Betrayal.
The only word that could describe how terrible Sophia felt. All those smiling faces looked at her in a way tha made her feel pathetic.
Her inner voice screamed at her, her eyes didn't allow her to look into those perilous blue eyes which she started to grow so fond of. Or even the eyes the monster who tried to harm her not a week ago.
"Did you bring the file?" Conner sat on his chair with a smile on his face and Sophia hated it. She felt despondent, disgusted with this man. She trusted him, then why was he testing her this way? Bringing her ex-husband in front of her after he tried to hurt her? Why bother saving her when Conner himself made her feel dead inside
Sophia took a deep breath, no she can not lose to them now. She had to fight them and their egos.
All for her daughter.
"Yes sir" She walked over to him and slammed the file on the table instead of handling it to him. "Anything else?" She turned around to face Conner with venom in voice and hatred in her eyes. Conner looked taken aback, for the first time he looked confused.
"No. You can leave"
She gav him a curt nod and walked out of the cabin, closing the door behind her.
Not even a second passed, she ran to her cabin not even caring how people looked at her. She could later tell them she felt like puking and wasn't well.
She closed the door behind her making sure no one could come in. Her heart was hammering inside her chest, it felt like her heart would explode any moment.
Richard was there. He was just a few cabins away, sitting like he owned the place. Like he did not just try to assault her, hurt her, he was calm and composed, giving her that smile, the same sick twisted smile.
Sophia took a deep breath and walked over to her her chair and sat down with her head in her hands. She didn't want to cry but it was getting harder and harder by the second. All those flashbacks made her heart ache and with all the over thinking, she knew a head ache was on it's way.
A sudden knock made her blood run cold. The possibility of Richard standing on the other side made her want to run away from her cabin. The knock came again, this time she stood up with such force that her chair fell backwards. Her hands shivered as she took breath after breath trying to calm down.
"Whose there!" She called out, her voice came out low and scared. Anyone could tell that it wasn't her regular confident voice.
"It's me, Christian"
Sophia had never been so relieved with the mention of his name.
She walked over the the door "Coming" she said out loud, panting and recovering herself.
She opened the door and stepped aside. Christian John and Jacob were quick enough to enter her cabin.
This time she stopped herself from locking the door, Richard won't try something in front of them ..would he?
"I thought you were not supposed to be here, you know hiding and watching over me was your thing" Sophia walked over to her chair and sat down, avoiding their eyes.
"Jacob, it's nice to see you" And it was. She hardly saw him but he was the one who talked the least compared to his brothers and that was exactly what she wanted right now.
"Are you okay?"
And that's when Sophia looked up. Was she okay?
"I am."
She kept her answer short and her composure calm. It was funny how bad she felt for herself yet telling and sharing wasn't her thing.
Christian and Jacob shared a look, which she noticed. And im that moment she knew, they know.
"You can share.." Christian too avoided her gaze which was funny in a way. He was trying to act like he didn't know anything, wanted her to tell him how she felt.
"You know it don't you?"
The silence that followed was enough for her to be sure of what she thought. Sophia let out a bitter laugh, picking up a file from her table and turning pave after page with here eyes running over the letters with a speed of a metro.
"You don't have to lie too you know, I've been lied to enough for a day"
"I asked you if you were okay and you said you were. You lied too" Christian felt this pang in his chest when she avoided his gaze.
"Conner will never hurt you, you have to trust him-"
"Trust?" She slammed the file on the table finally looking up from her table, "The trust you are talking about has been broken again and again. I try so hard to forget everything he did to me and yet he still finds a way to hurt me. I don't understand him, I don't want to anymore. Also, if he is the one who told you to come to me and talk about how good of a motherfucking man he is," She pointed towards the door, "You know where to go."
Christian Jacob and John didn't answer. The triplets knew what was going on and also that she was not in a state to understand anything.
