Chapter 57 CHAPTER 57: The Green-Eyed Monster
Adam
As she got close, she placed her hand on my chin and slid in between my legs.
“Adam Harrington, I do not need your money.” Then she licked her lips and traced mine with her thumb, her eyes laced with desire, which made me twitch with want. She has always had that effect on me.
Sophia's lips twitched, the ghost of a smile playing on them. Then her smiling eyes met mine, a steely glint of resolve written all over her features, replacing the desire.
“A year,” she repeated, enunciating each word carefully.
“The Easton Media Group has been eyeing that broadcasting license for months,” she said, her voice a purr. “A little friendly persuasion from a future Lord Harrington might grease the wheels." She winked.
A slow smile spread across my face. “Consider it done.”. That was easier than I had envisioned before she crashed her lips against mine to seal the deal. When we came up for air, I looked into her eyes. I couldn't shake the feeling that this charade might become something more because, all of a sudden, I felt like I had fallen into the abyss.
Adam
I had called my dad after the meeting with Sophia to inform him that I would be coming with her for dinner the next day, and he was thrilled. I had picked up Sophia from her apartment in a vehicle provided by my father. She looked radiant in a mono-strap black bodycon dress and light blue accessories that brought out her cat eyes. She was arm candy and very sophisticated in every possible way, but my heart only yearned for one person, even when she was risking it all to do me a huge favor.
Once we entered the house, my father doted on her, making her giggle and blush with all the compliments he was showering on her. After a while of watching them, the chef announced that dinner was ready, and we all made our way to the dining table, their laughter echoing in the dining room.
After dinner, Sophia sat close to me, one hand on my thigh while the other swirled the ruby red wine in her glass, the clinking the only sound in the dimly lit bar in my father’s very modern living room.
“You need to propose to her officially,” my father said.
“What”? I asked
“You need to get on one knee, son,” he repeated.
“Why”?
“Because she is a lady, and she deserves a proper engagement,” my father said flatly, as if it were the natural thing to do. Sophia beamed at him, then turned to me with a raised eyebrow, as if challenging me to do as he said.
Sophia turned to my dad and smiled a wry smile before turning to me.
“Don’t worry, Lord Harrington; by the time I’m done with your son, he will be groveling at my feet. She smiled, and my father laughed, but I felt a chill down my spine.
“How so darling?” my father asked her.
Sophia raised an eyebrow, a playful challenge in her eyes. "Let's just say I have a way of making the most of... opportunities."
The. She leaned closer to me, staring with her blue eyes, her voice dropping to a husky whisper. "And perhaps, after that year, Adam will see what he's been missing all along."
My father burst into laughter. “Adam, you’ve finally met your match,” he said while taking Sophia’s hand and kissing it. I smirked and shook my head. I guess if nothing comes out of this relationship, my father will have the daughter he has always wanted.
My father reached into his jacket and pulled out a small velvet-red box. "This belonged to my grandmother. It’s a family heirloom." Then he handed it over to me.
I opened the box to reveal a dazzling diamond ring, its brilliance catching the dim light of the living room.
Sophia stared at the ring, then back at me, some fleeting emotions in her face. I gulped and looked at my dad, who gave me a nod of encouragement and a smile. I cleared my throat and stopped sitting in my chair. I went on one knee while Sophi had a look of anticipation in her eyes. Then, all of a sudden, there were cameras everywhere as Sophia’s smile grew wider. I frowned and glared at my dad, who had a glint in his eyes. Apparently, he set the whole thing up. I gulped and looked up at Sophia, who had dropped from her chair and was staring at me. I took out the ring from the velvet box.
“Sophia Easton, will you do me the honor of being my wife?” I said, the word coming out as if I had already practiced it.
"Yes, yes, yes,” she screamed in happiness. You would think she was happy to be my wife. She was a pretty good actress, so I was not expecting anything less. She gave me a radiant smile as I reached out to take her slender fingers in mine and slid the ring inside her middle finger while she beamed at me amidst catcalls, flashes of cameras, and claps from the staff. It felt like I was watching another person’s life unfold in front of me.
Then Sophia bent over and spoke into my ears. “Let's play this game, Adam," she said, her voice a husky challenge. "But remember, in a game of pretense, sometimes the lines between real and fake can get blurry,” she smiled mischievously before she wrapped her arms around me and moved in to give me a searing kiss on my lips, eliciting more catcalls, hoots, and claps. She sure knew how to run a crowd, I thought.
