Chapter 68

Chapter 68
Chapter 68
SOPHIA
I woke up Saturday morning with a plan.
Or maybe it was desperation masquerading as a plan. Either way, I was going to try.
Lucas had left early again—another note on his pillow, another vague promise to explain everything soon, another reminder that security would be with us. The notes were starting to feel like a pattern, like evidence of his increasing distance that I was collecting without quite knowing why.
But today, I decided, I was going to bridge that distance. Was going to show up at his office with lunch like I had before, was going to remind him that he had a wife who cared about him, who wanted to be part of his life even when things got complicated.
Maybe especially when things got complicated.
Adam was still asleep when I started cooking—nothing fancy, just the pasta dish Lucas had mentioned loving, made from scratch the way my mother had taught me. I worked methodically, trying not to think too hard about what I was doing or why. Trying not to acknowledge that this felt like a test. Like I was checking to see if Lucas would choose me over Sofia if given the option.
Martha found me in the kitchen around nine, her expression concerned.
"Mrs. Davenport, you know we can prepare Mr. Davenport's meals. You don't have to—"
"I want to," I interrupted, perhaps too sharply. Then, softer: "I like doing this for him. It makes me feel... useful."
Martha's face softened with understanding that made me want to cry. She saw too much, this woman. Understood too clearly that something was fracturing in this perfect marriage she'd been so happy about.
"You're much more than useful, dear," she said gently. "You're his wife. The mother of his child. You don't need to prove your worth through cooking."
But didn't I? What else did I have to offer? I wasn't Sofia, saving lives and inspiring devotion. I was just the desperate woman who'd agreed to marry a stranger for money. Just the placeholder wife until Lucas figured out what he really wanted.
"I just want to surprise him," I said, forcing brightness into my voice. "He's been so stressed lately. I thought bringing him lunch might help."
"Of course." Martha helped me pack everything into containers, her movements efficient but her eyes still worried. "Will you be taking Adam with you?"
"No, I'll leave him here. He's still recovering, and the office would be overwhelming." I hesitated. "Could you watch him? I won't be gone long."
"Of course. Take your time."
Luke drove me to Davenport Industries, the same driver who'd witnessed so many moments of my relationship with Lucas. I wondered what he thought about all of this. If he'd noticed the shift, the tension, the way Lucas and I seemed to be orbiting each other rather than connecting lately.
"Mrs. Davenport?" Luke's voice pulled me from my thoughts. "We're here."
I gathered my containers and headed into the building, nodding at security guards who recognized me, taking the elevator to the executive floor. My heart was hammering in a way that felt ridiculous—this was my husband. I had every right to visit him at work.
But I couldn't shake the feeling that I was intruding. That I'd find something I didn't want to see.
The executive floor was quieter on weekends, just a few dedicated workaholics at their desks. Lucas's assistant wasn't at her station, which made sense for a Saturday. I walked down the hall toward his office, my heels clicking on the polished floor, the containers heavy in my hands.
His door was slightly ajar.
I could hear voices—Lucas's and a woman's. Sofia's.
I should have knocked. Should have announced myself. Should have been a mature adult who didn't eavesdrop on her husband's private conversations.
Instead, I froze just outside the door, my heart in my throat, and listened.
"I just don't understand who would do this." Sofia's voice was shaky, scared. "Why would someone follow me? What do they want?"
"I don't know yet. But I'm going to find out." Lucas's voice was firm, protective. "Sofia, you need to be more careful. Tell me everywhere you're going. Don't go anywhere alone. The security team I hired—"
"I don't need a security team. I'm not some damsel in distress—"
"You're being stalked." Lucas's voice went hard. "Someone is watching you, photographing you, threatening you. That's not something to take lightly."
Stalked. Someone was stalking Sofia. That's what yesterday's emergency had been about. That's why Lucas had been so panicked, so desperate to make sure she was safe.
I should have felt relieved. This wasn't about romantic feelings. This was about keeping someone safe from a legitimate threat.
But then Lucas continued, and my world tilted.
"Sofia, you need to understand something. I can't lose you. You're—" He paused, and I held my breath. "You're important to me. What you did for my mother, the way you risked your own life—I owe you everything. And I'm not going to let some psychopath hurt you because of your connection to my family."
Through the gap in the door, I could see them now. Lucas had moved closer to Sofia, his hands on her shoulders, his expression intense. Protective. Caring.
"You're not alone in this," he continued. "I'm going to figure out who's behind this and stop them. But I need you to work with me. I need you to trust me."
"I do trust you." Sofia's voice was soft, almost intimate. "Lucas, you've done so much for me already. Given me so much. I don't know how to—"
And then he hugged her.
Pulled her into his arms and held her while she cried against his chest. His hand came up to stroke her hair, his expression tender in a way that made my chest feel like it was caving in.
"It's going to be okay," he murmured. "I promise. I'm going to keep you safe."