Chapter 2

Sophie

I woke up with a headache that felt like karma. Sunlight speared through the blinds, and my skull throbbed in tempo with the hangover I had earned the night before.

I sat up slowly, holding my head, the scent of old whiskey and regret clinging to my sheets.

Today was the anniversary.

Four years ago, I was supposed to walk down the aisle.

Instead, I got a text. A single message.

“I’m sorry. I have to choose my family. They don’t think you’re enough.”

Not enough. Not polished. Not from the right class.

That was all I got. A sendforth, maybe? It humiliated me and my family, making us the laughing stock in the city.

Not his problem anymore.

I staggered into the bathroom, peeled off the oversized tee I didn’t recognize, and stepped into the shower.

The water was ice cold, but I let it hit me. Hard. 

I gasped at the first contact it had with my skin and then relaxed. 

The force of the water on my skin was all I wanted. Somehow, it made me feel anew, like it could scrub away his touch, even though I hadn’t seen him in years.

I almost slept with someone last night. A stranger from the club I ended in but I didn't. I still don't remember much beyond tequila, his smile, and the need to forget everything about my past.

Unfortunately, It didn’t work because I could still hear Alexander's faint voice in my head, telling me how he could make it right while touching me in the right places. 

My stranger’s touch did nothing but remind me of how Alexander claimed me on the night of my supposed wedding. How he had my legs wrapped around his waist while he reminded me that he was here. 

I shouldn't have allowed him touch me. He was the wrong brother but I did and it hurts even more that I don't regret it. 

I've tried to get his touch out of mind all these years but each time I touch myself, it's him I think of. 

By the time I stepped out and caught my reflection in the mirror; smudged mascara, bruised pride… They all reminded me of who I am now.

Not the girl he left.

I'm Soph Kel. 

I wrapped a towel around myself, dried off quickly, and began my morning ritual like a woman who knew her shit. I got moisturizer, bold red lipstick, and subtle waves in my hair.

I allowed my hair to stay a couple of minutes before taking off the rollers I had put in it. 

Wardrobe? I grabbed a black fitted dress, and my McQueen blazer. 

Strong shoulders, Gold buttons, precision in every stitch. 

It took me five seconds to decide which heels to go with this. I slid my legs into the ivory and angular heels sharp enough to stab memories with and grabbed my Hermes bag, structured just like me. 

"Yup," I said softly to my reflection in the mirror. 

In the mirror, I didn’t look broken anymore. Just expensive. 

My phone buzzed and when I glanced at the screen, it was a message from Celine.

CELINE: You holding up okay today? Need me to bring coffee and a taser?

I smiled faintly. That girl knew me too well.

I’m good, I typed back. Thanks for checking.

Lie.

I didn’t need comfort today. I needed control.

The ash Aston Martin growled into life as I slid into the driver's seat, leather wrapping around me like I was made for the car.

The city was alive with Monday madness. Truth is, everything is a reminder that I chose to live in a city like this. I kept my foot steady on the gas, refusing to think about the past. 

Work was the only thing that didn’t lie or leave.

By the time I pulled into The Kellerman parking structure, I heaved. I eased my car into my reserved spot in the underground lot and killed the engine. 

Fifteen stories of polished ambition, wrapped in glass and steel. Just as I walked into my office, my assistant, Lisa, greeted me with wide eyes and a too-bright smile. "Miss Kel! You look... ethereal," she said, half-awed.

When haven't I looked this way? Before I could mutter a thank-you, she continued. "Coffee, just how you like it.”

I turned in her direction and smiled. She had this smile on her makeup-free yet flawless face. 

“You’re a lifesaver,” I murmured, taking it gratefully.

Lisa was dressed like a junior associate at a law firm. Quite professional, but slightly quirky. The pigtails made her look twelve, but she was loyal, efficient, and that was all I needed to keep her close. The nosy part is just something I’m still learning to tolerate.

"Your schedule's tight," she said, already flipping through the day. Her head lifted a bit. "And by tight, you might want to cancel lunch.'

"Woah." I unbuttoned my blazer and draped it over the back of my chair before sitting. "What's first?"

She handed me my schedule. “You’ve got a committee meeting at 10:30, two attestation calls, and this part’s weird—there’s a man waiting. Said he has urgent business. Wouldn’t take no.”

I paused mid-sip. “Name?”

“He wouldn’t give it. Just said you’d want to see him.”

That could mean trouble.

“Fine,” I said, trying not to groan. “Send him in after I review the Prado file.”

“Sure, ma’am. Also,” she dragged, with her fingers snapping in that second. “Boss called. He wants to see you as soon as you’re free. Emphasis on soon.”

While I do not refer to my uncle as Boss, I respected the sound of that. “Gotten,” I added. Uncle Peter has a thing for urgent and impromptu meetings but I’ve never had an issue with that.

She turned to leave, but I stopped her. “Wait…did I leave the blue folder at home?”

“The one you had on Friday?” she asked back and then narrowed her eyes like she was thinking. “I think so. Want me to call the driver?”

I shook my head. “No time. I’ll handle it later.” 

The moment Lisa stepped out, I let my shoulders drop. A long exhale escaped me.

I was barely holding it together but I was still standing.

My fingers skimmed over my desk…cold glass, steel edges. 

My office was designed to be efficient, modern, and impenetrable. Just like me.

But nothing; not walls, makeup, or new identities could prepare me for what walked through that door next.

Dark suit. Silver tie. Sunglasses slowly removed.

Alexander.

I stopped breathing.

He was broader. Colder. Still impossibly composed. He looked at me like time hadn’t passed at all.

“Soph Kel?” he asked, voice cool, businesslike.

I stood up slowly, pulse pounding in my throat.

“What the hell are you doing here?”