CHAPTER 7

Elijah’s POV

Who the hell was that man who’d answered her phone? I thought angrily, smoke coming out of my ears as I paced back and forth in my office. She can’t possibly be dating someone new already! 

I couldn’t believe it. It just wasn’t like Sophia to forget me and move on that fast. It angered me so much, and at the same time, it squeezed my heart painfully, knowing that it might really be over between us now, that this wasn’t just some temper tantrum or momentary insanity on her part. 

I remembered then how I’d overheard my assistant Connor apparently talking to a lawyer, his tone hushed but urgent. 

I strained to listen, my heart pounding in my chest. That time, Sophia and I had just signed the divorce papers. 

“...file this divorce as soon as possible,” Connor's voice was clear and determined.

I found it hard to believe. First, Sophia was truly in a hurry to get out of this marriage. I knew she was unhappy, but the finality of this step hit me like a ton of bricks. I thought that maybe it had just been some cruel joke, or she was just not thinking clearly. 

Second, it was incredulous that she’d asked Connor to do it for her. I knew they had become friends over the years, but I never expected this. 

But this could be a twist of luck for me, I thought, hope surging within my heart. After I had stormed out of the house, I had begun having second thoughts. I wasn’t ready to let go yet. 

Immediately, I talked to Connor then. “Connor, what date is it now?”

“July 10th,” he replied.

I looked up from the mess on my desk. “And when was the last time you saw Sophia?”

He paused for a while, thinking. “Uh, I believe about a month ago.”

“You have our divorce papers, right?” I started.

Connor’s eyes widened. He didn’t have a choice but to say yes. 

“This is our marriage, Connor. You must understand that couples go through challenges in their relationship from time to time. I know we signed those papers, but perhaps we just got carried away…”

He was listening to me, nodding in agreement. 

I took a deep breath and went on. “Can you give me the papers? I need to talk to Sophia again first.”

That memory was very fresh in my mind. Until now, Sophia had no idea that the divorce had not been filed. Connor didn’t tell her. 

Now it’s time to speak to her. I’ve given her enough time to calm down, and now I need to see her. 

Even if I’m pissed off that she may be seeing other men. 

Maybe this time, I could try to persuade her. I wasn't sure where I had gone wrong, but I knew Sophia had a soft heart. All I had to do was apologize first, and then maybe she would come back to me.

I found myself rushing through the city to get to Brenda Bennett’s house. Maybe they could tell me where she was. 

A few days ago, I’d already gone to where Sophia had moved after she left the house, but it was empty. I had no idea where she could have gone. Her best friend Kayla kept avoiding me too. 

I needed to see her, to talk to her, to make things right. 

“Elijah!” Brenda greeted me in a cheerful tone when she saw me. “What brings you here?”

I was straight to the point. “Hi. Do you know where Sophia is?” 

Her face fell. “Not really. That woman is just so confused, so you have to understand her. But I know that she really loves you and —”

“Where is she?” I demanded, cutting her off. “I must talk to her.”

“Uhm… We haven’t seen her for a long time,” she finally admitted. 

“What?!”

Suddenly, Sophia’s younger brother Troy came out. When he saw me, his lips turned up into a grin. “Hey, bro. How’ve you been? We miss you, man.” He was always like that, acting as if we were the best of buddies. But really, he was just after my money all the time. 

“He’s looking for Sophia,” Brenda informed him with a meaningful look that wasn’t lost on me. 

“Ohhh, you won’t find Sophia anywhere here,” Troy said, chuckling. “She probably left already to study abroad.”

“What?! When? Where?”

He shrugged, looking as if he was trying to rack his brain. Then his eyes lit up. “How much can I get for telling you which country she was planning to go to?”

Asshole, I silently thought, anger and frustration welling up inside me. “Forget it. I can hire private investigators, anyway.”

As soon as I turned around to leave, Troy called out, “It’s France!”

I stopped in my tracks as a shiver went through my limbs. She’s in France, I thought in alarm. 

I was engulfed in shock and disbelief all at once. I hastily went inside my car and dialed her number again, feeling the steam coming out of my ears as my blood boiled. 

“Why did you leave the country, Sophia?” I muttered furiously as I waited for the ring. 

But to my bewilderment, no ring came. I heard an error tone, so I dialed again. This time, an automated voice said, “Sorry, the number you dialed is not in service.”

I tried one more time. The same message came on. The number was now invalid, I realized. 

Consumed by anger, I threw the phone to the side, and it hit the window noisily before landing on the passenger’s seat. “Damn!”