"Before I go, why is it that you think that Conner, out of all the people chose Richard as a business partner. You know he can not stand that Diaz guy, yet he is sitting in Conner's office like he owned the place. Use your brains Sophia, I know it's hidden somewhere." With that Christian, John and Jacob left the cabin leaving her baffled. She never really thought about this, why would he .....
_________________________________________
It was around 10 p.m. when Sophia reached home. She asked Sara if Serenity was asleep to which she replied positive.
Also Serenity had a camp in two day and she'd need a few papers to be signed from both parents and not one because they didn't want to violate the right decision of the other parent even after divorce.
'Here comes another problem' Sophia had thought. This wasn't something to pop up out of anywhere and how on earth was she supposed to get Richard to sign the papers? She wasn't meeting him for sure and maybe just this time she has to refuse serenity to go somewhere.
Sophia walked to her room, keeping her footsteps light. She didn't want to anyone to know that she was back, because she didn't want ti face a certain person.
Closing the large door behind her she walked over to the table and kept her purse and phone on it. She then walked over to the closet and took out a black silk night wear which was the most comfortable thing in the entire world.
For the next hour she took off her makeup relaxed and showered in peace. She had told Sara beforehand that she was not hungry so no dinner should be made for her. Which was a complete lie, she hasn't eaten a single thing since morning and was starving.
Without even thinking much, she got in her bed and pulled the duvet above her, letting the darkness consume her.
_________________________________________
The next morning Sophia woke up to a pounding pain in her head. She knew she should've seen a doctor, the headaches are increasing day by day. She blamed her work for her headaches, knowing ovethinking was the reason.
"You sure you don't want to talk to him?" Christian mumbled as he walked behind her with his hands in his pocket and a solemn look on his face.
Sophia groaned, "For the tenth time, no"
"Even though you should? Why are you so stupid?"
"You're the one to talk who just stuffed 2 fucking donuts down his throat trying to prove a dumb point"
Christian was quick to react and held his hands up in surrender "It was fun.."
Sophia rolled her eyes as both of them walked inside her cabin "Remind me again why are you the one following me around?"
"Because my boys can't handle shit as well as I do"
In an instant Sophia smacked him on the back of his head, "Oh sorry, is it the first time the shit got serious?"
Both of them tried to hide their smile behind their eye rolls and snorts.
"Sophiaaaaaa go talk to him!" Christian sat down on one of the couch while Sophia set up her laptops and arranged the files. She ignored him completely while starting her work. "So now you're not even talking to me? How am I going t-Fuck!"
"That's right. One more word Chris and the next thing I'll throw at you will me more than just a heavy book"
Christian was about to give her a piece of his mind but he decided not to. He kept the book on the side table and took out his phone and some earphones "Time for some porn.."
Sophia ignored him fully, not really bothered by his gestures anymore. She was getting used to it and didn't know if it was a good thing or a bad.
The rest of the day was spent with him pestering her and making her kick him out of her cabin for more than three times and her having one cup of coffee after another.
When it was finally time to go home, she knew what she wanted.
She knew she had to talk to him.
She also knew not many people were in the office now so even if she kills him she'll probably get away with it.
"I think I might just talk to him" Sophia closed her cabins door behind her and Christian was quick enough to turn around and give her one of his biggest 'i knew it' smile.
"See? Now was it that hard?"
"Whatever. Go wait for me in the car i don't want you there..I'll just talk to him in my own way"
"Sure I'll be downstairs.." Christian gave her a sweet smile and a thumbs up.
"You're going to eavesdrop aren't you?"
"Totally"
Both of them chuckled before Sophia dragged him to the lift and shoved him inside warning him not to interrupt them. She knew she was ready for some answer and she wasn't going to let go that easily.
She walked over to his cabin, and knocked on it softly.
"Come in.."
Sophia opened the door, and it was the same like always. The lights were dim, the windows gave a view of the evening sky and it looked like another storm was approaching them. It was hard for her to understand as to why this man loves darkness. It is lonely, pathetic, scary.
"I want to talk to you Conner" she wasn't going to go back without any answers and he better be ready for them.
