Chapter 4

My ride back home was intensely quiet, the only sound steady in the background was the low hum of the car engine. The city lights flickered past the tinted windows, but I barely noticed them. My mind was occupied, fixated on the woman I had just agreed to marry.

Sophia Thomas.

She wasn’t what I had expected.

Most women would have been flustered, overwhelmed, and maybe even grateful. But she? She had been composed... too composed. Something was unsettling about how easily she accepted everything, how little resistance she gave. It didn’t sit right with me.

I thought she had made the proposal as a bid for revenge and she would come to her senses and call it off later on, but she stuck it out, up until my proposal

I let out a slow breath, turning my gaze toward Marcus, my driver and longtime friend. “Marcus, What do you think of her?”

Marcus glanced at me through the rearview mirror, arching a brow. “Who? Sophia?”

“Who else?”

He shrugged, a small smirk playing on his lips. “I think she's interesting.”

I scoffed. “That’s vague.”

“Well,” he chuckled, “She didn’t seem like the desperate type. She wasn’t all over you like the regular girls and didn’t act like she had just won the lottery for bagging a Reid. If anything, she seemed… distant.”

That’s exactly what bothered me.

“She was too calm,” I muttered, tapping my fingers against the leather seat. “Most women would’ve reacted... either panicked or at least shown some high level of emotion. But she? She acted like it was just another transaction.”

Marcus nodded slowly. “Maybe she’s just good at keeping her emotions in check.”

“Or maybe she’s hiding something.”

My eyes narrowed slightly as I thought back to earlier today. The ring she had presented to me at the office... it had been a strange detail that I couldn’t shake off.

“You remember the ring she showed me?” I asked.

Marcus nodded. “Yeah. What about it?”

“It wasn’t just any ring,” I said, leaning back. “It was a rare model, custom-made. A limited edition men’s ring that costs a fortune.”

Marcus glanced at me again. “You sure?”

I scoffed. “You think I wouldn’t recognize something that exclusive? It was real, Marcus. The weight, the detailing, the engraving, everything about it was authentic. And Sophia? She looked like she couldn’t even afford rent, let alone something that expensive.”

Marcus frowned. “Maybe it was a cheap knockoff.”

“No!” My voice was firm. “I know what I saw. That ring didn’t belong to someone like her. The question is... where the hell did she get it?”

Marcus was quiet for a moment before he sighed. “What if she is a gold digger?”

I let out a short laugh. “Then I already know how to handle it.”

Marcus turned to look at me fully for a brief second before facing the road again. “And that would be?”

“I’ll call my lawyer first thing in the morning and have him draft a prenup. I’m not about to be complacent with women like her.”

Marcus gave a small nod, but he didn’t say anything else.

A part of me wondered if he thought I was being too harsh. Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, I wasn’t about to take any chances.

The car slowed as we pulled into the long driveway leading up to the Reid mansion. Just as we neared the entrance, Marcus spoke again.

“You should be more worried about your grandmother’s reaction.”

I sighed. 

He had a point.

Eleanor Reid wasn’t the type of woman you defied lightly. She had been the one pushing for my marriage to Sophia Lancaster for months now, ensuring that the alliance between our families was set in stone. And now, I had gone and made a different choice without so much as a warning.

But I wasn’t a damn puppet.

“I can handle her,” I said.

But as I stepped out of the car and walked into the grand estate, I wasn’t so sure.

The dining room was bathed in warm light, the scent of freshly prepared food filling the space. My grandmother sat at the head of the long dining table, poised as ever.

When she saw me, her face lit up. “Alexander! You’re home.”

I walked over, pressed a kiss to her cheek, and pulled out a chair to sit across from her.

“It’s been a while since you joined me for dinner,” she said, picking up her wine glass. “I was beginning to think you were avoiding me.”

I smirked. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

She took a sip of her wine, setting the glass down with delicate precision. “I’ve been meaning to discuss something important with you.”

Here it comes.

“The Lancaster Charity Gala is in two days,” she continued. “It’s the perfect opportunity for you to finally meet Sophia Lancaster properly. We can make the official engagement announcement then.”

Sophia Lancaster.

For a second, I froze.

My new wife was named Sophia too.

Coincidence?

I pushed the thought aside. It didn’t matter.

“That won’t be necessary,” I said.

She frowned. “What do you mean?”

I exhaled slowly, bracing myself. “I already got married.”

Silence.

Then... a sharp crash.

I looked down. The wine glass she had been holding had shattered against the table.

“What did you just say?” she hissed, her voice dangerously low.

I met her gaze. “I got married. Today.”

Eleanor shot up from her seat, eyes blazing. “To whom?”

I kept my expression blank. “Her name is Sophia.”

“Sophia Lancaster?” she demanded.

I hesitated.

“No.”

Her hands clenched into fists. “Then who the hell is she?”

“She… doesn’t come from wealth,” I admitted.

The fury in her eyes darkened.

“Over my dead body will you marry a gold digger, Alexander!” she snapped. “You will divorce that whore, and you will marry Sophia Lancaster as we planned.”

With that, she turned on her heel and stormed out, leaving me sitting alone at the table.

I leaned back in my chair, rubbing a hand over my face.

This wasn’t going to be easy.

What a day.

Leaning back, I exhaled deeply.

Sophia.

There was something about her.

The way she had bumped into me. The way she had looked at me, not with awe, not with fear, but with something else entirely.

Most women fell over themselves for my attention. But she? She seemed… indifferent. That alone made her an anomaly.

I pulled out my phone and typed a message.

"Meet me at Lancaster Bar tomorrow at noon. We need to finalize the contract and head to the registry to make this official."

A few minutes later, my phone buzzed.

"Okay."

I scoffed.

Okay?

Shouldn’t she be excited? Shouldn’t she be showering me with gratitude?

There was something about this woman.

Something I needed to uncover.

I pulled up my contacts and dialed.

The line rang once before it conn

ected.

“I need a detailed profile on Sophia Thomas,” I said coldly. “And I need it fast.”

With that, I ended the call.

If Sophia Thomas had secrets…

I was going to find them.