A slow smile—a hint of something dangerous—spread across her face. The bar was dimly lit, but the glint in her eyes was unmistakable. The game was on, and Sophia Harrington was determined to win.
My father’s smile was a predator's, calculating, and cold. "Excellent choice, son. I'll arrange a formal engagement announcement."
Hazel
I was relaxing in the living room watching a movie and eating some oven popcorn when my phone buzzed. It was Williams. I picked up, and he said he called to inform me that he would be coming home soon and asked if I needed anything. I asked him to get pizza since that was what I was craving. I smiled at his thoughtfulness and went back to the movie I was watching.
A few minutes later, Williams showed up carrying bags of groceries. I stood up and went over to get the pizza, as the craving had become very high since I smelled the cheese. He smiled at me, came close, and gave me a kiss on the mouth while Maria, who had come over, scurried out of the room shyly. I smiled
“You will give this woman a heart attack one day,” I scolded playfully.
“I highly doubt that,” he replied, smiling mischievously.
I took the pizza to the table and dropped it before plopping it down on the sofa while William joined me on the other side.
Then he looked up at me and said, “Are you alright?”?
I frowned. "Yes, I am. Why did you ask?”
“Well, I was thinking you would be more honest with your feelings, knowing the relationship you had with him.”
I furrowed my brows. “Him? Who? What are you talking about?” I asked again.
"Adam,” he shrugged his shoulders.
“What about Adam? Did something happen?” I asked, my heart beating fast.
“He didn’t tell you?
“I haven’t spoken to him for a few days now,” I replied.
“Have you checked the news today”? He asked
“No, I haven’t. What happened, Will?” I gripped the sofa, bracing myself for the news and checking my news feed at the same time. Then I saw it at the exact same time he began to tell me.
“He got engaged last night. I’m surprised he hasn’t told you the good news,” Williams smirked, as he took a slice of pizza into his mouth.
I zoned out, and the glass cup of water I was about to gulp shattered on the floor as I saw the bold headline in almost all the gossip blogs in the UK.
“Lord Harrington announces the surprise engagement of his son, Adam, to actress fiancée Sophia,” while another read, “All you need to know about Heiress Sophia Easton. Heiress? I muttered. This was the girl Adam was with at the restaurant, I thought. Their English garment photos and other single photos were splashed across every major gossip blog as I kept scrolling. Williams looked over at me wide open, and Maria rushed out, terror written all over her face.
“Are you alright?” he said.
I winced, “Yes, I am. The glass just slipped from my hand,” I replied.
William turned to Maria. “Please clean this up,” he said, before turning to me.
“Are you hurt anywhere”? He asked
"No,” it’s just my heart that has been shattered into tiny pieces. I thought as I felt a tear prick my eyes. As I moved, I forgot there were glasses on the floor, and I pricked the sole of my feet and yelled before the tears flowed freely.
“Don’t love Hazel; you have to be more careful.” Then he yelled at Maria to be fast in cleaning up the mess.
“I’ll grab the first aid box. Don’t move,” he said, and I nodded. I hated how I teared up so badly; at least the cut would hide some of what I was feeling. I swiped at my tears angrily and wished they would stop. I hated how I felt. Then a suffocating wave of nausea washed over me as I doubled over. I ran over to the bathroom and barfed into the sink.
The next morning, my phone buzzed in my hand, the caller ID flashing "Adam." I stared at it, my heart pounding a frantic rhythm against my ribs. I decided to answer after much debate within me.
“Hey Haze,” his voice rang out. I gulped as tears pricked my eyes.
"Congratulations on your engagement, Adam." My voice was strained; a tight knot of tension was evident.
“It’s not what you think, Haze. I promise, this is a means to an end,” he said, his voice pleading. I realized Adam did not owe me any explanation, not after the way we parted that night, but still, I was neither happy nor thrilled that he was engaged. I felt selfish and angry that he didn’t inform me about his fiancée, seeing that we were best friends.
“I’m happy for you, Adam,” I said, gritting my teeth in anger.
"No, you are not Haze,” he said, and he was right.
“Whatever, have a nice life with your Sophia,” I said, then ended the call. I had no right to be jealous, but I couldn’t help the way I felt, and I was not in the mood to reprimand myself.