Con

CHAPTER 56

Elijah’s POV

+15 BONUS

“No, everything’s fine,” I replied, my eyes locked on Sophia’s. “I’ll be out in a while.”

I

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 name again from her lips. I felt a surge of jealousy and rage. “I don’t want to hear about Daniel,” I snapped, my voice low and dangerous. Is he always going to be a part of her life?!

“Not that it’s any of your business,” she added in a daring tone.

I lifted an eyebrow. Since she’d come back from Paris, I’ve noticed how confident and bold she’d become. She had a quiet strength and self–assurance now about her that I found very attractive. What’s more, she was gorgeous and stylish, and certainly irresistible.

The fitting room was too small, too intimate. Our proximity only fueled my anger and my desire. My heart began to hammer hard against my chest.

“You know Daniel has always been–she began to say.

That was the last straw. I quickly cut her off by leaning forward and pressing my lips against hers, closing the distance between us.

I heard her gasp, but her lips responded to mine. For a brief, exhilarating moment, she kissed me back. With equal passion.

But then, panic flashed in her eyes, and she pushed me away, her hands trembling. “What the hell, Elijah?” she hissed, her voice filled with confusion and fear.

I stepped back, my heart pounding. “Why are you really here, Sophia?” I asked again, my voice softer now, tinged with desperation.

She looked away, her expression conflicted. “I told you, I’m shopping,” she said, but her voice lacked conviction.

“Right, with Daniel,” I repeated sarcastically, the name like acid on my tongue.

Sophia’s eyes met mine, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of something–regret, maybe, or sorrow. But then it was gone, replaced by the familiar mask of defiance. “Like I said, it’s none of your

business, Elijah,” she spat out.

“Sophia,” I began, my voice barely more than a whisper. “I can’t stand seeing you with another man. Be it Daniel or Craig. It drives me insane.”

Sophia’s eyes widened for a moment before narrowing into a sneer. “You have no right to interfere with my life, Elijah. Not when you’re parading around with Julia.”

I felt a pang of guilt at her words. “It’s not like that with Julia. I think of her as a sister.”

Sophia crossed her arms, her gaze piercing through me. “And what about your childhood friend Sabrina? Didn’t you have a crush on her? Isn’t she your first love?”

The question hit me hard. I stared at Sophia, her expectant look making it impossible for me to lie. Memories of Sabrina flooded my mind–the way she laughed, her infectious energy, and how she made everything seem brighter.

I couldn’t deny it. I had liked Sabrina, and it was that resemblance that had drawn me to Sophia in the first place. The silence stretched between us, heavy and suffocating.

Sophia’s expression shifted, a mix of hurt and understanding. “So, it’s true. You only approached me because I reminded you of Sabrina.”

I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of my past mistakes. “At first, maybe. But when I got to know you, when we got married, I learned to appreciate everything about you. Yes, you’re a reminder of someone I once knew. But it’s different now.”

She glared at me. “It doesn’t matter anymore, Elijah. We’ve long been over. And your Sabrina’s back, anyway.”

Sophia pushed me away and stormed out of the fitting room, leaving me in a whirl of emotions. The door swung shut with a decisive click, the sound echoing through the silence that followed.

I sat down heavily on the bench, my head in my hands, trying to make sense of everything that had just happened.

Just earlier, I thought I saw her- a woman who looked so much like Sophia, holding the hand of a little girl, wandering through the aisles of that boutique. I had paused and furned around, hoping to catch a closer look, my breath catching in my throat, my heart pounding with a painful hope.

Could it have been her? Could that little girl have been ours, in some alternate reality where we didn’t fall apart?

But that hope was thin and weak, and it burst quickly, I chuckled sarcastically, shaking my head. I

who looked checked the security cameras. No sign of Sophia with a little girl. No sign of anyone remotely like Sophia.

It was all in my head, a cruel trick my mind played on me, reflecting my deepest desires and regrets.

I leaned back against the cool wall, the cold seeping into my back and grounding me in the harsh

2/3

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reality of the present. Sophia and I had divorced. That was the truth, plain and simple.

Did we have any happy memories at all? Was she even happy the whole time we were married?

I couldn’t help but let my mind drift back to the days when we were still together. I remembered the way she used to look at me, her eyes sparkling with warmth and affection. And I remembered the way she used to hold me, her touch soothing and reassuring, making me feel like everything would be alright.

But those days were gone. She had left me, and no amount of wishing could change that. I had to face the fact that I had lost her, and with her, I had lost a part of myself.

Days passed. I tried my best to focus on work and to not think about Sophia. But it was almost impossible.

Finally, the evening of Julia’s welcome back party arrived. I stood in the corner of the Baker residence, clutching a glass of wine, staring at Julia who was currently the center of attention.

Chris motioned for me to join him, Julia, and their parents. I mouthed later, and then walked away, feeling torn about the rush of nostalgia engulfing me and the doubts about Julia that still dawdled in my heart.

I had prepared myself for such feelings, though. fWhat I hadn’t prepared for was the sight that now held me captive.

Sophia walked into the room, and for a moment, the air seemed to shimmer around her. She wore a dress that hugged her in all the right places, a vibrant shade of blue that made her eyes sparkle. But it wasn’t just the dress. It was the way she carried herself–confident, happy, relaxed.

My heart lurched, confusion and something else–something dangerously close to longing–twisting

inside me.

She’s so goddamn beautiful. And I want her back so badly.

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