Lahat ng Kabanata ng Unbound Desires: Kabanata 41 - Kabanata 50

SOFIESummoning my driver still felt strange. A luxury I hadn’t asked for. One I hadn’t yet grown used to.As I stepped outside, the media descended like a swarm. Flashes blinded me. Microphones pushed too close. Reporters’ voices crashed over each other.“Mrs. Reed, is it true your marriage is just a business arrangement?”“How do you respond to claims you abandoned your professional ethics for personal gain?”Each question landed like a slap, stripping away another layer of privacy.My fists clenched, nails digging into my palms. Don’t react. Don’t let them see it get to you.Andrew’s threat from earlier echoed in my ears. Of course this fiasco was his doing.My security team moved in fast, forming a barrier as they ushered me toward the car.I ducked inside, the door slamming shut behind me. Blessed silence.I stared straight ahead, but my thoughts snapped to Alex.How could he not tell me I own the hospital? The weight of that truth still hadn’t settled.How does someone so smart n

SOFIEI burst into Claire’s apartment, barely holding myself together.Tears blurred my vision, hot and relentless, sliding down my cheeks before I could wipe them away.She didn’t ask any questions. She just pulled me into her arms and held on.I clung to her, shaking, too overwhelmed to speak at first.“What happened?” she asked softly, guiding me toward the sofa.I collapsed onto the cushions, my whole body trembling from everything I had held in.Words tumbled out, broken and breathless as I tried to explain. The folder. The investigation. How Alex had known everything about me before we even met.She listened without interrupting, her eyes widening, her expression shifting between horror and disbelief as I spoke.I told her about Andrew at the hospital, about the chaos, about the media waiting outside like wolves. And then I told her about the hospital being in my name. The fact that Alex had bought it and never said a word.My voice cracked. My throat burned. The weight of it all

SOFIEI made sure to use his first name, needing to put some distance between us. I needed to remind myself that I couldn’t let him close again. The hurt was too deep, too raw. I wouldn’t be his project. I wouldn’t be anyone’s charity case.He looked at me, his face stricken, like the sound of his name on my lips had gutted him. His mouth opened, but no words came out at first, just a rough breath that sounded almost like a sob.“Sofie,” he whispered finally, his voice shaky. “Hearing you call me James like that cuts deeper than you know.”He said my name like it still meant something. Like, I still meant something. That terrified me more than anything.He dragged a hand through his hair, frustration and anguish tightening his features.“Yes, I wanted you more than anything,” he said, his voice raw. “And I was afraid. Afraid that someone like me, with everything materially but empty in so many ways, wouldn't be enough for you. I used my resources to make sure I could be near you.”His

SOFIEAs morning light spilled into the room, the comforting aromas of breakfast and freshly brewed coffee filled the air.Despite the inviting scents, exhaustion lingered, remnants of yesterday’s emotional storm still heavy on my chest.My body ached, and my eyes stung from the restless night. I dragged myself to the kitchen, where Claire was already bustling around."How are you feeling today, SoSo?" she asked, her gentle smile tugging at the corners of my heart. That old nickname was a small lifeline, pulling me toward steadiness."I’m better today," I managed, my smile small but a touch more genuine as I settled at the table.Claire had laid out a simple breakfast: toast, eggs, and a bowl of cut fruit. The sight offered a quiet kind of comfort.She served the plates and then sat across from me, her gaze steady, unyielding. I tightened my grip on the mug, hoping its warmth would ease the cold knot in my stomach."I’m still so hurt, and I don’t know what to do."She leaned forward, c

SOFIEAs we left the press conference, the clamor of reporters dissolved into the background. My shoulders finally eased, tension slipping away like air from a balloon.His hand rested on the small of my back, steady and warm. He didn’t need to say a word. His touch was enough.The walk to the car stretched long, each step weighted with exhaustion. Adrenaline still thrummed through my veins, my hands trembling from the rush.When we reached the car, I caught his gaze. Pride, mixed with something softer, sent a sharp ache through my chest.I wanted to reach for him, to feel his touch steady me, but Stephen waited by the car, his face carefully unreadable. Still, a hint of a smirk pulled at the corners of his mouth.Inside the car, he settled close, his thigh pressing lightly against mine. The heat from his leg warmed through the thin fabric of my dress.I glanced at him, catching the flicker of something hungry in his eyes. After everything, I shouldn’t feel this good just being next to