Chapter 71

Chapter 71
Chapter 71
LUCAS
The drive home felt like the longest of my life.
Jose sat beside me in the back seat, having insisted on coming along after I'd called him in a panic, explaining what had happened. What Sophia had seen. How badly I'd fucked this up.
"She thinks I'm having an affair," I said, staring at my phone where Sophia's last text still glowed. We'll talk when you get home. So formal. So distant. "She walked in and saw me holding Sofia, and now she thinks—"
"What did you expect?" Jose's voice was sharp. "Lucas, from Sophia's perspective, you've been obsessed with finding this woman for weeks, you gave her a job in your company, you've been secretive about why she matters to you, and now she walks in to find you holding her and promising you can't lose her. What the hell else is she supposed to think?"
"I was comforting her! Sofia's being stalked, she's terrified—"
"And you couldn't tell Sophia that? Couldn't give your wife context for why you're so protective of another woman?"
"Sofia asked me not to tell anyone about why I hired her. About what she did for my mother. She wants her privacy protected."
"So you're protecting Sofia's privacy at the cost of your marriage?" Jose shook his head. "Lucas, I love you, man, but you're being an idiot. Sophia is your wife. She deserves to know why this other woman is important to you."
"I can't betray Sofia's trust—"
"Then you're choosing Sofia over Sophia. Again." Jose's expression was hard. "That's what it looks like from the outside. That's what your wife is seeing. You keep choosing to protect Sofia—her feelings, her privacy, her safety—while Sophia gets notes on pillows and vague excuses."
The words hit like a punch to the gut because he was right. I'd been so focused on keeping Sofia safe, on respecting her wishes, on repaying the debt I owed her for saving my mother, that I'd failed to consider how it looked to Sophia.
How it felt to be the wife who kept getting pushed aside.
"I need to fix this," I said. "I need to make her understand."
"Then tell her the truth. All of it. Sofia's privacy isn't worth your marriage."
"I gave Sofia my word—"
"And you gave Sophia your life." Jose's voice went softer. "Lucas, which promise matters more? Which woman do you actually want to keep?"
The answer was obvious. Immediate. Sophia. Always Sophia.
But I'd made a promise to Sofia too. Had sworn I'd keep her secret, protect her privacy, not tell anyone about that night on the bridge or why she'd been there or what she'd been planning to do.
"I can explain without revealing everything," I said, thinking out loud. "I can tell Sophia that Sofia's a friend who's in trouble. That I'm helping her because she helped my family. I don't have to give details."
"Will that be enough?" Jose asked. "Will vague reassurances satisfy a woman who just watched her husband promise another woman he can't lose her?"
I didn't have an answer to that.
We pulled up to the building, and I practically ran to the elevator, my heart hammering. I needed to see Sophia. Needed to explain. Needed to fix this before it spiraled beyond repair.
Martha met me at the door, her expression worried.
"Mr. Davenport, Mrs. Davenport has been in the bedroom most of the afternoon. She said she wasn't feeling well."
"Is she okay? Is Adam—"
"Adam is fine. He's napping. But your wife..." She hesitated. "Sir, I think you should talk to her. Something's wrong."
I headed straight for the bedroom, Jose following at a discreet distance. The door was closed but not locked. I knocked softly.
"Sophia? It's me. Can we talk?"
A long pause. Then: "Come in."
She was sitting on the edge of the bed, still dressed, her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail. She looked tired. Sad. Resigned in a way that made my chest ache.
"Hey," I said softly, closing the door behind me and crossing to sit beside her. "I'm so sorry about earlier. I know what you saw looked bad—"
"It's fine." Her voice was flat. "You were comforting a friend. I understand."
"Do you?" I turned to face her fully. "Because it didn't seem fine. You dropped the food and ran, and you've been ignoring my calls all afternoon."
"I was just surprised." She still wouldn't look at me. "I didn't know Sofia was... that you two were friends. You never mentioned it."
"Because it's complicated." I took her hand, relieved when she didn't pull away. "Sophia, I need you to understand something. Sofia is a friend, yes. But that's all. There's nothing romantic between us. There never has been and there never will be."
"Okay."
"She's going through something right now. Something dangerous. Someone is stalking her, threatening her. That's what the emergency yesterday was about. That's why I've been distracted and worried."
Sophia finally looked at me, her dark eyes searching. "Why didn't you tell me that?"
"Because Sofia asked me to keep it private. She doesn't want people knowing she's being targeted. And I..." I stopped, trying to figure out how much I could say without breaking my promise. "I feel responsible for her safety because she helped my family once. She did something incredibly brave and selfless, and I owe her a debt. That's why I hired her. Why I'm trying to protect her now."
"What did she do?"
The question was direct. Simple. And I couldn't answer it without betraying Sofia's trust.
"I can't give you details," I said carefully. "Not because I don't trust you, but because it's Sofia's story to tell. What I can say is that she was there when my family needed help, and I'm trying to repay that. That's all."