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 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 I’ve withdrawn from the project, hoping it might make things right.”I sighed, leaning back in my chair.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

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

Elijah’s POVI’m supposed to be celebrating Sabrina’s return, I thought. But to be honest, I wasn’t in the mood to celebrate because I still had doubts about Julia.My mind was elsewhere, tethered to the woman in the blue dress.Sophia looks so beautiful tonight. Her laughter was genuine, but there was a tension in her shoulders that only I seemed to notice.Just then, a tall, well-built man was introduced by Kayla to Sophia. That definitely got my attention, especially when the two of them were left alone to talk. Andrew, a family friend of the Bakers. We’d met a few times and exchanged polite nods. I watched as he engaged Sophia in conversation, his body language all too familiar, all too close. It made me frown and clench my fists.Sophia’s smile was tight, and the way she glanced around the room, as if searching for an escape, told me she didn’t really want to be talking to him.I began weaving my way through the crowd, my pulse quickening with each step. Just as I got close eno

Sophia’s POVI had been dreading this business trip. I didn’t even have much time to prepare myself emotionally!The thought of being confined in a car with Elijah for hours filled me with anxiety and resentment. But as I stood in the driveway, watching Connor load our bags into the trunk, I reminded myself that this was just another professional obligation. I can handle this. “Ready to go, Sophia?” Connor called, his usual cheerful demeanor on full display. He glanced at Trevis, who was already settling into the passenger seat with a stack of papers on his lap.“Ready,” I replied, plastering a smile on my face as I approached the car. My heart sank when I realized I’d be sitting in the back with Elijah. No avoiding him today.As I slid into the back seat, Elijah gave me a brief nod. “Sophia.”“Elijah,” I responded, keeping my tone neutral. The tension I expected wasn’t there, though. Instead, there was a strange calmness between us, as if we both silently agreed to keep things prof