Con

CHAPTER 84

+25 BONUS

CHAPTER 84

Sophia’s POV

It felt good to finally be back in my office and to be working on a new design project.

The room was quiet, save for the soft hum of my computer. I loved this part of the process, where creativity flowed freely, and the outside world faded away.

As I was sketching out ideas, a knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. I looked up to see Julia standing there with a look of concern on her face.

“Hey, Sophia,” Julia began, stepping into the room. 1 heard from Elijah about what happened. Are you okay?”

I forced a smile, though my heart tightened at the mention of Elijah. “I’m fine, Julia. Really. Just trying to get this project done.”

Julia nodded, but I could tell that she didn’t plan on going away soon. She glanced at my sketches, then back at me. “I know you’re busy, but I was wondering if could study with you. I know I’m not as good a designer as you, which is why Chris chose you for this project. I really want to learn more from you so I can improve faster.”

Her sincerity caught me off guard. I didn’t like being disturbed when I was in the zone, but Julia’s earnestness was hard to ignore.

I hesitated, weighing my options.

“Please? I promise not to get in your way,” she added, sitting down across from me at my work table.

I could feel the sincerity in her words, and it was clear she was genuinely eager to learn. Finally, I relented. “Alright, Julia.” 1

Her face lit up with gratitude. “Thank you, Sophia. I really appreciate this.”

We settled into a rhythm, with me working and Julia watching intently. Occasionally, she would ask at question, and I found myself explaining my thought process, which surprisingly helped me see my work from a different perspective.

As the afternoon wore on and we took a little break, Julia even got some herbal tea for both of us. She’s been trying hard to be good to me after the plagiarism issue, and I was beginning to appreciate her more.

But then, she suddenly brought up a topic that I never knew she was aware of.

“Did you hear about Serena?” Julia asked, her voice tinged with curiosity and something else I couldn’t quite place. “She’s been sentenced already.”

My heart skipped a beat. After I’d appeared in court to tell my side of the story, I hadn’t paid much attention anymore to the trial, It was Elijah who was adamant to get her to pay for the wrong things she had done.

Julia’s expression grew serious. “I heard that it’s for kidnapping Reese and you, and for trying to hurt you at the party. She deserves it… And of course, she’s still being tried for some illegal stuff she did here in the company.”

CHAPTER 84

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I was surprised that she knew so much. But what caught my attention was her mention of my daughter.

I blinked, taken aback. “You know about Reese?”

Julia looked a little flustered, her fingers fidgeting with a swatch of wall cladding. “Elijah told me,” she said, her eyes avoiding mine.

“Elijah told you?” I repeated, trying to keep my voice steady. A wave of emotions surged through me. I didn’t expect Elijah to tell Julia everything.

“Yes, he did,” Julia replied, her voice softer now. “He wanted me to know what kind of person Serena

was.”

I nodded slowly, processing the information. “I didn’t think he’d share that much.”

Julia gave me a sympathetic look. “He just wanted to protect everyone involved, I think.”

“Maybe,” I said, my mind racing. I couldn’t shake off the feeling of unease. How much did Elijah really share with Julia? And why?

We returned to our work, but my thoughts kept drifting back to Serena and the unexpected revelation. The room was filled with the sound of pencils scratching on paper, but an undercurrent of tension lingered between us.

I was glad when we finally called it a day. I went straight home, eager to rest. However, the news about Serena still lingered in my mind. Elijah hadn’t contacted me yet about it, so I was surprised that Julia knew already.

When did they become so close? Did he finally accept her as Sabrina already?

I unlocked the door, letting out a sigh of relief as I stepped into the familiar comfort of my home. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafted from the kitchen, but it was the sound of giggles that drew me into the living room.

There, sitting on the floor, was Daniel, engrossed in a playful conversation with Reese. She was waving her favorite doll around, and Daniel was pretending to be a dragon, complete with growling noises and exaggerated hand motions.

“Mommy!” Reese called out, her eyes lighting up when she saw me. She ran over, wrapping her small arms around my legs. “Look, Uncle Daniel’s playing with me!”

I smiled. 1 see that, sweetheart. You having fun?”

“Lots!” she replied, before dashing back to her spot on the sofa, her dolls scattered around her.

Daniel stood up, a serious look crossing his face. “Hey, there. How was your day?”

“Tiring, but okay. Quite productive.”

“That’s good,” he replied, leading me to an area where Reese wouldn’t be able to hear us but we could still keep an eye on her. “Uh, I’ve been meaning to talk to you…”

“Sure, what’s up?”

“I didn’t expect you to tell Elijah about Reese’s existence so quickly,” he said, his voice low but tense.

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I folded my arms, trying to maintain my composure. “Daniel, it’s not like I had much choice. Reese and Elijah keep running into each other. It was bound to come out sooner or later.”

His jaw tightened, and he ran a hand through his hair. “Are you getting back together with him? Have your forgotten everything he did to you? He’s not reliable, Sophia. He’s just going to hurt you again.”

I shook my head, feeling confused. “1… I don’t know. It’s complicated, Daniel. I haven’t even thought about that. But why are you reacting like this? Why are you so agitated?”

“He’s now so involved in your life, Sophia. I just… can’t trust him.”

“I can understand that. But don’t worry, okay? I’m fine and we’re both busy nowadays, anyway. There’s been no talk of getting back together or that sort of thing.”

He looked away, his shoulders tensing up. There was a long pause, filled only by the sound of Reese humming to herself.

Finally, he turned back to me, his eyes filled with a helplessness I hadn’t seen before.

“Sophia, I like you,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “A lot.”

The words hung in the air, their weight sinking into my heart.

“I thought… I’d gotten over you, but I haven’t,” he continued, taking my hand in his. “… haven’t stopped. loving you all these years.”

I stood there, speechless, my mind racing as I tried to process what he had just confessed.