Sophia’s POV I held my breath, wide-eyed, as I listened to Elijah. He didn’t even glance at me, but was looking straight at Morgana. “Even though you initiated this project, this company is still mine. I have the right to choose my own designers.” The tension in the air just escalated even more. Morgana suddenly looked flustered. “I’m sorry, but I just remembered I have something urgent to take care of,” she said, standing abruptly. As she left, she called Julia, who had been sitting quietly, observing. Julia’s eyes flicked from Morgana to Elijah, and I saw a hint of anger and pain that she seemed to be holding back. After all, Elijah was now saying that he was choosing my work after having declared at the meeting that he’d decided to use Julia’s proposal over mine. “Excuse me, Elijah,” Julia said softly, standing up and giving him a nod. “I need to go, too.” Elijah didn’t respond, his eyes fixed on the papers in front of him, but I noticed a flicker of something in his express
Sophia’s POV“I’m so sorry, Sophia,” Elijah repeated. “For everything.”I was certainly caught off guard and didn’t know what to say. Elijah, always so composed and arrogant, rarely showed such vulnerability.Eventually, I said, “It's okay,” I wanted to end the conversation already because I had a feeling he wanted to talk about personal things already. “No, it’s not okay,” he insisted. “I, uh… I’m not okay. I need to talk to you about the past.”Just then, Trevis followed us, curiosity evident on his face. “What's going on here?” he asked, looking between Elijah and me. There was a mischievous glint in this eye as he fixed an amused gaze on Elijah. Elijah shot him a look that could freeze water. “Let us talk first. This is between Sophia and me.”Trevis hesitated, clearly intrigued by the unusual display of emotion from Elijah. But a firm gesture from his friend finally sent him back to his chair, albeit reluctantly.I sighed, crossing my arms. “There's nothing to talk about. The p
Elijah’s POVThe morning after my meeting with Sophia and Trevis, I walked into the office with a clear goal in mind: investigate Julia’s plagiarism. It was the first thing on my to-do list, and I wanted it done without delay. As I settled into my desk, I opened the file containing Julia’s designs and the alleged copied work of Sophia. Just as I was making headway, Chris barged in, a stack of invitations in hand. He placed them on my desk with a flourish.“Here are the invitations for the reception celebrating Julia’s return,” he announced with a grin. “Or rather, Sabrina’s return to the Baker family!”Before I could respond, Julia swept into the room, her presence quite overbearing. I noticed how she linked her arm with Chris’s and grinned excitedly. “Thanks so much, my brother!” she gushed. Then turning to me, she sweetly smiled and said, “Elijah, you must come to the party!”Before I could respond, though, I saw her glance down at the papers spread across my desk and frowned. “Wha
Sophia’s POVSeeing the memo that Craig was no longer with the company hit me like a punch to the gut. I sat at my desk, my mind racing and my heart bursting with various emotions. It’s so unfair that Julia got away with the plagiarism issue scot-free while Craig was blamed and fired! The injustice of it all churned my stomach.Craig had always been a stickler for the rules, almost to a fault. The idea of him violating company policy was ludicrous. Something's not right, I thought. This is fishy. My initial shock quickly gave way to anger, and I stood up, determined to march straight to Trevis's office to get some answers.As I grabbed my phone and headed toward the door, it buzzed in my hand. I glanced at the screen and saw Craig's name. Speak of the devil…“Sophia, can you meet me at the café in the lobby?” Craig's voice was tense, yet calm.“Craig, I was just about to—”“Please, Sophia. I need to talk to you.”“I’m going to help you, Craig. Don’t worry about it. I’ll have to tal
Sophia’s POV“Sophia, can we talk?” Julia's voice was soft, almost hesitant. I glanced up, seeing the remorse in her eyes. She looked genuinely sorry, but I couldn't shake the irritation bubbling within me.“Sure,” I replied, trying to keep my tone neutral. Julia closed the door behind her and took a seat across from me.“I owe you an apology,” she began, wringing her hands nervously. “I know my design was too similar to yours, and I’m sorry that I thought there was a chance you copied some of my elements. Honestly, it wasn’t intentional. I saw some of Craig’s sketches by accident, and they must have stuck in my mind. I didn’t know that you two have been working together.”I raised an eyebrow. “So you’re saying it was subconscious?”“Yes,” Julia nodded vigorously. “I never meant to cause any harm. And now, Craig is the one suffering for it, and that’s not fair. I’ve withdrawn from the project, hoping it might make things right.”I sighed, leaning back in my chair. “It’s not Craig who
Sophia’s POV“Uncle Daniel!” Reese exclaimed. I turned, relief flooding through me as I saw Daniel's kind smile instead of Elijah's piercing gaze. Reese ran up to him, her tiny arms wrapping around his legs. I took a deep breath, beginning to relax. “Daniel,” I said, my voice steadying. “Thank goodness it's you.”He bent down to Reese's level, ruffling her hair before straightening up to face me. “Sophia, what happened?”I glanced around, ensuring no one was eavesdropping, then told him everything. The words tumbled out in a rush. “Reese and I were shopping with Kayla when I heard Elijah and Julia talking… I’m not sure if Elijah saw me and my daughter, but he could have, you know? He turned around and I tried to hide! Then we immediately left the store!” I could hear the tension and anxiety in my voice. My ex-husband could find out the truth about Reese, and it wasn’t something I was prepared for yet. “I’m just so scared that he might try to check the security cameras just to make
Elijah’s POV“No, everything’s fine,” I replied, my eyes locked on Sophia's. “I’ll be out in a while.”At that moment, she stomped on my foot, her eyes flashing with anger. But instead of reacting with pain, I simply grinned at her. The look of astonishment on her face was almost comical, and she glared at me, her fury evident.The cramped dressing room was suffocating, the walls pressing in on us as Sophia and I stood mere inches apart. I had dragged her in here, desperate for a private moment. And now that I found myself facing her closely, our breaths blending with one another, I could feel my heart jumping to my throat. Julia's voice faded as she moved away, leaving us in silence. My eyes didn’t leave Sophia’s. “What are you doing here?” I asked her. “Shopping with Daniel,” she said, her voice calm but defiant. “He had to leave earlier, so I came in here to buy a shirt for him.” Her words felt like a sharp blow to my stomach. Something in my chest ached. Daniel. This man's nam
Sophia’s POVKayla and I arrived at the Baker's estate, the grand house already buzzing with activity. The party was in full swing, and I felt a pang of nervousness as we walked up the driveway. Kayla must have noticed the look on my face. “Hey, relax,” she whispered with a smile. “You look amazing.”With my best friend by my side, I managed to smile and feel more confident. “Well, you did do my makeup,” I joked. “And you did pick out this dress for me.”Kayla laughed. “Yes, you’re so lucky to have me as a friend!”We both giggled. “But really, Sophia, you look fabulous!”I squeezed her hand gratefully. “Thank you. I do feel fabulous tonight.”Inside, the house was a swirl of colors, laughter, and music. Chris Baker and his parents had spared no expense for Julia's party. I spotted Julia across the room, looking radiant as ever, surrounded by a group of admirers including her brother and parents. For a moment, I felt a twinge of insecurity, but it quickly dissipated. Today, I was d