03

Zia POV

Sophia burst into the office, her presence igniting my anger. But I took a deep breath and kept my cool. She marched towards my desk, her eyes fixed on me with an air of entitlement.

"Is Lorenzo in the office?" she asked bluntly, without even a greeting.

I shot her a glare, my eyes flashing with irritation. "Why are you staring at me like that?" she asked, her tone defiant.

"I asked you a simple question. Where's Lorenzo?" she demanded again, her voice rising.

I replied curtly, my tone laced with disgust. "He's in a meeting and can't attend to anybody right now."

Sophia's eyes flashed with anger, her voice rising. "Do you know who I am? I'm not just anyone!"

I felt my patience wear thin, my voice matching her volume. "Ma'am, I've already told you, Lorenzo is in a meeting. If you can't wait, please leave."

My annoyance surged, fueled by pregnancy hormones. Sophia's face reddened, her words dripping with indignation. "You yelled at me! I'll make sure I get you fire"

She tried to push past me, but I stood firm, my feet rooted. "I apologize, but you can't enter until he's finished. Trust me."

The air was thick with tension, our emotions raw and palpable. Sophia's arrogance and my hormonal sensitivity clashed, sparks flying as we stood our ground.

Sophia stormed towards the door her face red with anger. "Lorenzo, come out here! Lorenzo, get the hell out of here!" she shouted.

I stood up, my eyes flashing with annoyance. "Ma'am, you're being rude and immature. I told you he's in a meeting. Can't you compose yourself for just a few minutes? I wonder where Lorenzo found someone like you," I said, my voice firm but controlled.

Sophia's eyes narrowed, her face twisted in anger. But before she could respond, Lorenzo emerged from his office, his expression calm but authoritative.

"What's going on here?" he demanded, his eyes scanning the room.

I chuckled and composed myself, trying to diffuse the tension. "She wanted to see you, but I told her you were in a meeting. She was adamant," I replied, shrugging my shoulders.

Lorenzo shot me a glare, but I just raised an eyebrow, innocent.

Sophia's anger boiled over again. "Wait, Lorenzo, how can you employ someone like this as your personal assistant?" she demanded, her voice shrill.

Lorenzo stepped forward, his hands raised, trying to calm her down. "Sophia, please calm down. This is a working environment. Let's not create unnecessary drama," he said, his voice soothing but firm.

"Are you kidding me?" Sophia asked, her voice rising in indignation. "Did you just say I cause unnecessary drama just because I was trying to correct your personal assistant who disrespected me?" Her eyes flashed with anger, her face reddening further.

Lorenzo held up his hands, his expression calm and soothing. "Can you at least calm down, Sophia? Let's talk about this in my office," he tried to persuade her, his voice gentle but firm.

But Sophia was reluctant, her arms crossed and her feet planted firmly on the ground. "Did you like her? Aren't you going to scold her?" she asked, her voice laced with accusation and hurt.

I rolled my eyes in disgust, my expression unimpressed. Sophia's behavior was childish and unreasonable.

Lorenzo sighed, his shoulders sagging slightly. "I will scold her later, let's go to my office first," he said, his voice patient but firm.

Sophia's face crumpled, and she burst into tears. "Is this how you're going to treat me and my unborn child?" she sobbed, her words like a punch to my gut.

I felt like I'd been slapped. Unborn child? I flinched backward, my heart racing like crazy. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

Lorenzo looked stunned. "What are you talking about?" he asked, his voice shaking slightly.

Sophia's sobs turned into mocking laughter. "The doctor just sent me the test results. I'm pregnant," she repeated, her eyes gleaming with triumph.

I felt like the ground was opening up to swallow me whole. My mind was reeling. How could this be happening? How can he impregnated someone else when we're married, And I was the one who was not allowed to get pregnant.

Lorenzo looked at me, then back at Sophia. "Let's go to my office and talk about this," he said, his voice firm but controlled.

I bit my lip hard, trying to process my emotions. How could I be so foolish to agree to marry him? It had been a year, and I had to hide my pregnancy from the world. But she came back after a few months, and now she's already pregnant? It wasn't fair.

I slumped back into my seat, feeling defeated. I had gotten my hopes up too high, and now I felt like a fool.

Sophia's voice cut through my thoughts. "How can she sit down when her boss is still here? Does she have no respect for you? I want you to fire her now."

I scoffed, rolling my eyes. This was ridiculous.

Lorenzo intervened, his voice calm and reasonable. "I can't fire her, Sophia. She didn't do anything wrong. She was doing her job diligently until this argument started. Let's talk about this."

But Sophia was having none of it. "I won't talk to you if you won't fire her. I'm out of here," she said, storming off.

Lorenzo shot me a glare before chasing after her. I watched in disbelief as my husband ran after another woman. What was I even thinking? This was a nightmare.

I felt a sting of tears in my eyes as I realized the truth. I was just a pawn in their game, a game I didn't even know I was playing. My heart ached with sadness and betrayal. Now I understand this means nothing to him, it was just a contract, right?

The day had dragged on for what felt like an eternity, and I was exhausted. Sophia's announcement and Lorenzo's subsequent chase after her had left me feeling drained and defeated. As I packed up my things to leave for the day, my phone beeped, breaking the silence. I smiled despite myself as I read the message from Lorenzo. "Let's meet at your favorite spot, I'll be waiting for you. Don't be late."

My heart skipped a beat as I typed out a reply. "I'll be there." I couldn't help the excitement that bubbled up inside me, despite everything that had happened.

As I arrived at the spot an hour later, I saw Lorenzo already there, leaning against the railing and gazing out at the city. The setting sun cast a warm glow over him, and for a moment, I forgot about all the drama and heartache.

A smile played on my lips as I remembered the countless times I had visited this spot with my mother. It was our special place, where we would come to escape the world and just be together. And then I remembered the one time I had run into Lorenzo here, when I was feeling lost and broken. He had been kind and gentle, and for the first time, I had seen a glimmer of hope.

But now, I wondered why he had chosen this place to meet me. What did he want to talk about? And why did I still feel this pull towards him, despite everything? I took a deep breath and approached him, my heart pounding in my chest.

I walked closer to him, my feet heavy with emotion. He didn't even look up at me, his gaze fixed on the ground. "You're always late," he said, his voice flat. "Five minutes late, as usual."

I scoffed, feeling a lump form in my throat. "I'm sorry, there was traffic," I said, my voice shaking.

He finally looked up at me, his eyes narrowing. "You're angry, right?" he asked, his tone softening.

I was surprised by his question, and before I knew it, tears began to fall down my face. He stood up and wiped away my tears, pulling me into a gentle hug. I rested my head on his shoulder, feeling a mix of emotions.

"I know this is tough on you," he said, his voice calm. "So I just have some advice for you." He released me from the hug and looked at me with serious eyes. "Just pretend none of this ever happened. Don't let Sophia's words stick in your head. Remember, this is just a contract between us. It will be over soon, and we can all go our separate ways. That way, you'll be fine."

His words were harsh, but his tone was calm and gentle. He turned and started walking away, leaving me feeling shattered and alone. My heart pounded in my chest as I fell to the ground, tears streaming down my face.