Chapter 124 THIRTY DAYS TO BEGIN AGAIN

Chapter 124 THIRTY DAYS TO BEGIN AGAIN


The room went silent. Julian's chest heaved, his face flushed with years of pent-up rage and grief. Sophia didn't flinch.

"Yes," she said quietly. "I do."

Julian stared at her. "What?"

"I know what it's like to think you're going to have something someone and then have it ripped away." Her voice was steady, but her eyes glistened. "I thought Victor was dead. I thought Alexander had killed him. I built my entire life around that loss. I became someone else because of it."

She stepped closer.

"So yes, Julian. I know exactly what it feels like to have your future stolen. And I know that money doesn't fix it. Revenge doesn't fix it. Nothing fixes it. But you can't let it destroy you. Because I almost did. And I almost lost everything that actually mattered."

Julian's anger flickered. His shoulders slumped slightly.

"You want to be angry at me?" Sophia continued. "Be angry. You deserve to be. But don't drink yourself to death because of something I did. That's not punishment for me. That's punishment for you. And for whatever life you could still have."

Marcus stepped forward. "Julian, man… we've known each other a long time. You've been there for me more times than I can count. Let us be there for you now."

Claire moved to his side. "You're not alone. You don't have to do this by yourself."

Julian looked at each of them his friends, the people who had shown up despite everything. 

His eyes finally landed on Sophia.

"Why?" he asked, his voice breaking. "Why did you lie to me? For months, I thought she was mine. I picked out names. I read baby books. I imagined teaching her to ride a bike, walking her down the aisle someday. And then I found out it was all a lie. None of it was real."

Sophia's throat tightened. "Because I was scared," she admitted. "Because I was using you. Because I was so consumed with destroying Alexander that I didn't care who got hurt in the process. Those are the reasons. They're not excuses. They're just… the truth."

She paused.

"I can't give you back those months. I can't give you back the dreams you built. But I can help you build new ones. Ones that are real."

Julian's face crumpled. He sank onto the couch, head in his hands. For a long moment, no one spoke.

Then, quietly, he said, "Thirty days?"

Sophia nodded. "Thirty days. And after that, we figure out the rest together."

He looked up, eyes red-rimmed. "What about Victoria? Can I… can I see her? When I'm better?"

Sophia's heart clenched. She glanced at Claire, who gave a small, encouraging nod.

"When you're better," Sophia said softly. "You can meet her. For real this time. No lies. No secrets. Just… you and her. If you still want that."

Julian let out a shuddering breath. "I want that."

Claire knelt beside him. "Then let's get you packed. The car leaves in two hours."

THREE HOURS LATER

Sophia stood outside the rehab facility in Connecticut, watching Julian walk through the front doors with Marcus at his side. 

The building was quiet, surrounded by trees just beginning to turn gold and red. Autumn was coming.

Claire appeared beside her. "You think he'll make it?"

Sophia watched Julian pause at the entrance, look back at them, then disappear inside.

"I hope so," she said. "I have to believe people can change. Otherwise… what's the point of any of this?"

Claire looped her arm through Sophia's. "You've changed, you know. The woman who walked into that courtroom six months ago isn't the same one standing here now."

Sophia smiled faintly. "Six months ago, I was still running from everything I'd done. Now… I'm trying to face it."

They walked toward the car in comfortable silence.

"Sophia," Claire said after a moment. "About David…"

"What about him?"

Claire's jaw tightened. "I hired a private investigator. Just to be sure. Before I confront him, I want proof."

"That's smart."

Claire stopped walking. "What if the proof is worse than I think? What if it's not just an affair? What if there's something bigger going on?"

Sophia studied her friend's face the fear, the uncertainty, the flicker of something sharper underneath. 

Claire wasn't just worried about infidelity. She was worried about what kind of man she'd married.

"Then you find out now," Sophia said. "Before it gets worse. Before you waste more years on someone who doesn't deserve you."

Claire nodded slowly. "I'm scared."

"I know." Sophia squeezed her hand. "But you're not alone. Whatever you find out, we deal with it. Together."

Claire's phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen, and her face went pale.

"What is it?" Sophia asked.

Claire held up the phone. A text message from an unknown number.

"Ask your husband about the offshore account. The one in the Caymans. He's been hiding more than an affair."

Sophia's stomach dropped. "Who sent that?"

"I don't know." Claire's hands trembled. "But whoever it is… they know something."

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SOPHIA'S BROWNSTONE — THAT EVENING

Sophia sat in the nursery, Victoria asleep in her crib. The baby monitor sat on the nightstand, its green light steady.

Her phone rang. The screen flashed: Federal Detention Center.

She answered quickly. "Alexander?"

"Sophia." His voice came through crackling, but clear enough. "Marcus called me. About Julian. About Claire's text. What's going on?"

She leaned back in the rocking chair, exhaustion pulling at her. "Julian checked into rehab. That part's handled. But Claire… she got a message about David. Offshore accounts. The Caymans. She hired a PI."

Alexander was quiet for a moment. "She thinks he's having an affair?"

"Now she doesn't know what to think. The text said he's been hiding more than that."

"David Chen." Alexander's voice turned thoughtful. "I never trusted him."

Sophia frowned. "You never said anything."

"I didn't have proof. Just a feeling. The way he looked at people. The questions he asked at your board meetings. He was always watching, always listening."

Sophia's blood ran cold. "You think he's working for someone?"

"I think you need to be careful. Don't confront him. Don't let Claire confront him alone. If there's something bigger going on, he'll be dangerous if cornered."

Sophia looked toward the crib. "I'll keep her close."

"And Victoria?"

"She's safe. I'm not letting anyone near her."

Alexander exhaled slowly. "I hate being in here. Every time something happens, I'm stuck on this phone while you're out there dealing with it alone."

"You're not alone. I have Marcus. I have Claire. I have Helena—for whatever that's worth."

"She's using you," Alexander said flatly. "She always has been."