Chapter 23 Between desire and duty
Chapter 22
Julian's POV
What the hell had been wrong with me lately? I couldn’t shake this unsettling feeling that had taken root in my mind. Why was I suddenly so possessive of Sophie? It was as if a switch had flipped, and now, she occupied every corner of my thoughts. I tried to focus on the work in front of me—reports, deadlines, the endless stream of emails—but my concentration shattered like glass.
Every time I glanced up from my screen, I found myself thinking of her. The way she laughed, the way her eyes sparkled when she was excited. It was maddening.
"She loves someone!" I kept reminding myself.
But who could this person be? The driver had only said she either went to Isabella's or the hospital. And only once in a while did she go salon and other fashion places.
Or did she tell the driver to keep it from me?
Just as I was about to lose myself in another spiral of thoughts, my phone buzzed, jolting me from my reverie. I glanced at the screen; it was Caleb.
“Man, why didn’t you tell me before you left yesterday?” he said, his voice laced with a mixture of curiosity and disappointment.
“I’m sorry, dude. Something came up,” I replied, trying to keep my tone light.
“But you should have at least said goodbye,” he pressed, the concern evident in his tone.
“I didn’t want to disturb you. I could see you were busy with the guests,” I explained, mentally kicking myself for not reaching out. It was a lame excuse, but I hoped it would suffice.
“Oh, no problem, man. Thanks for coming, by the way. It was good to see you,” he said, his voice softening. “And my regards to Sophie.”
That simple mention of her name sent a rush of warmth through me, but it also made the possessiveness I felt bubble just below the surface. I could almost hear my heart pounding in my chest as I tried to respond without revealing too much.
“Yeah, I will,” I said, my voice steady despite the chaos inside me.
As I hung up, I leaned back in my chair and glanced at the clock, realizing I had wasted too much time. With a sigh, I pushed aside my thoughts of Sophie, determined to refocus on my work. But just then, I heard a knock on my door.
“Come in,” I said, my voice steady despite the flutter in my stomach. My personal assistant entered, a professional smile on her face.
“Sir, your wife is here to see you,” she announced.
“My wife?” The words slipped out before I could catch them, a strange mix of surprise and confusion flooding my mind.
“Yes, sir.”
“Why is she here?” I asked, trying to keep my tone neutral.
“She said she has something for you, sir.”
“Show her in!” I said, my heart racing. Why was Sophie here?
The door opened wider, and Sophie stepped in, closing it gently behind her. “Julian,” she greeted, her voice warm and inviting. “I brought your lunch. You didn’t eat anything before leaving the house, so I thought I’d bring you food.” She beamed at me, and I felt my resolve weaken.
“You can drop it there,” I said, gesturing to the table at the centre of the room. She set the lunch down and turned to leave, but before I could stop myself, I called her name.
“Sophie!”
“Yes?” She turned back, a hint of curiosity in her eyes.
“You can sit down,” I said, motioning toward the cushioned chair in front of my desk. “I’ll be done here soon, so we can go home together.”
“But what about the driver that brought me?” she asked, a hint of concern in her voice.
“I’ll tell Marcus to send him back home,” I assured her, and she took her seat, her expression shifting from uncertainty to a soft smile. I quickly texted Marcus, instructing him to send the driver home.
For almost thirty minutes, I pretended to be absorbed in my work.
“Let’s go,” I finally said, standing up and breaking the spell that had settled between us.
“I didn’t know you were going to finish your work early; I wouldn’t have brought food,” she replied, rising to her feet as well.
“It’s okay,” I said, waving off her concern as I led the way. She followed me outside, where my car was parked under the afternoon sun.
I opened the passenger door for her, but she stood frozen in place, her eyes wide with surprise. I could see the confusion etched on her face, as if she were trying to process the gesture.
“Will you get in or not?” I asked as I noticed her hesitation.
Finally, she shook herself from her daze and slid into the seat, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. I closed the door and climbed into the driver’s seat, the moment feeling charged with unspoken possibilities.
As I started the engine and pulled away, I noticed Sophie’s eyes darting around, absorbing the surroundings. We drove in comfortable silence for a while, but soon, I sensed a shift in her demeanour.
“Julian, this isn’t the way home” she said, her tone laced with uncertainty.
I glanced at her, noting the worry beginning to creep into her expression. “I know,” I replied, trying to keep my voice calm.
“Where are we going?” she pressed, her voice tightening as she shifted in her seat.
“Dont worry, I’m not kidnapping you,” I said, my voice firm yet gentle.
Her expression softened, curiosity replacing the fear. “Okay,” she said slowly, her trust in me evident despite her initial apprehension.
I got to my destination and parked my car in a safe spot before getting out.
“Wait, here, I’ll be right back,” I said as she started to open the door.
I hurried inside and bought a ticket for a romantic comedy, hoping it would lighten the mood.
“Julian, you’re just doing this because you’re bored and trying to fulfil your promise to Evelyn,” I kept telling myself as I made my way back to the car.
I opened the door for her, and she stepped out, looking around wide-eyed. “Wow,” she said, her surprise evident as I led her into the cinema. I bought popcorn and ice cream, and I could see her expression shift from shock to delight.
“Do you like ice cream?” I asked, trying to gauge her taste.
“It’s my favourite!” she replied, a smile breaking across her face.
As we walked into the theatre, the smell of buttery popcorn filled the air, and I felt a rush of excitement. We found our seats, and just as we settled in, the lights dimmed, enveloping us in darkness.
The screen flickered to life, and the opening scene played out with a lighthearted banter between the characters. I glanced over at her; she was leaning forward, completely absorbed in the film.
As the story unfolded, I found myself stealing glances at her reactions—the way she laughed at the funny parts and gasped at the romantic moments. It was infectious, and I couldn’t help but smile along with her.
Halfway through, during a particularly funny scene, she turned to me and whispered, “This is so much better than I expected!”
I chuckled softly, feeling a warmth spread through me.
Just as I was settling into the moment, a sudden beep from my phone jolted me back to reality. It was a message from Marcus: "Your grandfather wants to see you. He said you should come see him tomorrow. I think it's urgent. " My heart sank at the weight of those words.