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Chapter 14 – The First Night
Last Updated:
2024-12-13 01:35:48
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Ties of a Contract Chapter 15 – Crossed Lines
SophiaThe news of Leo’s arrival came through a brief warning. He had called the doorman, announcing he was at the entrance and demanding to come up. My first reaction was relief that he had sought me out, but it was quickly replaced by a growing anxiety. I knew he wasn’t coming for good reasons.It didn’t take long for the doorbell to ring, and when I opened it, Leo stormed in like a hurricane. He didn’t ask for permission, didn’t wait for an invitation. He simply barged into the penthouse, his eyes brimming with fury as they scanned the luxurious surroundings.“So this is where you’re living now?” he began, his tone dripping with contempt. “A palace while I was left in that dump!”“Leo, please, keep your voice down,” I urged, closing the door and glancing quickly down the hall. I knew Alexander was home, and the last thing I wanted was for him to witness this family drama.“Don’t tell me to keep my voice down, Sophia!” he exploded, turning to me with a finger pointed. “You abandoned
Last Updated : 2024-12-14Ties of a Contract Chapter 16 – Between Truths and Doubts
SophiaThe morning began with a heavy weight on my shoulders. I knew visiting my mother wouldn’t be easy, but the tension built with every mile on the way to the hospital. Leo had visited Eleanor before me, and just the thought of what he might have told her made my stomach churn.When I arrived at her room, her expression confirmed my fears. Eleanor Carter, even frail and pale, had the same sharp, cutting gaze as always. She didn’t need to say a word for me to know she was about to emotionally tear me apart.“So, the illustrious Mrs. Hawthorne has finally decided to appear,” she began, her voice hoarse but laced with unmistakable sarcasm.“Mother, please.” I sighed, trying not to let her tone affect me. I placed my purse on the chair beside her bed and sat down. “I came to visit, like I always do.”“Don’t give me excuses, Sophia,” she snapped, turning her head to look at me. “Leo told me. You married a billionaire. A powerful, wealthy man. And you didn’t even bother to tell me.”“Mot
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SophiaThe day had arrived, and I felt a tightness in my chest as I looked at my reflection in the mirror. I was wearing a light blue dress, elegant but discreet, trying to convey the image of someone who had her life under control. However, my inner self told a different story. My mother, Eleanor, had asked—no, demanded—to meet Alexander, and I knew that the dinner would be anything but pleasant.Since her health had improved, thanks to the top-notch hospital treatment I managed to pay for with Alexander’s generous money, Eleanor had been sharper than ever. She emerged from the hospital with renewed energy and the same inclination for emotional manipulation. Leo, meanwhile, seemed to be simply enjoying what he considered my lucky break. The apartment Alexander had provided for them was spacious, modern, and located in a great part of the city, yet Leo complained incessantly.“You live in a palace while I’m stuck here,” he said the day before, when I went to visit the two of them. I h
Last Updated : 2024-12-16Ties of a Contract Chapter 18 – Between Lies and Truths
SophiaThe morning started like any other, or at least it seemed that way. I was in the kitchen, stirring my coffee, my mind still clouded by the disastrous visit to my mother’s house and my unsettling encounter with Olivia. Her words echoed in my mind like a broken record. No matter how attentive Alexander had been since the start of the day, my heart still felt heavy.It was then that the sound of a notification on my phone shattered my reverie. I picked up the device, expecting something trivial, maybe a message from Leo or an update about something irrelevant. But what I saw made me freeze.The email was from an unknown address, with the subject line: “Do you really know who you’re married to?”My breath stopped, and a chill ran down my spine. Reluctantly, I clicked to open the message. The email body was short, just one line:“The truth always comes out.”Below, there were attachments. Three photos.I hesitated, my finger hovering over the screen. Something inside me wanted to ig
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SophiaI’m in the mansion’s library, surrounded by a pile of documents I asked Alexander’s assistant to digitize. He assumed it was for some charitable project I was involved in, but my intention is quite different. I can’t ignore the growing discomfort caused by Olivia’s words since our encounter at the dinner. Something doesn’t add up, and even though I want to believe in Alexander, I can’t keep ignoring the gaps in his story. I know my curiosity might lead to discoveries that could disappoint me, but in a strange way, it makes me feel alive, as if I were living inside the suspense novel I abandoned since that fateful encounter with Olivia.The photos I received showed Alexander and Olivia together at a charity event years ago. She used that as ammunition to make me question his character. But what bothers me the most isn’t the images; it’s the tone of her voice, the conviction that she still holds a place in his life. I need to understand who Olivia really is.The first clue appear
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SophiaI am in the living room, staring at Alexander with a mix of anxiety and determination. His words echo in my mind: “the truth won’t be easy for you.” Whatever he is about to tell me, it will change everything. I know it. Somehow, I know. My breathing is shallow, and the silence between us feels louder than any argument we’ve ever had. “Olivia was a mistake I should never have made,” he finally says, standing up and walking to the window. His tone is low, but the tension in his words is palpable. “She was with Ethan, but… there was something about her. Something that attracted me in a way I can’t explain.” My heart races, and I don’t know if I want to hear the rest, but I can’t interrupt him either. He continues, still with his back to me. “Ethan was naïve. He loved her, but Olivia was never completely his. She had a calculating side he couldn’t see. And yet, I…” Alexander pauses, taking a deep breath. “I let myself get involved. It was a betrayal—the worst I could commit a
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AlexanderI’m in the car, staring at the reflection of the city lights on the window beside me. Sophia sits next to me, her eyes fixed on her phone screen. Her posture is elegant, but I can sense the tension in her shoulders. This event is important to me, but for her, it’s something else entirely: an opportunity to confront Olivia on her own turf. Even so, there’s something about her determination that unsettles me—and attracts me at the same time. She’s unlike anyone I’ve ever known.The driver announces that we’re almost there. My body tenses as I think about the possibility of Olivia showing up. I know she won’t miss the chance to make her presence known, especially with Sophia by my side. Olivia never acts without intent, and tonight won’t be an exception.As we step out of the car, the camera flashes begin. Sophia’s hand finds my arm, and I feel her steady grip. She knows what’s coming and is prepared—maybe even more so than I am.We enter the main hall, where the business elite
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SophiaThe night is silent when Alexander enters the bedroom, the sound of his firm footsteps echoing against the wooden floor. I’m sitting at the edge of the bed, legs crossed, absentmindedly flipping through a book. My mind is still at tonight’s event. Olivia tried, as always, to destabilize what we’ve built, but Alexander and I faced it together. For the first time, I felt like we weren’t just reacting; we were in control.He stops beside me, his deep brown eyes fixed on me. There’s something in his gaze that makes my heart race—a mixture of intensity and tenderness that’s hard to describe. He doesn’t say anything at first, just removes his suit jacket and loosens his tie, giving me time to observe him.“You were impressive tonight,” he finally says, his voice low but filled with sincerity. “Not just beautiful, but incredible. I don’t know how you did that with Olivia, but… thank you.”I smile, closing the book and placing it aside.“It was nothing,” I reply, but I know it was. It
Last Updated : 2024-12-21
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