LOGINAlex looked up, his eyes finding Sophia’s, her brows were curved in discomfort. His shoulders slumped slightly, knowing that at this point there was no way he could hold her into believing him blindly, especially not after what Alice just said. His jaw clenched in annoyance, and he darted a look towards Alice, who unfolded a paper she took from her purse before handing it over to his old man whose expression remained blank as he received it and reached for his glasses, settling it on the bridge of his nose to have a closer look at the paper. There was a long moment of silence as everyone waited for a reaction or anything at all, but there was nothing except for the slight tick evident in his jaw as he pursed his lips. Alex knew immediately that whatever his grandfather saw on the paper caused an unbearable displeasure. After about thirty minutes, since the dinner was interrupted, Alex knew one thing for certain—Alice had come prepared, whatever was unfolding was clearly planned
Bile rose up Sophia’s throat and all of a sudden she wanted to be anywhere but there. She wasn’t sure what to do except stand in the middle of the sudden disruption brewing right in her presence. And as if they could all sense her discomfort, every single eye darted toward her at the same time. She could barely look anyone in the eyes, but she still felt the sharpness of their gazes pressing into her. There was pity. Smugness. And heat from a pair of eyes that felt like satisfaction. There was another look she couldn’t quite place but she ignored it all and her attention settled on Alex. He was looking at her with warmth as he reached for her hand. The way he looked at her made something in her chest ache. His eyes didn’t flicker away. They stayed on her begging her to trust him. Sophia swallowed. She wasn’t sure how long his hand had been outstretched, waiting for her, but eventually she took it. The moment she did, she noticed the slight drop of his shoulders, like he’d been hol
“Annabelle,” Sophia said with a small smile as she turned around to find Alex’s younger sister beaming at her with a bright smile; her eyes, which were similar to her brother's, were warmer and of a deeper shade. “Hi, Sophia. It's been ages, and hello???” Annabelle took two steps back, and another, her gaze trailing lower. “You look gorgeous.” Sophia and Annabelle used to be as close as sisters, and the latter was the closest to a sister that Sophia ever had. But they eventually lost contact when Annabelle left for school a few months before Sophia and Alex married. Due to how tight her calendar and schedule were at that time, Annabelle was unable to attend the wedding. She was studying a five-year course in law at Cambridge, and by the time she first returned for holidays, Sophia was already gone. Alex never spoke about what happened, and the family learned quickly not to ask. “You too,” Sophia said, taking in Annabelle's appearance. She'd grown into herself. She looked taller wi
When Alex had mentioned the family dinner, Sophia expected it to be a small gathering with simply his grandfather, mother, and father, along with his siblings and then him. She hadn't been expecting a huge gathering where all the Carters she knew were in one place. The car stopped in the driveway, and the boulder-sized lump in her throat didn't give her the chance to look around the place. They needn't step out of the car before she sees them—all of them. Uncle Charles was present, along with Alex’s aunt, whom, honestly, Sophia had met only a handful of times. Along with Alex's cousins. Everyone was present. If there was anything that appeased her, it was the sight of kids running around the garden where the dinner table had been set. They were having dinner outside, by the garden… and the setup was beautiful. She could immediately tell from the moment Alex opened the door for her and held her hands in his, helping her step out of the car. Sophia bit down on her bottom lip, and
“Can you help me with my necklace?” Sophia stood in front of the mirror, and her gaze darted to Alex, who just stepped into the room, fixing his cufflinks. “Sure,” he said, walking over to her. She handed the jewelry to him and turned around to face the mirror, keeping her gaze on him as she swept her hair up. As soon as he was done with the necklace, Alex took a step back, his eyes trailing over her to admire the cream-colored dress she wore. “Do you think this dress is okay?” She asked him softly, “I don’t want to wear something too shouty, and I feel like the color of the dress is a bit bright. Should I wear something darker?” She heaved a breath. “This is the third time I’m changing my dress. I don’t know what to wear at all. Or maybe—” She turned around, heading towards her closet, but before she could take two steps away from him, his arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her back to stand in front of the mirror. “You’re on edge,” he murmured, drawing her closer as he le
“Come with me tonight,” he mumbled against her lips. “Please.” She nodded slowly, her fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt. “Okay.” “Okay?” Alex looked surprised that she agreed. He simply wanted to ask her again, and if she had said no, he wouldn't have forced her to come with him. He just wouldn't go either. “Yes.” She pulled back just enough to meet his eyes. “I'll come with you. And the kids too.” The smile that spread across his face was worth every bit of anxiety churning in her stomach. He kissed her again. “Thank you,” he murmured. Sophia's fingers brushed something on his wrist, and her brows pulled into a tight frown. She glanced down to see what it was, and her eyes widened subtly. She checked her own wrist, pushing her scrunchie away, and to her utmost surprise, her hair tie wasn't there. Because it was now on Alex’s wrist. “My God, that's my hair tie. When did you even take it out?” Alex chuckled at her reaction. “It’s mine now.” She didn't g
Hearing the loud, disruptive voice that barged into the room, Alex remained unfazed and calmly used one of the pillows to cover his ears before muttering “Shut the hell up Matt. This is a hospital, and you're being obnoxiously loud.” “For someone who injured a nurse, you have no right to lecture me
Sophia felt a sudden rush of sweat as the room grew uncomfortably warm, and his intense gaze remained locked on her. She finally mustered the courage to ask after a long moment of silence, “How do you know about the twins?” He didn’t answer immediately. But after a moment, he responded, “I searche
In the stillness of midnight, Sophia lay asleep in her bed, bathed in the soft glow of the moonlight seeping through the curtains. The silence of the night was abruptly shattered by the intrusive ring of her phone, perched on the bedside table. Her face pulled into a deep frown and she stirred in
In a private office at the hospital, a young woman took a moment to relax. She swiveled in her chair, her blonde hair cascading over her shoulders. The gentle sunbeams filtered through the window, casting a warm glow on her, and an air of brilliance surrounded her. Her eyes blinked open as she l







