LOGIN❤️Sophie❤️The next morning feels strangely ordinary.By the time I come downstairs, the house is already awake. I hear the maids moving around the kitchen, the quiet clatter of dishes and the occasional murmur between them as they prepare breakfast. Sunlight stretches across the dining room floor, bright enough to make the whole house feel warmer than it actually is.Adrian is already there. He’s sitting at the head of the table with a cup of coffee in one hand, his attention on his phone. His shirt sleeves are rolled to his forearms, and there’s something about the way he sits so comfortably in his own house that makes me smile before he even notices me.He looks up. “Morning.”“Morning.” I walk over and take the chair beside him.He reaches for my hand beneath the table without looking away from his phone, giving my fingers a brief squeeze before returning his attention to whatever he’s reading.I smile to myself. A maid places breakfast in front of me, then another pours fresh c
☠️Adrian☠️ By the time I reach home, the sky has already gone dark. I pull into the driveway and kill the engine, but I don’t get out immediately. For a few seconds, I sit there with both hands resting on the steering wheel, staring through the windshield at the lights spilling from the house. Felix’s face is still in my head. So is the look on his face when I told him I wouldn’t let him drag Sophie into whatever fight he thinks he can win. He knows I’m coming for him. He just doesn’t know how far I’ve already gone. I finally open the door and step out. The cold night air hits my face as I walk toward the house, loosening my tie as I go. My shoulders are tense, my mind still running through numbers, companies, contracts, the subsidiaries Felix moved into the trust, and the pieces of his empire he is trying to hide from me. I push the front door open. The house is quiet. Not empty. Quiet. There’s a difference. The maids are nowhere to be found. I know Sophie is here before I
☠️Adrian☠️I don’t like surprises. Especially when they involve Sophie. So when I discovered Felix called her, everything inside me went still. I drop the phone and turn toward Damien, a part of me is grateful she hasn’t gone to meet him before I found out.I lean back in my chair. Felix has spent the entire morning moving money, restructuring ownership, and trying to protect what remains of his companies.Now he’s reaching for Sophie. I don’t know why. And I don’t intend to find out by letting her walk into the middle of something I haven’t assessed.I glance at the time. “Where the fuck is Felix?”“Still at the foundation.”I stand. “Cancel the next meeting.”Damien watches me. “You’re going to see him.”“I’m going to find out why he suddenly needs to speak to my wife.” I leave the office before he can say anything else.The drive to the foundation gives me too much time to think. Felix knows I’m buying his companies. He knows the acquisitions aren’t random.He has started moving m
❤️Sophie❤️By the time Dad calls, I have already spent most of the afternoon doing absolutely nothing productive. The realization makes me laugh at myself.Three dresses are hanging over the back of a chair because I changed my mind about what to wear, a half-finished cup of tea has gone cold beside me, and my phone has been sitting face down on the table because I decided I deserved an hour without checking it every five minutes.Pregnancy has made ordinary afternoons strange.Sometimes I have enough energy to rearrange half the house, and other times walking from one room to another feels like a serious commitment.Today seems to be one of the lazy days. I am standing in front of the wardrobe trying to decide whether I should bother changing when my phone starts ringing.Dad. My expression softens. “Hi, Dad.”“Are you busy?”I glance at the dresses scattered around me. “Not really. Why?”“Can you come to the office later?”I frown. “Your office?”“Yes.”“Why?”“I want to talk to you
☠️Adrian☠️By the time I leave the house, the image of Sophie is still in my head. I sit behind the wheel for a moment before starting the engine.Her voice keeps replaying in my head. “I love you, Adrian.”I close my eyes. I should be thinking about Felix. I should be thinking about Sergei.I should be thinking about the companies waiting for my signature and the pieces of Harrison’s empire that are already slipping through Felix’s fingers.Instead, I am thinking about Sophie standing in the kitchen this morning, smiling at me like there is nowhere else she would rather be.That is becoming a problem. Not because I don’t want her. Because I want her too much. My phone vibrates on the console. I glance at the screen. Damien.I answer. “Talk.”“We have a problem.”My hand tightens around the steering wheel. “What kind?”“Felix.”I start the car. “What did he do?”“He moved faster than we expected.”I pull out of the driveway. “Explain.”“He’s been shifting money between three of his re
❤️Sophie❤️Morning comes quietly.For a few seconds after I wake, I don’t remember what day it is or what I was supposed to do. I only feel the warmth beside me and the steady rhythm of breathing close enough that I can hear it without trying.Adrian is still asleep. I turn my head on the pillow and look at him.There is something strangely peaceful about seeing him like this. Without the sharpness that usually settles over his features when he’s dealing with business, without the controlled expression he wears whenever someone pushes him too far. His face looks younger when he’s asleep, almost softer, and the thought makes me smile before I can stop myself.I stay there longer than I mean to.Last night comes back to me in pieces, especially the conversation we’d had before going to sleep. My cheeks warm when I remember what I asked him, and for a moment I wonder if I should feel embarrassed about it.I don’t. Maybe I should, considering how boldly I’d put my heart in front of him.







