Con

CHAPTER 32

Sophia’s POV

+25 BONUS

When 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 occurred in the Sinclair household when you were still Elijah’s no–good wife.

But nevertheless, the name Sabrina stayed with me. Even as I went out of the auditorium and met up again with Kayla and Daniel, the name was stuck in my head. It was quite disturbing.

“These are for you, Sophia,” Daniel said sweetly, handing me a large bouquet of fresh flowers.

My eyes widened in alarm. Did the flowers mean anything other than friendship? Was he trying to strike up romance again with me? I certainly wasn’t open or ready for it.

“Thanks so much, Daniel,” was all I said. Kayla was grinning and wiggling her eyebrows at me, but I simply decided to ignore her.

As I opened the car door of the passenger’s seat, something caught my eye. Wait, is that Elijah?! But the figure was so far away, and I couldn’t tell for sure.

“Let’s go, Sophia,” I heard Kayla say from the backseat. I ignored the figure and climbed inside Daniel’s car. I didn’t bother to look closely if the person was actually Elijah.

It doesn’t matter. I don’t care.

Soon we all sat together in a restaurant, celebrating my graduation. The atmosphere was filled with excitement and anticipation. I was so glad that I had these two good friends of mine with me today.

“Guys, I have some news,” I began, excitement bubbling in my voice. “Trevis offered me a huge project in the US. It means I’ll be moving back soon,”

Daniel’s eyes lit up, and a smile spread across his face. “That’s amazing news, Sophia! I’ll be working there soon too with a new business partner. We can still see each other regularly!”

“I’m so happy for you!” Kayla exclaimed. “And I’m glad that you two can still get together when you’re there.”

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CHAPTER 32

+25 BONUS

“But it’ll be the three of us, right?” I said enthusiastically. “What are your plans, Kayla?”

“I need to stay in Paris for now,” she said, making me feel a tinge of sadness. “I need to do some research, and Paris has plenty of design resources that will be beneficial for my projects.”

“Just when I thought we could finally be together for a very long time,” I said. “But hey, it’s okay. I know this is good for your career.”

“Yes, but I don’t intend to stay for more than a few months. So just wait for me back home!”

“Yes, of course!” I agreed. Daniel and I then looked at each other. I had to admit it felt a little nerve- wracking to be coming back to the US after a long time. But with Daniel around, I knew that everything would be fine. I gave him a smile and touched his arm briefly, my heart brimming with gratefulness for how he had taken care of me the past three years or so.

The next few days passed by quickly but delightfully. I spent my time happily exploring Paris with Daniel and Kayla, We went shopping, visited museums, and went on tours, making the most of our time together before our paths diverged.

Eventually, reality caught up with us, and I found myself back at work in Urban Next Design Studio,

“Hey, guys, listen up!” Trevis said as he happily sauntered into the office. “For those of you who’ll be coming with me to our branch in the US, I have great news. We’re all scheduled to leave next week so you better pack your things and prepare yourselves.”

I gasped, and my heart began to pound wildly in my chest. This is it! I’m both nervous and excited about the project and the amazing start to my official career. However, it also rattles me to think that I’ll be going back to the place where I had experienced all those hurtful things in the past. Am I ready for that?

“How can I pack when I’m revising this design for the nth time,” Julia muttered from behind me, cutting through my reverie. I looked at her as she buried her head in her work with a frown on her pretty face. “I hate to be left behind…”

“But you’re not behind, Julia,” I tried to assure her in a kind voice. “There’s still time to prepare for the trip. I’m sure you’ll finish the revision within today.”

“Yeah, but I’ll probably get home so late,” she complained.

I could tell that Julia was becoming impatient and probably felt pressured because of the recent announcement. She could sometimes act like a little spoiled brat, but nonetheless, I treated her like a sister. We’ve been friends since I started my internship here and eventually became a part–time employee of the company.

I must help her. She’s like a sister to me.

“Don’t worry, Julia,” I told her. “I can stay here with you and help you with the revision. Then tomorrow, I can even help you pack your stuff.”

She gave me a grateful smile. “Thanks, Sophia! You’re the best!”

The week flew by in a blur of packing, last–minute preparations, and bittersweet goodbyes. Before I knew it, I was standing at the airport, saying goodbye to Daniel and Kayla. Daniel’s hug was lingering, and he whispered that he looked forward to seeing me soon in the US.

CHAPTER 32

+25 BONUS

Kayla, ever the determined one, assured me that she would hurry up her research so she could join us soon. We hugged tightly, both of us feeling the weight of the moment. I promised to keep in touch and to let her know how everything was going once I was settled in the US. 3

Later on, I was just about to board the plane with my colleagues from Urban Next when Trevis went to me. “I’ve got wonderful news for you,” he whispered excitedly. “Remember I told you that we still have to submit your info to the program director at that real estate company?”

I nodded, eagerly anticipating his news.

“Well, your application has been approved! So it’s all set, and you’ll handle the project for sure.”

“Wow,” I whispered in awe.

“You can expect an email from the director for further instructions.”

“Okay, thanks so much.”

And so I kept checking my phone even as we were getting into the plane. Once I settled in my seat, before we were asked to turn our phones off, I got an email notification that made my heart jump. (1

When I clicked on it, I was shocked to see the email address of the so–called program director that Trevis had told me about.

My eyes grew wide as I read it: [email protected].