Chapter 15
Emma never made it to Marc’s office the next morning. Instead, she found herself frozen in Barrett Industries’ lobby, watching a ghost from Alex’s past glide through security.
Sophia Reynolds hadn’t aged a day since her law school graduation photo, the one Emma had found while researching Alex’s history when they’d first arranged their marriage. Dark waves tumbled past elegant shoulders, and her walk still had that runway quality that had made her famous on campus. The woman who’d been Alex’s college sweetheart—his almost-fiancée according to alumni gossip—was even more striking in person than in photographs.
“Emma Barrett.” Sophia’s voice carried the polished accent of old money and prep schools. “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.”
“Sophia Herrera.” Emma kept her tone professional. “I wasn’t aware you were joining Barrett Industries.”
“Last-minute appointment.” Sophia’s smile was camera-ready. “The board felt we needed additional legal expertise for the South American expansion. Given my experience in the region…”
Of course. Emma should have seen this coming. Another piece in the Diazes’ game.
“Alex didn’t mention it,” Emma said carefully, watching Sophia’s reaction.
“No?” Something flickered in Sophia’s dark eyes. “That’s surprising, considering our history. But then, there’s so much about Argentina that Alex doesn’t mention, isn’t there?”
Before Emma could respond, Alex himself emerged from the elevator. She saw the exact moment he spotted Sophia—his step faltered, his eyes widened, and something raw and unguarded flashed across his face.
“Sophia.” His voice carried the weight of history. “You’re early.”
“Alejandro.” Sophia’s use of the Spanish version of his name seemed to strike him physically. “You look exactly the same. Well, maybe a little more serious.” She moved toward him with familiar grace. “Success suits you.”
Emma might as well have been invisible. The chemistry between Alex and Sophia crackled in the air, years of shared history and unspoken words creating an intimacy that made Emma feel like an intruder in her own marriage.
“I should get to my office,” Emma said quietly. Neither of them seemed to notice as she slipped away.
* * *
The photos arrived in an unmarked envelope on Emma’s desk just before lunch. Her hands trembled as she spread them across her blotter, each image telling a story she didn’t want to read.
Alex and Sophia in Buenos Aires, three years ago. His arms around her waist at a tango club. Her head was thrown back in laughter as they shared wine at La Rosa—the same restaurant Elliana had mentioned at dinner. The timestamps showed a pattern of late-night meetings spanning two weeks.
The same two weeks Jack had said Alex disappeared from all surveillance.
“Quite the photogenic couple, weren’t they?”
Emma’s head snapped up. Elliana stood in her doorway, elegant as always in Fendi.
“What do you want?” Emma was too tired for games.
“Just a little help, darling.” Elliana settled into a chair uninvited. “To give you some context. Sophia wasn’t just Alex’s college girlfriend. She was his first love, his almost-fiancée, even before Victoria. Although her psychotic behavior forced Sophia to return to Argentina, in the end and most importantly— she became his partner in certain Buenos Aires ventures that Luka found… intriguing.”
“She works for you,” Emma realized. “For Diaz Enterprises.”
“Smart girl.” Elliana’s smile was almost pitying. “She’s been our legal counsel for three years. Ever since those interesting weeks in Buenos Aires.”
The implications twisted Emma’s stomach.
“Why now? Why bring her here?”
“Because you’ve been asking questions, querida. Consider this a reminder of all you don’t know about your husband.” Elliana stood smoothly. “Oh, and the board meeting has been moved to four. Sophia will be presenting the new legal structure for our South American operations.”
Emma remained frozen long after Elliana left, her words echoing in her mind like a taunt.
All you don’t know about your husband.
It wasn’t just a threat—it was a challenge. Her hand clenched around her pen as she tried to steady herself. If Elliana thought cryptic warnings would unnerve her, she was wrong. Whatever secrets Alex had buried, she would uncover them.
By the time the board meeting began, Emma was composed, but her resolve faltered as Sophia’s presentation unfolded. The lawyer was poised and brilliant, effortlessly weaving legal insight with pointed references to Buenos Aires. Each mention left Alex visibly uncomfortable, and Emma seething.
The board meeting feels like torture. She sat through two hours of watching Sophia command the room, her legal expertise impressive even as she peppered her presentation with personal anecdotes about Argentina that made Alex shift uncomfortably in his seat.
“The property acquisitions in Santiago will need restructuring,” Sophia was saying, “similar to what we did in Buenos Aires. Right, Alejandro?”
Emma watched Alex’s face carefully. There it was again—that flash of something like panic before his corporate mask slipped back into place.
“We’ll review the specifics privately,” he said tersely.
“Of course.” Sophia’s smile carried hints of shared secrets. “Just like old times.”
After the meeting, Emma found herself following Alex and Sophia at a discrete distance. They headed to the executive floor’s western corridor, where floor-to-ceiling windows offered views of the sunset over Manhattan. She told herself she was being paranoid, that following her husband was beneath her dignity.
Then she heard Sophia’s laugh—rich, intimate, achingly familiar to Alex based on how he leaned toward the sound.
“¿Recuerdas esa noche en La Rosa” Sophia’s Spanish flows naturally.
(“Remember that night at La Rosa?”)
“The way you danced… the way you kissed me after…” she whispered.
“Sophia, por favor.” Alex’s response in Spanish sent chills down Emma’s spine. She’d never heard him speak the language before. “That was another life.”
“But it doesn’t have to be.” Sophia stepped closer to him. “Luka can make the past disappear, Alejandro. All of it. We could have another chance.”
“At what cost?” Alex’s voice was rough. “You know what he’s capable of.”
“I know what you’re capable of too.” Sophia reached up, straightening his tie with practiced intimacy. “All those nights in Buenos Aires… you weren’t thinking about the consequences then.”
Emma had seen enough. She turned to leave, but her heel clicked against the marble floor. Alex’s head snapped up, his eyes meeting hers with a mix of guilt and defiance that told her everything she needed to know.
“Emma—” he started, switching back to English.
She held up a hand to stop him.
“Don’t bother. I understand perfectly.” She forced herself to look at Sophia. “The legal documents for the Santiago deal are on my desk. Since you’re handling the restructuring, you should have them.”
“Emma, wait,” Alex called after her.
She kept walking, one hand pressed against her stomach where their child grew, wondering if it would inherit its father’s talent for deception or its mother’s painful gift for uncovering uncomfortable truths.
