, but after the kiss they shared during their wedding ceremony, they never kissed or touched each other in a sexual manner.
"Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it."-Confucius-***Sofia and Dion arrived at Versailles Palace at around 11 am and she was instantly astonished by how beautiful the place was. He checked in and the two of them headed to their room.The beautiful golden and white themed room which once belonged to the French royalty really made her feel special.The amount of details put in the room was absolutely insane. The wall on their bedroom was not paint, it was made of fabric with details of couple and hot air balloons. Same with the chair used in the room.It must have taken a lot to create such a beautiful and intricate space like that.For a moment, she forgot about all of her troubles and decided that she would spend the day having a good time with him.The palace has only opened its boutique hotel in 2021 so it was quite an experience to be able to stay there so soon.“Let
"There's just something about childhood friend you can't replace."-Lisa Whelchel-***While Sofia returned to her apartment, Dion decided to visit an old friend. He parked his car in front of a comfortable sized house in Paris.He knocked on the door and a few moments later, the door opened to a familiar face. Pierced ear and lip, body full of tattoos and dyed black hair. This man still looked the same as he remembered.“Ajax, it has been a while.” Dion smiled to the man who had been waiting for his arrival.“Dion, you’re here. Come inside.” The man named Ajax invited him in and they headed to the living room where two other souls could be seen.One of them was the identical twin of the first man, but he had a completely different style. His skin was smooth, free from any tattoo and piercing but he was wearing a round glasses.The other party in the room was a drop dead g
"I miss you in ways that not even words can understand."-Gemma Troy-***“What are you doing?” Dion asked her as he saw her mapping out something on the table.“I did some research earlier and I found out that Christian had been recruited by Charmonet company which is owned by Layla’s Monet uncle, David Monet. I know the relationship between David and Layla is very close so she must have asked David to hire him.”It was the confirmation Sofia needed. These two had been together even when she was still in a relationship with Christian.Somehow, she was also certain that Layla had a play in her death.“I think I have to take revenge on two people now. How troublesome.” Sofia didn’t enjoy planning revenge on someone but she genuinely believed those who wronged her needed to be punished.Not just by the law, which at times could be unjust, but also with her
"Every new friend is a new adventure, the start of more memories."-Patrick Lindsay-***“I’m Gilda.” Sofia introduced herself. She had no idea that Lysandra actually knew her real name already and who she was. For Lysandra who already knew everything, it was kind of amusing in a way.“Do you come here often or is this your first visit?” Lysandra asked.“Oh, no, I have been here before but it’s my first time being here in a while.” Gilda replied. Somehow, the two of them ended up walking together and talked to each other as if they were old friends.“Thank you for recommending the perfume for me earlier. I think it’s going to be my new favorite.” Sofia thanked her.“No problem. By the way, do you want to exchange numbers? I like getting to know new people.” She pulled out her phone and gave her number to Sofia.Sofia had had
"Dogs are our link to paradise."-Milan Kundera-***Just like that, Sofia found herself having coffee with Jean Charme.It went a lot faster and easier than she thought. This man was a rational man from every angle, so she was a bit more cautious, but perhaps behind his rational façade, he had a soft spot for vulnerable young women.“How have you been coping with the Parisian life, mademoiselle?” He asked.“It has not been easy, especially since my husband still has to go back and forth between Athens and Paris, I am pretty much all alone here. Beside work, I don’t have much to do. The house is also empty and I often feel lonely at times.” She paused before continuing.“That’s why I have decided to get myself a pet. I adopted a corgi yesterday and after this, I am going to pick the corgi up and bring him home.” She told him.Hearing the statement,
"If I had a single flower for every time I think about you, I could walk in my garden forever."-Claudia Adrienne Grandi-***“Oh my god, I miss her so much.” Dion murmured as he twirled the fountain pen in his hand. It has been almost three days since he arrived back in Athens.The first day, he was so busy with work that he didn’t really think much about Sofia.However, the second and third day was really difficult for him especially when he was back at his home at night.In the past month, Sofia had always welcomed him home whenever he was back from work.The only people he saw at home was his staff and none of them could make him feel as happy as being welcomed by Sofia.He didn’t think it was possible before, to miss someone this much only after a short separation. Yet, with each passing seconds, it was becoming more and more unbearable.He thought something must be
"Long range planning does not deal with the future decisions, but with the future of present decisions."-Peter F. Drucker-*** “Come on, we have not done it for three months since you need to recuperate, but I can’t hold it back anymore, Sofia. I need you.” Dion said as he started kissing her neck.“Dion, Astro is sleeping, he needs to be breastfed soon, what if we are too noisy and it wakes him up?” She asked.“You’re kidding. He’s literally in another room. Come on, Sofia. I want you so much. Besides, we have hired private nannies for him. If he’s hungry, they can just bottle fed him.” He reasoned before he started kissing her on the lips.Sofia felt a little odd since they had not done it for so long, but she eventually gave in and the two of them ended up doing it.However, just as they finished the first round and about to move on to the second round, there was a knock on the door.“Sir, sorry to disturb you but you have a guest.” It was one of the maid. She wondered. Dion and
"Babies are amazing. They begin each day all warm and sleepy and smelling of promises."-Julia Roberts-***“Push, just a little bit more, push!” Sofia had spent almost eight hours in the delivery room trying to deliver the baby and the baby was about to come up.After a hard push, she could feel the baby leaving her body and she could hear cries of the baby echoing throughout the room.Sofia felt like crying. She couldn’t believe she was finally a mother. It was a role she was always looking forward to become.“Congratulations, it’s a boy.” She told her. The doctor cleaned the baby up and handed him for Sofia to hold.The moment she held the boy in her arms, Sofia felt this deep connection with the baby and all the pain she felt in the past eight hours just disappeared.It was replaced by a strong sense of happiness and maternal instincts.“Hello, hands
