Chapter 3

Sophie stared at Adrian’s calm face. The trace of indifference in it made her chest tighten.

She’d slapped him, and he didn’t even care?

Was there anything she could do that would matter to him?

He reached for her again. Sophie raised her hand, but he caught her wrist.

“Going for another one?”

With a gentle tug, he drew her into his arms and laid a hand against her forehead. His palm was warm, though his fingertips felt cool against her skin.

“Are you feeling sick?”

His voice was low and soft, as if he were soothing a child.

Sophie closed her eyes and took a breath.

A strong, overly sweet scent filled her nose. It was a new women’s perfume.

She saw him again, carrying that woman to his car.

Her breath caught. She shoved his hand away.

“Don’t touch me.”

She pushed with all her strength. Nothing in her voice suggested she was joking.

Adrian didn’t seem to hear how close she was to crying. He gave a soft laugh.

“That’s cold.”

He poured a glass of warm water and held it out to her.

“The Innovation Summit isn’t over yet. I’ll be busy for a few more days. You’ve been wanting to go to the islands, right? Once it’s done, I’ll take you.”

Sophie didn’t take the water. She sat still, staring at him.

“Adrian, is there something you need to tell me?”

The curtains were drawn. In the dim room, he couldn’t see her lashes trembling.

Even Adrian could tell something was wrong now. He seemed to think of the calls he’d missed, and his smile faded.

“Sophie, I didn’t ignore your calls on purpose last night. Something urgent came up, and I couldn’t get away.”

A hint of guilt entered his voice. “I’m sorry. I should’ve thought to let you know. I won’t leave you waiting like that again.”

A lie.

It sounded sincere, but it was still a lie.

Sophie looked at him, disappointment settling deep in her chest.

Adrian, are you having an affair?

A violent ringing burst through her left ear. It drowned out the question before she could ask it.

When she covered her ear, Adrian tensed.

“Is it bothering you again?”

She pushed him back, putting space between them. “I’m fine.”

He studied her, his eyes tired and troubled.

“Sophie, last night was…”

A bright, jarring ringtone cut him off. A woman’s voice sang out, sweet and slightly off-key:

“The world’s coolest, hottest boss is calling! Pick up, pick up!”

Someone had recorded the ringtone just for him.

Sophie’s face darkened. Her fingers curled into her palms.

Adrian froze for a beat, then answered.

The woman on the other end was already crying. Even without speakerphone, her shrill, aggrieved voice carried across the room.

“Adrian! What am I going to do? The police came looking for me again! They’re picking on me!”

Adrian turned his back to Sophie. His voice softened at once.

“Take a breath. Did you give everyone the compensation we discussed?”

“I did everything you said! I went around last night apologizing and offering compensation, but one woman still won’t let it go. She must think five hundred thousand isn’t enough. She’s trying to squeeze more money out of me! What kind of person does that?”

“Don’t be afraid,” Adrian said. “Leave it to me. I’ll handle it.”

Sophie watched his back as he comforted the woman and calmly promised to solve her problem. With every word, the ache in her chest grew sharper.

She wanted to know what he meant by ‘handle it’.

A few minutes later, Adrian ended the call and came back to the bed.

Sophie looked straight at him. “Who was that?”

His gaze flickered. “A friend.”

After a pause, he added, “She just got back from abroad. I’ll introduce you sometime. Get some more sleep. I have something to take care of.”

He headed for the door as he spoke, already in a hurry to leave.

As Adrian passed the bathroom, something caught his eye. He frowned.

“Why did you throw your clothes away? Didn’t you like them?”

He started to reach for the clothes in the trash, as though to check the style. Then the cheerful, piercing ringtone sounded again.

He answered at once. “Don’t be afraid. I’m on my way. They won’t dare do anything to you.”

He was still talking as he reached the bedroom door. There, he stopped and glanced back at Sophie, who sat motionless on the bed.

Last night, Michael had said he thought he’d seen her in an ambulance. For a moment, Adrian had been terrified.

Luckily, Michael had been mistaken.

Sophie was right here. She was fine.

---

Sophie’s mother and cousin called her over and over. The calls kept coming until she finally drew a breath and answered.

Before she could speak, she heard a middle-aged woman wailing. Then her cousin’s voice broke in, sounding almost theatrically panicked.

“Aunt Linda! What’s wrong?”

He rattled off an address and hung up.

Sophie’s heart seized. She threw on a coat and hurried out, her bruised body protesting with every step.

Only after the taxi dropped her off did she realize where they’d sent her.

An opulent private dining club stood before her. A white marble fountain rose beside the entrance, with trees and gold-trimmed lamps lining the polished stone path. Sophie looked down at the clothes she’d pulled on in a rush.

A cold night wind cut through her coat.

She went inside. A server directed her upstairs.

As she rounded a corner, laughter spilled through the half-open door of a private room.

“Wait, is it true? Adrian married a deaf woman? So you could talk about her right in front of her, and she’d never know?”

Sophie stopped.

The woman inside went on, playful but clearly annoyed.

“I was only out of the country for a few years. I thought we were friends. We promised we’d all stay single together, and then Adrian went and got married behind my back?

“We even joked that if we were still single someday, Adrian and I could end up together. We’ve been best friends forever, after all. I could understand if he’d married some amazing woman, but Adrian can have anyone. Why marry someone who’s deaf?”

Several men answered. Sophie recognized their voices. They were Adrian’s college friends, the ones who’d helped him start the company.

“If you hadn’t gone abroad, Savannah, none of this would’ve happened. You’re the only one who can keep Adrian in line. He never would’ve married her if you’d been here.”

“Exactly. After you left without a word, he drank so much he got into that car accident. Thinking back, something about it doesn’t add up.”

Savannah Grant seized on that. “What doesn’t add up?”

“Think about who benefited most from the accident.”

“That woman was an interpreter, right? I heard she couldn’t work after she lost her hearing. How much could she have made anyway? She gave up hearing in one ear and got to be Mrs. Pierce for life. She’ll never have to worry about money again. That’s a pretty good deal for her.”

“What?” Savannah sounded furious. “You mean she used the accident to trap Adrian into marrying her?”

Sophie clenched her fists. Heat rushed to her face, and her temples throbbed.

She stepped forward and kicked the door open.