Chapter 42
Alex stood near the bar, a glass of bourbon in hand, though he hadn’t taken more than a sip. His thoughts were elsewhere, tangled in the chaos of recent weeks—Emma, the twins, Thomas, and now the specter of Luka and Elliana, their schemes unravelling but their threats lingering like shadows.
The knock at his door was abrupt, pulling Alex from his thoughts. He glanced at the clock.
Nearly 9 PM.
He wasn’t expecting anyone.
Setting his glass down, he strode to the door and opened it. Standing there, impeccably dressed but visibly uneasy, was Sophia Herrera.
“Sophia,” he said flatly, the edges of his voice sharp. “What are you doing here?”
She hesitated, her perfectly sculpted brows furrowing. “I need to talk to you, Alex. It’s important.”
Alex’s jaw tightened. “I’m not sure there’s much left to say.”
“Please,” Sophia pressed, her tone softer. “Just hear me out. Five minutes, that’s all I’m asking.”
He stepped aside reluctantly, motioning for her to enter. Sophia walked in, her heels clicking against the polished floor. She stopped near the sofa, her hands clutching the strap of her designer purse as though it was the only thing keeping her grounded.
Alex closed the door and crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. “Alright,” he said. “You’ve got five minutes.”
Sophia hesitated, her polished demeanor slipping. For a moment, she looked almost fragile, her eyes darting to the floor as if searching for words she couldn’t quite grasp. She took a shaky breath, her voice barely audible when she spoke.
“I lied to you, Alex,” she began, her hands fidgeting at her sides. “About the pregnancy.”
Alex’s arms fell to his sides, his posture stiffening as if her words had struck him physically.
“What?” His voice was low, dangerous, a storm gathering beneath the surface.
Sophia looked up, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
“I wasn’t pregnant. I never was.” She faltered, the admission hanging in the air like a damning verdict. “It was… it was Elliana’s idea. She convinced me that if you believed I was pregnant, it would give us leverage. She said it was the only way to keep you in line.”
The weight of her confession settled over Alex like a crushing blow. He stared at her, his mind racing to process what she had just said. His voice, when it came, was chillingly quiet.
“You lied to me about something like that? You used something as serious—something as sacred—as a pregnancy to manipulate me?”
Sophia’s tears began to fall in earnest now, tracing silent paths down her face. “I know,” she whispered.
“I know it was unforgivable. But at the time, I was desperate. Elliana made it seem like the only way to make you… stay. To prove that I still mattered to you.”
Alex took a step closer, his anger barely restrained. “You thought that would make me stay? That I’d forgive something so twisted?”
Sophia flinched, her voice breaking. “I wasn’t thinking clearly! I wanted to matter to you again, Alex. I—” She stopped, the raw emotion in her voice giving way to silence as Alex’s piercing gaze pinned her in place.
Alex let out a bitter laugh, the sound cutting through the tense air like a blade. “So that’s what this was about? Proving you still mattered? At what cost, Sophia? Do you even understand what you’ve done?”
Sophia flinched at his tone but held her ground, her voice trembling. “I know I hurt you. And I hate myself for it. But Alex, it wasn’t just about me. I was trying to protect you, too. Luka and Elliana… they were planning something big. I thought if I stayed close to them, I could stop it before it went too far.”
“Protect me?” Alex’s eyes darkened, his fury barely contained. “By lying to me? By making me believe you were carrying my child?”
Her voice cracked as she stepped closer. “I didn’t know what else to do! I thought if I could keep you close, I could fix things. Fix us.”
“Us?” Alex’s voice rose, the word laced with disbelief. “Sophia, whatever we had ended years ago. You don’t get to ‘fix’ something by destroying everything else in the process.”
Tears streaked Sophia’s face as she closed the distance between them. “I still love you, Alex. I always have. And I thought… if I could make you see that, we could find our way back to each other. Especially now, with your divorce from Emma—”
“Stop.” Alex’s voice cut through her words like a whip. He held up a hand, his expression hardening. “Don’t. Don’t bring Emma into this.”
Sophia froze, her lips trembling.
“You don’t get to use Emma as a shield for your lies,” Alex continued, his voice rising with barely restrained anger. “She has nothing to do with the disaster you and Elliana created. Emma… she’s the only person who’s been honest with me through all of this. And I…” His voice faltered, the confession catching in his throat as his chest tightened painfully.
Sophia’s eyes widened, her tears momentarily forgotten as the realization dawned on her. “You still love her,” she whispered, her voice barely audible but brimming with disbelief.
Alex hesitated, the raw truth of her words hanging between them. “I never stopped,” he admitted, his voice softer now.
Sophia stepped forward again, desperation lacing her voice. “Alex, if that’s true, why are you pushing her away? Why not fight for her?”
“Because it’s not about what I want!” Alex snapped, whirling back to face her. His voice cracked under the weight of his frustration. “It’s about what’s best for her—and I’m not it.”
She stared at him, stunned into silence. For the first time, she saw not just anger in his eyes but pain—a raw, unguarded pain that even he couldn’t mask. The silence between them was deafening, charged with emotions too volatile to contain.
Sophia’s shoulders slumped, her composure unraveling. “Alex, please. I know I made mistakes—terrible mistakes—but I thought I was doing what was right. Can’t you see that? Can’t you give me another chance?”
Alex shook his head, his expression resolute. “No, Sophia. Whatever we had is gone. And after everything you’ve done—after all the lies—you need to let this go. Let me go.”
Her tears came harder now, but she nodded slowly, her voice barely audible. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “For everything.”
Alex didn’t respond. He simply watched as she turned and walked to the door, her steps unsteady. She paused for a moment, as though waiting for him to say something, but when silence greeted her, she opened the door and left.
The door clicked shut, and Alex leaned heavily against the wall, his head falling back as he exhaled shakily. The anger, the betrayal, the heartbreak—it all churned inside him, refusing to settle.
But through it all, one truth remained clear.
He still loved Emma.
He had spent weeks convincing himself that staying away from her was the right thing to do, that it was the only way to keep her safe. But now, as the dust settled and the lies of others came to light, he realized how wrong he had been.
Emma hadn’t given up on him. Even after everything he had put her through, she had fought for him—for their family, for their future.
He crossed the room, picking up his glass of bourbon and staring into the amber liquid. He thought of her laugh, the way her eyes lit up when she was truly happy. He thought of the way she had stood her ground against Luka, her determination a force to be reckoned with.
And then he thought of Thomas.
The idea of Emma finding solace in someone else—someone who hadn’t pushed her away, who hadn’t failed her the way he had—was a bitter pill to swallow. But he couldn’t blame her. He had left a void in her life, and Thomas had stepped in to fill it.
Still, the thought of losing her completely was unbearable.
Alex set the glass down and grabbed his phone, his fingers hovering over the screen. He wanted to call her, to say everything he had been holding back, to tell her how much he still loved her.
But he knew it wasn’t that simple.
If he wanted to win her back, he couldn’t do it with words alone. He needed to show her that he had changed, that he was willing to fight for her the way she had fought for him.
With a deep breath, Alex made a decision.
He wasn’t going to let her go—not without a fight.
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