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CHAPTER 94

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CHAPTER 94

Sophia’s POV

Inside the apartment, I helped Reese out of her coat and asked, “Did you like Uncle Adrian and his song today?”

Reese nodded enthusiastically, her eyes bright. “Yes, good song! I like him. But I like Daddy so much more!”

I laughed, tucking her into bed. “Of course you do, sweetheart.”

As I smoothed her hair and pulled the covers up, Reese’s expression turned thoughtful. “Mommy, when is Daddy visiting?”

“Tomorrow, sweetie,” I assured her, kissing her forehead.

Reese’s face lit up with a sleepy smile. “Yay. I love Daddy.”

“I know you do. Now, get some rest,” I said, watching as she drifted off to sleep, her small hand clutching her favorite stuffed animal.

As I left Reese’s room and walked over to my own, I thought about Adrian’s song and what it truly meant.

I

I

Why do I inspire him? Why did he write this song for me? What am I to him?

My head kept spinning with these questions, keeping me from falling asleep at once. Adrian always makes me smile. He’s fun to be with. It seems like I haven’t felt like this in a long time with anyone, not

even Elijah.

Maybe it was just fun, maybe it was something more. Only time would tell, and for now, I was content to let things unfold naturally, without forcing it or overthinking it.

The next day after work, I was gathering my things and getting ready to leave when Trevis approached me. “Sophia, can you stay a bit longer? I need you to come with me to a dinner meeting.”

I glanced at the clock and frowned. “A dinner meeting? Now?”

He nodded, looking earnest. “It’s important. The restaurant is just nearby. It won’t take long, I promise.”

I had been planning to drop by Raven Media to do the design for Adrian’s magazine shoot in two weeks. And actually, I was kind of eager to see him again, to explore the initial feelings getting stirred up within

1. me.

“Come on, Sophia,” Trevis urged. “Please?”

Reluctantly, I agreed. “Alright, just let me, uh, call someone.”

I dialed Kayla’s number and she greeted me cheerfully. “Hey there, best friend! What’s up?”

“Uhm, I was thinking of working on that magazine shoot design with you after I was done here, but something came up. I’m sorry. Can I just go there tomorrow instead?”

“Oh, no worries!” Kayla quipped. “I’m heading out right now too. I have something important to attend to.”

“That’s great. We’ll take a raincheck then.”

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Before we put the phone down, Kayla suddenly lowered her voice. “Hey, so what’s going on with you and Adrian?” she wanted to know. “He was here a while ago, and all he could ever talk about was you and

Reese.”

I slightly blushed, feeling my heart soar. “Really? What did he say?”

“Well, just that he was so inspired and happy that you both went to watch his performance and that he’s now working on some new songs. So yeah, you’ve managed to lure in this one too.” Kayla giggled when she said that.

I laughed. “Oh, shut up, you!” That made us both laugh. “But we’re just friends,” I added.

“Yeah, right,” she said. I could practically see her grinning mischievously. “Anyway, I have to go. Let’s talk again soon.”

A few minutes later, Trevis and I were walking toward the restaurant, and I couldn’t shake off a feeling of

unease.

When we reached the restaurant, Trevis held the door open for me. As soon as I stepped inside, I was greeted by a loud cheer. “Surprise! Congratulations!” everyone shouted.

I blinked in surprise, my eyes widening as I took in the scene before me. Most of our colleagues were there, along with some other friends, all smiling and clapping. And to my shock, Kayla was there as well, grinning at me knowingly.

“Oh, you!” I screamed at her as we hugged each other.

“Gotcha, huh?” she said teasingly, “Congratulations, Sophia! On the successful conclusion of your resort project and on your recent promotion. You deserve all this and more!”

A banner hung above us, boldly proclaiming, Great job, Sophia! Congratulations! In the background of the words, I saw my design for the luxury resort.

My heart pounded in my chest as Elijah stepped forward, a warm smile on his face. “I hope you like my surprise,” he said, his eyes meeting mine. “You deserve this celebration. Congratulations on the successful design, Sophia. It’s a true work of art, and sales are rocketing.”

I was speechless for a moment, my mind racing to catch up with what was happening. Then, joy surged through me, and I couldn’t help but smile back at Elijah “1… I don’t know what to say. This is incredible.”

“You deserve it,” Elijah said softly, his gaze steady and sincere. “You’ve worked so hard, and it’s paid off. We’re all proud of you.”

I felt a lump form in my throat, overwhelmed by the support and praise. Especially coming from Elijah, my ex–husband. His words meant more than he could ever know. He had no idea how long I’d waited for him to celebrate me and to say he was proud of me.

And in that very moment, I forgot all about Adrian.

CHAPTER 95