"A bride at her second marriage does not wear a veil, she wants to see what she is getting."-Helen Rowland-***Dion and Sofia was preparing their wedding and although they were already legally married as husband and wife, they wanted to do something a bit more special.A second wedding which would be attended by their family and friends. This wedding would be quite different from the one they had before.This time it was also based on love and witnessed by other members of the family. They already had this planned before and it was finally coming true.Sofia had her entire family flown to Athens just for this moment and Dion also had his family members attending. They were a little surprised to get the invitation but they still came to support him.None of them questioned anything because they trusted his judgement and quite frankly they were all clueless about the Sofia situation.By the time
"A woman's highest calling is to lead a man to his soul so as to unite him with the source. A man's highest calling is to protect woman so she is free to walk the earth unharmed."-Cherokee Proverb-***“I’m pregnant!” Sofia revealed the news to her parents through the phone and they were so surprised and happy at the same time.“We’re going to become grandparents!” They squealed from behind the screen. It was pretty wild. Sofia never imagined she would get so much love and positive reactions for her pregnancy.She understood if they were touched but their reactions were just above and beyond.It made her feel a little relieved because she knew when she gave birth, the baby would become one of the most loved person in the world.“Do you know the gender of the baby yet?” Ines asked her.“No, we’re going to check for it next week and do another checkup as well. Don’t worry, I will come to Paris next month and then we can meet.” She told them.“Okay, we are looking forward to it, stay he
"My heart is and always will be yours."-Jane Austen-***After spending a little over a week in Thailand, the couple headed back to Athens using first class. The flight felt quite short even though they had to transit and everything else.They arrived in Athens around the evening and headed straight back home.The only strength they had left was to take shower, eat dinner which they had previously bought on their way from there and then slept like a baby until the next day.Dion had to go straight to work so he left early in the morning while Sofia had a bit more time. She stayed home and decided to spend her day unpacking everything and organizing they bought from the trip.It was quite an experience, to find out that she was pregnant during her trip was one of the moment she would never forget.The two of them agreed to have their first hospital checkup in three days and during that time, Dion promi
"Pregnancy is getting company inside one's skin."-Maggie Scarf-***The next morning, on their fourth day in Phuket, Sofia was experiencing a terrible morning sickness, unlike anything she ever experienced before in her life.The moment she woke up, she instantly felt nauseous and sprinted her way to the bathroom.She was throwing up like crazy but since she had not drunk or eaten anything yet that morning, nothing was coming out and she felt tortured.Dion who was asleep slowly opened his eyes and headed to the bathroom, worried that something might have happened to her.“Are you okay, my love?” He asked from outside as he knocked on the door. She locked it from the inside and he couldn’t check on her right on spot.“Yes, I’m fine, don’t worry about me.” She replied from the inside as she tried to gather herself together.At first she thought the sickn
"Heaven on earth is a choice you must make, not a place you must find."-Wayne Dyer-***The next morning, they started off their wonderful adventure in Phuket. The first thing they did was to see the most famous tourist attraction in the island, the Big Buddha statue seated on top of Nakkerd Hill.It was one of the few things she immediately recognized upon her arrival.Sofia wore a light, tropical blue and white sleeveless dress that really complimented the background. As the owner of a fashion company, she needed to make sure she was alwasy looking stylish."Come on, let's go here." She dragged him around to the perfect photographic spot.They were holding each other’s hand the whole time and Sofia made sure that he was taking a lot of pictures of her in front of the Buddha statue because she wanted to cherish this moment forever.“Make sure you are getting my good angle.” It was o
"There's nothing more beautiful than the way the ocean refuses to stop kissing the shoreline, no matter how many times it's sent away."-Sarah Kay-***Dion and Sofia arrived in Phuket, Thailand for the first time. They arrived in the afternoon so the weather was a little bit hot.However, she didn't care because they were finally in paradise.It was like a dream for Sofia who has always wanted to visit the place. After years of dreaming, her desire to be there came true.The first thing they did as soon as they arrived was to head over to the resort he had booked.It was a luxury resort that he had previously booked for her. It was a private resort where they had their own private pool and access to a private beach.Private was the theme here.They would stay in that resort for a week or so. It was going to be quite an experience. When they arrived at the airport, they were picked u
"In history as in human life, regret does not bring back a lost moment and a thousand years will not recover something lost in a single hour."-Stefan Zweig-***“I am telling you, Sofia De Laurent is still alive! Don’t you see it, ask the officer who was with me that day. The woman in black hair who visited me last time, she was Sofia De Laurent.”Christian was trying to explain it to the officer. Sofia was still alive, so he never ended up killing her. He wanted them to change his charges from murder to murder attempt instead.Perhaps it might ease his sentence a bit and he could walk out of prison faster than the initial sentence considering that Sofia was still alive.“You must be having a guilty conscience, that’s why you think of her when you see other women with even the tiniest bit of resemblance.""I know what I saw. That woman was Sofia!""Sofia De Laurent