Chapter 2

Kevin's eyes glinted coldly, the contempt and displeasure in them apparent, but Sophia calmly met his gaze. Even though he was her husband, not once had he ever looked at her with even the slightest bit of affection.

"Isn't it better for everyone?" she coolly asked. "Mason likes having Ms. Sloan with him. As his mother, why should I insist on making him unhappy? Besides, I do have something to do tomorrow."

She genuinely had things she needed to attend to.

The identity of her client, Russell, was a secret. After agreeing to take the job, she had to keep her movements and whereabouts discreet. To maintain secrecy, she even had to cancel her phone number and bank account and create new ones.

Unexpectedly, she hadn't caused a scene this time, but Kevin frowned even harder as he stared at her.

If it had been any other time, Sophia never would've agreed to this. She'd always been very concerned about her identity as his wife. There was no way she would've let Christina attend the performance in her place.

So what was she playing at now?

With a flash of mockery in his eyes, Kevin snapped coldly, "So be it, Sophia. You'd better not regret this. Christina and I will accompany Mason to his performance tomorrow!"

He wanted to see what game she was playing this time.

Kevin turned on his heel and marched to his study, slamming the door shut.

Mason also frowned when he heard Christina's name. He gave Sophia a stern, disapproving look and said, "You're the one who agreed to let Ms. Sloan accompany me, Mommy, so you shouldn't be fighting with Daddy over it."

He hugged his backpack and returned to his room, his expression strikingly similar to Kevin's.

Both doors were shut in Sophia's face, leaving her alone in the empty living room.

She felt a numbness in her heart, which didn't produce even the slightest shred of pain or sorrow. On the contrary, she felt a sense of relief.

She thought that it was better this way. This meant that she could leave without having anything to worry about.

…

Sophia didn't attend the kindergarten performance. The next day, she visited the old Jensen residence and gathered all the items related to Kevin.

She had fallen for him back in high school.

At the time, the Jensen family hadn't fallen from grace yet, and she'd been the family's precious daughter. However, she had a one-sided crush on Kevin and secretly collected many things related to him.

There was a button that had fallen off his shirt, a fountain pen he once used, an exam paper he'd scored full marks on… and the diary she'd used to record everything.

Later, after marrying Kevin, she never returned to the Jensen residence, so all these things had been left behind there.

Much had changed since then.

Sophia looked at all of these things that represented the ridiculous crush she'd stubbornly held onto ever since she was 17 years old.

She had always been clumsy in matters of the heart. Her actions were often awkward and impulsive, but she'd persisted all the same, refusing to give up. Looking back on everything she'd done, she now realized how much of a joke it had been.

Sophia took these things, as well as the things she'd cleared out of the house yesterday, and sealed them away in the attic.

Once she left Janbury, it would likely be a very long time before she returned. The reminders of her battered, wounded past stored in the house acted as the final wake-up call she needed.

It was already afternoon by the time she left the Jensen residence.

Sophia was heading back when she got a call from her friend, Erin Sullivan. Erin wanted to meet up with her to confirm some details about the cancellation of her accounts.

Coincidentally, Erin's house was located near Mason's kindergarten.

When Sophia arrived in the area, the kindergarten performance had just ended. A crowd of reporters swarmed the school gate, and all eyes were on Kevin.

"Mr. Chase, is Ms. Christina Sloan the wife you've been secretly married to for years? Rumor has it that you two broke up years ago when she left to pursue her dreams abroad. Were the two of you actually secretly married all along?"

The elite kindergarten Mason attended had specifically invited reporters to the performance. Alas, the fact that Kevin brought Christina to the performance ultimately drew all of their attention.

Kevin and Sophia's marriage had been kept secret. While Kevin didn't hide Mason's existence from the public, few in Janbury knew who his wife was.

That day, it was his first time bringing a woman to attend his son's performance. That, combined with his history with Christina, made it understandable why the reporters reached such conclusions.

Not far away, Sophia stood still and looked at Kevin.

He had always believed that she had schemed to marry into the Chase family—that she had gotten pregnant on purpose to ensnare him. As a result of that, he'd never been willing to acknowledge her identity as his wife publicly.

And now, as the reporters speculated around him, he appeared to be frowning, his expression cold.

Kevin was just about to speak when Christina, who had been biting her lip, spoke up in a shy, hesitant manner. "This matter relates to Kev's private life, but we're here to watch Mason's performance today. I hope all of you can focus on the children's performances instead."

The reporters were no slouches. They immediately realized that Christina was speaking in a way that clearly made her seem like Kevin's wife.

Kevin's brows were still furrowed, and he was startled when he noticed Sophia standing not too far away.

She wasn't walking around barefaced like she usually did. Instead, she wore a deep green dress and had done her makeup. Her long, wavy hair tumbled down her back, pinned with just a simple pearl-studded clip.

With her red lips and dark hair, she looked positively radiant. Every shift in her expression and smile was filled with elegant grace.

Kevin suddenly remembered that when Sophia was younger, she'd been known as one of the most beautiful women in Janbury. However, she'd rarely dressed up like that ever since she married into the Chase family.

At last, Morgan Lewis, Kevin's secretary, arrived to disperse the reporters.

Once the crowd was gone, Christina noticed Sophia as well. With a flicker in her eyes, she began approaching Sophia. Kevin and she each held one of Mason's hands.

They looked every bit the picture-perfect family, while Sophia was the outsider.

However, Sophia watched this scene with a perfectly calm expression.

Soon after walking up to her, Christina tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and said gracefully, her tone slightly helpless, "I'm so sorry, Ms. Jensen. The reporters were pressing us earlier, and it wouldn't be good if they made up any sort of rumors. I only said those things to brush them off. You don't mind, right?"

Kevin was scrutinizing Sophia, his brows drawn as he said icily, "Christina only wanted to prevent a scene. None of this would've happened today if you hadn't refused to attend."

Even Mason was frowning hard as he said hesitantly, "Mommy, Ms. Sloan was just doing what's best for us."

He had noticed that Sophia looked different that day. She was even prettier and more dazzling than usual. But even so, he still liked Christina the most and wasn't going to let her bully Christina.

Christina's eyes glimmered, the corners of her lips curving faintly.

She had expected Sophia to lose control and have an outburst, but instead, Sophia simply smiled. "It doesn't bother me, but the reporters might get the wrong idea. That wouldn't be good for Ms. Sloan or Mason."

Truth be told, she no longer cared about the title of Mrs. Chase, but a lie was still a lie.

If the reporters bothered to look into it, they would easily find that Christina's timeline didn't match up with Mason's birth.

Christina stiffened, and Kevin's frown deepened, the panic and unsettled feeling in his heart intensifying.

He had thought that Sophia's reaction yesterday was her way of kicking up a fuss. Yet, unexpectedly, she didn't lose her temper even though the reporters had misunderstood his relationship with Christina.

What was going on with her?

"That's all I have to say. I've got matters to attend to, so I'm leaving now. Thanks for your time today, Ms. Sloan," Sophia said curtly before taking one last look at Christina's deliberate attempt to make it seem like she, Kevin, and Mason were a family.

Christina and Kevin wore matching outfits, and even Mason's attire looked like a miniature version of Kevin's. He was looking up at Christina with a loving expression.

Sophia lowered her gaze.

Christina wanted her husband and son, didn't she?

It was perfect, then. She would let Christina get what she wanted. Once she left, the position of Kevin's wife would be up for the taking.