Chapter 133 One Hundred And Thirty Three
Sofia remained inside her car for several minutes after spotting them.
The engine was off, but the air inside the vehicle was still cool from the lingering breeze drifting through the slightly cracked window. From where she sat, she had a perfect view of the park entrance.
Austin and Antonia had already disappeared deeper along the tree-lined path.
But that didn’t matter.
She had seen enough.
More than enough.
A slow, satisfied smile curved across her lips as she leaned back against the leather seat.
Everything was falling into place exactly the way she and Austin had planned.
Antonia walking beside Austin.
Looking relaxed.
Smiling.
Pushing the stroller with her baby inside.
From a distance, it looked almost like a small family outing.
The kind of scene that could easily ignite jealousy in the right person.
And Sofia knew exactly who that person was.
She picked up her phone from the passenger seat and turned it over in her hand thoughtfully.
Kennedy.
For a moment, she considered the tone she needed to use.
Not too eager.
Not too obvious.
The key to manipulation wasn’t force.
It was subtlety.
She scrolled through her contacts until she found his name.
Then she pressed call.
The line rang twice.
Three times.
On the fourth ring, Kennedy answered.
His voice sounded distracted.
“What do you want, Sofia?”
Sofia raised an eyebrow slightly.
“You sound busy.”
“I am.”
In the background she could faintly hear voices and the distant murmur of office activity.
She imagined him sitting behind his desk, tie slightly loosened, eyes buried in paperwork.
“Is this important?” he asked.
“It depends.”
“On what?”
“On whether you care about what your son is doing right now.”
That got his attention.
The faint office noise behind him faded as if he had stepped away from the room.
“What do you mean?”
Sofia kept her tone light.
“I just ran into someone familiar.”
“Who?”
“Antonia.”
There was a brief pause.
“Oh.”
“I thought you might want to know she’s doing well.”
Kennedy frowned slightly, leaning back in his chair.
“And why exactly would you call me to tell me that?”
Sofia let out a soft laugh.
“Well… she’s not alone.”
Kennedy’s jaw tightened slightly.
“Who’s with her?”
Sofia deliberately allowed a small pause before answering.
“Something tells me you could guess who she is with.”
Kennedy’s brows furrowed.
“Austin?”
“Yes.”
His expression darkened instantly.
“They’re together?”
“In the park.”
“With my son.”
Kennedy straightened in his chair.
His fingers tightened slightly around the phone.
“They went to the park together?”
“Yes.”
Sofia spoke casually, almost thoughtfully.
“They actually look quite comfortable.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Well…”
She glanced toward the path where they had disappeared.
“They were laughing.”
The silence on Kennedy’s end deepened.
“And Austin was pushing the stroller earlier.”
That detail landed like a spark in dry grass.
Kennedy’s jaw clenched.
He hadn’t seen his son since the dinner night.
Work had swallowed his entire schedule yesterday.
Meetings.
Deadlines.
Problems that refused to resolve.
And now—
Someone else was casually pushing his son’s stroller through the park.
Kennedy’s voice dropped lower.
“Which park?”
Sofia hid the smile that tried to escape.
“Why?”
“Just tell me.”
“Riverside Park.”
Kennedy stood abruptly from his chair.
His office door slammed open as he grabbed his coat from the chair.
“Where exactly are you?”
“Still near the entrance.”
“Stay there.”
Sofia leaned back comfortably.
“Are you coming?”
“Yes.”
The line went dead.
Sofia lowered the phone slowly.
Her smile widened.
Perfect.
Across the city, Kennedy moved quickly through the lobby of his office building.
His assistant looked up in surprise as he passed.
“Sir? Your meeting in twenty minutes—”
“Cancel it.”
“But—”
“Reschedule everything.”
He didn’t slow down.
Moments later he was inside his car.
The engine roared to life.
Kennedy gripped the steering wheel tightly as he pulled into traffic.
His mind replayed Sofia’s words.
They actually look quite comfortable.
They were laughing.
Austin was pushing the stroller.
The images formed in his mind whether he wanted them to or not.
Antonia walking beside Austin.
Smiling.
Relaxed.
Something hot and unpleasant stirred in his chest.
Jealousy.
He hadn’t expected it to hit this hard.
Antonia had told him clearly—
Their relationship was about co-parenting now.
Nothing more.
And he had agreed.
But the thought of someone else stepping into his place—even casually—felt wrong.
Very wrong.
Kennedy accelerated through a yellow light.
His mood had already been sour that morning.
A contract dispute at work had dragged on for hours.
Two major clients had demanded immediate decisions.
His patience had worn thin long before Sofia’s call.
Now this.
The drive to the park took less than fifteen minutes.
Kennedy barely remembered the route afterward.
His thoughts were too busy constructing scenes he hadn’t even witnessed.
When he finally pulled into the parking area, he spotted Sofia’s car almost immediately.
She was leaning casually against the hood when he approached.
Her sunglasses hid most of her expression, but the faint smile on her lips was unmistakable.
“You got here fast.”
Kennedy stepped out of his car.
“Where are they?”
“Hello to you too.”
“Sofia.”
“Relax.”
She gestured toward the park entrance.
“They’re still inside.”
Kennedy followed her toward the pathway.
Tall trees lined the entrance, their leaves rustling softly in the breeze.
Families walked along the paved trail.
Children rode bicycles.
Joggers passed by.
Normal.
Peaceful.
But Kennedy’s eyes scanned the path sharply.
“Where did you see them?”
“Just a little farther in.”
They walked side by side along the trail.
Sofia kept her pace relaxed.
Almost leisurely.
Meanwhile Kennedy’s gaze moved constantly.
Searching.
Finally Sofia slowed slightly and pointed ahead.
“There.”
Kennedy followed the direction of her finger.
And saw them.
Antonia walked slowly along the path pushing the stroller.
Austin walked beside her.
Close enough that their shoulders almost brushed.
They were talking.
And Antonia was smiling.
The sight struck Kennedy like a punch to the gut.
His jaw tightened.
His hands curled into fists at his sides.
Sofia watched his reaction carefully.
“Well,” she said softly, “I suppose she’s enjoying the fresh air.”
Kennedy didn’t respond.
His eyes remained locked on the scene ahead.
Austin leaned closer to Antonia to say something.
She laughed.
The sound carried faintly through the quiet park air.
Kennedy felt something dark twist inside his chest.
Without another word, he started walking toward them.
Fast.
Very fast.
Behind him, Sofia watched with quiet satisfaction.
Exactly the reaction she had hoped for.
The storm had arrived.