"Sure. Have a seat"
She was taken aback for a moment, he didn't try to send her away or yell at her for disturbing him? This man was unpredictable. So she walked towards the chair and sat down in front of him, and not once did he take his dark eyes away from the damn file he was reading.
Sophia couldn't help but stop and look at him. He was so perfect, his chesile jaw structure, his dark silky hair covering his forehead when ever he moved his head, his dark blue eyes deeper than the ocean and his rare smile..oh that smile.
"...again"
Sophia was quick to react, "What?"
"I asked you what do you want at this time. I'm fairly busy Ms. Dixon"
"Just a simple answer Mr. Conner. Why did you do what you did?"
Conner looked up from his file for a quick second before going back to his file, but oh god that look made her want to just melt inside.
''What are you talking about?"
"Why did you let Richard become a part of this company? You know who he is!" Sophia brought her fists to the table with a bang, "You know what he did to me! You were there! Why save me if you were going to betray me in the end?" She was so, so close to crying.
"But oh wait, that's what you do. You betray. I was such a fool to ever trust you, why just why" In a quick moment she grabbed the file from his hand and threw it in the air, letting all the paper fly loose, "Answer me Conner. Don't you fucking ignore me like you always do."
He wanted to stand up and just tell her to shut up. She was assuming all these things without even crosschecking it with him. He knew even a kid could figure out his plan but this woman was a stupid stubborn mess.
But still, she was his mess.
"Sophia calm down. Give me a chance to explain." She was breathing so hard, her cheeks were red and her eyes were glossy. He hated seeing her like that, but she really needed to calm down and change her reckless behaviour before it ends up hurting her.
"It is a plan. You know Richard got out of the prison because someone big is behind him. I don't know who it is but I will find out, but for that I have to keep a close eye on Richard so he doesn't end up hurting you or our daughter. You have to believe me when I tell you that I will never betray you because I-"
For a moment everything stopped. They started at each other, she knew what he was going to say that exact time. Hell he knew that she knew what he was going to say. But he stopped, he had to. Now was not the time.
.."I-I just want to keep you safe"
Silence was followed by that sentence and both of them just stared at each other.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I was wanted them to see your reaction. I know Richard would be able to tell that you were acting in a second and I didn't want that. I want him to assume that I'm on his side and you are the prey."
Sophia nodded, instantly understandinghis situation and knowing fully well how bad her acting skills were. She blinked away the tears that threatened to fall and in that moment she looked like a small child, too afraid of the world.
In an instant he was beside her
"Sophia, are you alright?" He asked again, cupping her face in his warm hands and slowly letting them slide down until they rested on either side of her neck. At the touch his hands, Sophia felt her skin tighten and her breath hitch.
"Yes, just a bit shaken" she whispered too afraid to speak.
He gulped, again the urge to pull her close to him and just kiss the life out of her made him breathe heavily. He alone knows how hard it is for him to sleep when her angelic face had haunted his dreams and the first thing he thought about when he woken was the woman sleeping but a few doors away from him.
"I'll never hurt you.." He slowly stood up, making her stand up too.
"Conner.." She whispered, her eyes staring back at him. He froze halfway through the room and Sophia could've sworn that his eyes started to glow brighter.
"Don't.." He said slowly, a foreign emotion making his voice huskier.
She gave him a confused look, a frown taking over her lips. Gently he cupped her face in his big hands and tilted her face up to him. She closed her eyes to keep herself from falling into his. "You don't know what you do to me.." He wanted to ruin her with all those dirty thoughts running through his mind. He wanted to push her against the table and tear up her underwear and before she could get a chance to speak he would eat her out like he has been starved for years. He wanted to taste her juices and just let his fingers roam around her flesh a little more than needed, just play with her pussy lips and just when she begins to relax, pump those fingers in and out of her roughly till she screams for more. And the best part was that this would just be the beginning.
"Let's get out of here before I lose my control..." He whispered more to himself than her.