Chapter 5

Adrian’s head was turned slightly, a vivid red mark spreading across his cheek beneath his dark hair. He swallowed, then looked at Sophie.

“Are you hurt?”

His unnatural calm only frightened Linda more. She rushed toward him.

“M-Mr. Pierce, are you all right? This is all a misunderstanding! It’s that girl’s fault for refusing to listen. I heard she’d upset you, so I thought I’d teach her a lesson for you.”

When he didn’t answer, Linda grew more frantic. Still stumbling over her excuses, she reached for Sophie.

“Say something!”

Adrian caught her wrist and flung her hand away.

Linda looked up in shock.

His face was cold.

He rested an arm around Sophie’s trembling shoulders. The gentleness he usually made a point of showing was gone.

“Sophie is my wife. Who gave you the right to punish her on my behalf?”

“I-I was just worried she wouldn’t listen.”

His expression darkened further.

“She doesn’t have to obey anyone. Don’t ever do this again. And yes, that’s a threat.”

Linda had never imagined her perpetually pleasant son-in-law could look so frightening. She didn’t dare argue. Instead, she shot Sophie a resentful glare.

Nathan knew better than to bring up his own troubles now. He hurried Linda out of the room.

An uneasy silence settled between Sophie and Adrian.

He sighed and reached to pull her into his arms, just as he always did.

She shoved him away.

He let out an exasperated laugh. “Apparently, getting slapped is becoming a daily thing for me. Don’t you feel even a little sorry for me? And you’re still mad?”

She kept her head down and said nothing.

Helpless, he bent to cup her face.

Then he saw her tears and froze.

Everything Sophie had held back over the past two days came pouring out. Tears streamed down her face in silence.

She didn’t want to cry in front of him. She kept wiping at her cheeks, but the tears wouldn’t stop.

It was only the second time Adrian had ever seen her cry.

The first had been at their wedding.

Even when the doctor had told her she’d lost all hearing in her left ear, she’d simply sat there, pale and silent. She hadn’t shed a single tear.

“Sophie.”

He opened his mouth, but nothing else came out. After a long moment, he reached for her again.

“If you don’t like them, you never have to see them again. You have me. That’s all you need.”

She pushed him away again.

Then she lifted her head. Her lashes were wet, her eyes red and bright with emotions he couldn’t read.

“Adrian, do you love me?”

He swallowed, something unreadable crossing his face.

“Sophie, you must be tired. Let’s go home.”

“Do you love me?” she repeated, looking him straight in the eye.

He held her gaze.

“I’ll always be here for you.”

Sophie smiled through her tears, but it took everything she had.

She remembered the night he’d proposed.

The spectacular fireworks. The path lined with vivid flowers. How handsome he’d looked in his white suit, his smile as gentle as it had been when they first met.

She’d thought that was love.

Only now did she realize that in three years of marriage, he’d never once said he loved her.

“Adrian, do you remember what I told you back then?”

He stared at her, clearly confused.

There was her answer.

The light faded from her eyes. She turned away without another glance and walked out.

Her steps grew faster.

Then a server blocked her path.

“Ma’am, the bill for your room hasn’t been paid.”

Sophie was barely holding herself together, but she fought to keep her anger in check.

“Then ask the people who ate the food to pay. I told you when I arrived that I was only here to meet someone.”

The server knew she had a point, but refused to back down.

“The guest said you were her daughter. Isn’t it only right for you to pay for your mother? Please don’t make this difficult for me. I just work here.”

Sophie’s patience snapped.

“That’s for you to deal with. If she refuses to pay, you can call the police.”

The server faltered at her firm tone. Then Adrian spoke behind her.

“Put it on my card.”

“The total for the third-floor room is fifty thousand. Thank you, sir.”

The server eagerly reached for the card, but Sophie snatched it first.

“No!”

She glared at Adrian.

“This is their problem. It has nothing to do with you. You have no reason to pay.”

He looked tired.

“Sophie, don’t get upset over something this small.”

Her fingers tightened around the card.

“You think this is a small thing?”

More people were stopping to watch. For once, Adrian’s patience wore thin.

“I know this is about your principles. But if I can make a problem go away with a little money, then yes, it’s a small thing to me.”

Sophie stared at him, her chest aching so badly she could barely breathe.

He might act as though it didn’t bother him, but he still saw it as a problem to make go away.

Was that what she was to him, too?

Yet she’d told him more than once that saving his life didn’t mean he owed her anything. She didn’t want his pity.

If he’d proposed only because he felt responsible for her future after the accident, she never would’ve said yes.

Savannah’s voice rose from the crowd.

“Oh my God. When has Adrian ever been embarrassed like this? What’s wrong with his wife?”

Owen lowered his voice as though sharing inside information.

“I don’t know why she’s putting on this act. She and those broke relatives of hers have taken a fortune from him. They’ve bought several houses with his money.”

Emboldened by their support, the server lost all trace of her earlier guilt.

“Ma’am, I’m just trying to do my job. Please stop making things difficult. If you disturb the other guests, I’ll have to call security.”

Adrian’s expression tightened. He held out another card.

The server quickly took it.

“Thank you for being reasonable, sir.”

Suddenly, everyone had turned against Sophie.

“Fine. You’re all such wonderful people. I’m the only unreasonable one!”

Trembling, she hurled the card at Adrian, then turned and walked away.

Adrian caught up and grabbed her arm.

“Stop making a scene. Can we please talk about this at home?”

Savannah walked over, rolled her eyes at Sophie, and deliberately raised her voice.

“Adrian, if she wants to leave, let her! You don’t need her help with that thing you mentioned. She might ruin it on purpose anyway. Leave it to me. I can get Sophia Shaw!”

Victor’s eyes widened.

“Sophia Shaw? The one who runs the best simultaneous interpreting team in the country?”

Savannah lifted her chin smugly. “That’s the one.”

Owen knew the name too. He also knew how hard it was to book her. Unless it was a major international summit, she wouldn’t even consider it.

As people in the industry put it, anything less would be a waste of her talents.

He didn’t believe Savannah for a second.

“Are you serious? Sophia hasn’t made an appearance in three years. Everyone in the industry says she’s retired.”

“Of course I’m serious!” Savannah said firmly. “Just because you can’t reach her doesn’t mean I can’t. Sophia adored me when I was abroad. She even made a point of exchanging numbers with me!”

Even Adrian looked visibly surprised.

Only Sophie remained unmoved, a trace of mockery in her cold eyes.

“Are you sure she even knows who you are?”