Sophia’s POVI felt weak as I was discharged from the hospital, but also relieved to be leaving. “Before we go, I have a surprise for you…” Daniel said as he and a nurse helped me transfer to the waiting wheelchair. I looked at him in surprise. And before I could say anything, my best friend Kayla waltzed into the room with a huge smile. “I’m here!” she exclaimed, rushing forward to give me a quick hug. “Oh, I’ve missed you so much.”I stared at her in disbelief. “You didn’t tell me you were coming here! I thought you were super busy!”“Well, I worked double time to make it here earlier. And it turned out to be a good thing because look at you! You definitely need me here.”I gave her a faint smile, grateful for her friendship and concern. “The doctor said I was just stressed out, but I’m glad the baby’s okay.”“I’m glad too. Well, did your pretend pregnancy termination plan work?”“Yeah, I think so…” I felt a little guilty for lying and pretending, but it had to be done. I needed to
Sophia’s POV“Sophia, you look amazing!” Kayla exclaimed, her eyes widening in surprise, as soon as I answered her video call. “I can’t wait to see you again when I go back to Paris.”Sitting at my desk in Urban Next, I smiled and thanked my best friend. “Gosh, it’s been three years!”“I know. Three years in Paris have made you confident, stylish, fashionable… I just love it!”Her words made me laugh. “Thanks, Kayla. Perhaps it’s the inner joy and peace. I’ve come a long way from that last time we saw each other, when I just got out of the hospital…”Mentioning the hospital suddenly reminded me of that day when I got discharged and had to be rushed back again because of abdominal pain. Luckily, it turned out to be nothing serious and I only needed more rest. “Gosh, I’m really glad that part of your life’s over now.” Kayla exclaimed. “But at least you drove him away. Look how everything turned out to be.”“I know. It was worth it.”I changed the subject then, showing her some of my re
Sophia’s POV“Can you tell me more about this project?” I asked Trevis, though I was greatly excited already. “You know that I have been traveling back and forth between here and the US and I’ve finally been able to establish a branch there,” Trevis began explaining. “Part of this business expansion is partnering with a strong and stable real estate developer there.”“Yes, that’s definitely a good move,” I agreed, nodding. “That could boost the company name faster.”“Of course.” He pulled up a chair and sat on it, giving me a serious look as he continued to discuss the new design case. “This is really big because the project will cater to a very high-end market, so we’ll need to combine the aesthetics and functionality very efficiently. We’ll have to ensure that this is a novel design, one that no one else has done before. It has to be of a high standard.”I was listening attentively, nodding as he spoke and getting even more excited. It sounded like a challenge, which I loved! I wo
Elijah’s POVThree years that I haven’t seen her, that I have tried my hardest not to find out anything about her while she was in France and I was here in the US. I stared at the pile of documents on my desk, unable to concentrate. I kept thinking about what Connor had informed me about a few days earlier. “She’s graduating next Friday,” he’d told me. I felt like he’d just dropped a bomb and it had exploded in front of my face, leaving me helpless and confused. I know I’d asked him to keep tabs at her school, but it’s been a long time since he’d given me an update. And now, suddenly, here it is. Graduation. I tried to pretend I didn’t care. I tried not to think about it too. But deep inside, I wanted to see her, to be there for her during this very important moment of her life. One day, I simply told Connor, “I have a trip to Italy next week, right? I’m leaving earlier. Book me a flight to Paris first. I’m dropping by there before my business meeting in Italy.”“Yes, sir. Right a
Sophia’s POVWhen Julia mentioned the name Sabrina, my heart skipped a beat. Even though there could be plenty of other people with the same name, I couldn't shake the feeling that it was significant. I glanced over at the man she was arguing with and immediately recognized him as the same Chris who’d been bothering here before. Is he a stalker? What does he really want and why did Julia mention Sabrina?I could feel a migraine forming as the unanswered questions swam in my mind. I wanted to help out Julia and talk to her, but she’d already moved away. Luckily, Trevis called me and distracted me from the weird situation. I forced myself to brush off the odd feeling that there was more to this thing.Shut up, Sophia, I told myself silently. But on the surface, I was smiling and nodding as Trevis congratulated me. Don’t even go there anymore. You’ve lived your life to the fullest for the last three years and things are going great. You’ve already moved on from everything that had oc
Elijah’s POVI settled back into my office chair, the familiar surroundings offering some comfort after my business trip to Italy. Connor, my assistant, was updating me on the latest developments when he hesitated, a furrow appearing on his brow.“Is something wrong, Connor?” I asked, noticing his sudden change in demeanor.“Well, um, I heard something... about Sophia,” he began, choosing his words carefully. “She's back here in the city. It seems like she's planning to stay for a while.”My heart skipped a beat at the mention of her name. Sophia, back here in our city. The thought filled me with a mixture of emotions, but I kept my composure, not wanting to show any vulnerability.“Thank you for letting me know, Connor,” I replied calmly, though my mind was racing. I wanted to ask more questions, to find out where she was staying, and what she was doing, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Instead, I focused on the task at hand, trying to push aside the thoughts of Sophia that thr
Elijah’s POV“Hi, Sophia,” I heard myself say to her. My voice was filled with mixed emotions upon seeing her. Sophia looked shocked at first, but then she relaxed and managed a faint smile. “Hello, Elijah.” She didn’t give me a chance to say anything else, though. It was as if we were acquaintances chancing upon each other. She just simply continued to walk on. I turned around, trying to decide if I should follow her. I saw her eventually put her phone to her ear. “Daniel?” I heard her say. “Meet me now at Georgia’s.”Hearing Daniel’s name and Sophia's tone of voice, I felt a surge of curiosity. As she passed by the little girl's table, I decided to follow her, intrigued by their interaction. Sophia seemed unusually distant from the child, almost as if she were pretending not to know her. I watched them closely, trying to gauge their connection. Sophia didn’t even glance at the child. She walked much faster toward the exit while talking on the phone. “Reese, darling!” I suddenly
Sophia’s POVBefore returning to the United States, I had prepared myself for another encounter with Elijah, but I hadn't expected it to happen so soon. As I walked out of the restroom, my mind was racing. I had thought about this moment for so long, rehearsing what I would say and how I would act, but now that it was actually happening, all of that preparation seemed to have vanished from my mind. I’m just glad I’m not panicking. I remembered how I had prepared for this before coming over here. I had arranged for Reese's nanny and the nanny's sister to come and help look after my daughter. Now, I was grateful for that foresight, as it gave me some peace of mind knowing that Reese was in good hands and I could continue to pretend that she wasn't my own child while Elijah was around. “It’s going to be okay,” Daniel assured me, reaching over the table to gently rub my hand.“I want to get out of here now, but it might seem too obvious,” I told him nervously. “Relax, Sophia. Everyth