Chapter 214
Sophia
Everything should've been perfect. Lily loved her new school. Jasper was finally healthy enough to come home tomorrow. Blake and I had survived being kidnapped. We were engaged with a wedding date set.
So why did I feel like I was standing on quicksand?
This place still didn't feel like home. It felt like a museum - too perfect, too sterile. This isn't a home , I thought. It's a goddamn showcase .
"You're thinking too much again, aren't you?"
I turned to find Blake watching me, looking exhausted but still unfairly handsome in his casual clothes. Damn him for still looking so perfect when I feel like absolute shit inside .
"Is it that obvious?" I forced a smile, though what I really wanted was to scream until my throat was raw.
"Only to someone who knows you." He came over and put his hand on my back. It should've felt comforting, but instead, it felt like pressure. "What's on your mind?"
I hesitated. Shut up, Sophia. Just shut the fuck up and smile like a good little fiancée. But I couldn't stay silent.
"Doesn't it seem strange that James just... handed over his entire company? Like he was giving you a birthday present instead of a multi-billion dollar corporation?"
Blake sighed, his hand dropping from my back. "We've been through this. He's my father, and he wants me to have what's rightfully mine."
"After thirty-five years of not giving a damn about you?" I couldn't keep the edge from my voice. My hands clenched into fists. "It feels like we're being played like fucking pawns in whatever game he's playing."
"There probably is more to it," Blake admitted. "But I can't just sit around waiting for the other shoe to drop. I have responsibilities now—to the company, to the employees."
I bit my lip hard, tasting blood. Blake was right, but that didn't make me feel any better. Something about this whole situation felt wrong.
"Speaking of responsibilities," Blake said, "I talked to the wedding planner today. They had a cancellation, so we could have the Plaza in two weeks."
"Two weeks?" My heart raced with panic rather than excitement. "That's... really soon."
"It's either now or we wait another three months. All the good venues are booked. And honestly, after everything we've been through, I don't want to wait."
I should've been excited. What woman wouldn't be thrilled about marrying Blake Sterling at the Plaza? But instead, I felt my chest tighten. "To be honest, I just want to get it over with."
Oh shit. Blake's expression hardened instantly. "Get it over with? That doesn't sound like someone excited about her wedding day."
"That's not what I meant," I backpedaled, even though it kind of was. "I just... with everything going on with Mia, and Jasper coming home, and your new company—"
"My new company?" Blake's voice had an edge now. "Is that what this is about?"
Fuck, fuck, FUCK. I was making this worse. "Partly, yes. Blake, you can't just take over a company that size without it consuming your life."
"What do you expect me to do? Turn down a multi-billion dollar tech empire that's apparently my birthright?" His frustration was obvious, sparking my own anger. "I can't just blindly step into running a company I know nothing about."
"Why does everything have to be so complicated?" I threw my hands up. "Why can't we just have a normal fucking life? Is that too much to ask after everything we've been through?"
"Those employees depend on the company for their jobs, for their families," Blake countered, using that CEO voice that made me want to scream. "James said they're like family to him. I can't just leave them hanging."
"And what if this company takes you away from us?" My voice cracked. " Are we just supposed to accept the scraps of your time between meetings?"
Blake's expression softened a little. "That won't happen."
"How can you be sure? You don't exactly have the best track record with work-life balance."
"What's that supposed to mean?" The hurt in his eyes made me feel guilty, but I couldn't stop.
"It means I've seen what happens when Sterling men put business first," I said sharply. "I don't want our kids growing up with a father who's physically there but mentally always at work."
"That's not fair," Blake said quietly. "I'm not my father—either of them."
"I know you're not," I sighed, my anger fading into fear. "I just want our kids to have a normal childhood."
"Define normal," Blake challenged. "Because our kids will never have a 'normal' life. My last name alone guarantees that."
"So I'm being unrealistic?" The knot in my stomach tightened. Why am I pushing this?
"I'm saying we need to work with the reality we have," Blake said. "Why don't you come work with me? We could run the company together."
I laughed bitterly. "Are you serious? You know I can't do that."
"Why not? You're brilliant with numbers. We'd make a great team."
"And who would take care of Lily and Jasper? Elizabeth can't raise our children while we're both working 80-hour weeks." The thought made me sick. "Isn't that exactly what we're trying to avoid? Being absent parents who throw money at nannies instead of being there?"
Blake went silent, his jaw tight. I could see he was trying not to get angry.
Say something , I silently begged. Tell me I'm wrong. Tell me you'll put us first.
But he didn't. Finally, Blake muttered something about checking emails and disappeared into his office, closing the door behind him.
I watched him go, feeling hollow inside. Goddamnit. I hated fighting with him. But I also hated the thought of Blake becoming so consumed by work that our family became an afterthought.
An hour passed, then two. I put lasagna in the oven and set the table while Lily played with her dolls. Blake still hadn't come out. Is this how it starts? I wondered, my hands shaking as I folded napkins. Is this how we slowly become strangers?
The thought terrified me more than any kidnapping ever could.
When the timer beeped, I decided enough was enough. Fuck this . I walked to his office and knocked before pushing the door open.
Blake was on the phone, surrounded by papers. His laptop showed spreadsheets I couldn't understand. He was already gone, lost in the world of Sterling Tech.
"Mmhmm," he said into the phone. "And what did legal say about the stock options?" He glanced up, acknowledging me with a nod but continuing his call. "Let's schedule a call with the CFO tomorrow morning."
I waited, arms crossed, as he finished. When he finally hung up, I raised an eyebrow. "Dinner's ready."
"Sorry," Blake ran a hand through his hair. "That was the legal team. There are some merger issues that need immediate attention."
"I thought we were taking Lily to the park today," I said, keeping my voice level though inside I was screaming. "You promised her yesterday."
Blake checked his watch and winced. "I just need to finish this call. Give me fifteen minutes?"
"The park closes at dusk. It's already after five." And you've already broken one promise today.
"Tomorrow, then," he suggested. "I'll clear my entire afternoon, I promise."
"That's not the point," I said, my frustration building. "Taking over his company wasn't part of our plan. This is going to change everything. This is exactly what I was afraid of, and it's already happening. We're not even fucking married yet, and it's already happening."
Blake sighed. "What do you want me to do, Sophia? "
"I want to know that when your family needs you, you'll be able to put down the phone and be present," I replied. My heart was breaking slowly. "Can you honestly tell me you can do that? Because right now, I'm not seeing it."
His expression told me everything. Blake was already being consumed by the Sterling legacy, just as I'd feared. We're so fucked , I thought. This is never going to work.
"I thought so," I whispered, turning to leave. "Dinner's on the table. Join us if you can tear yourself away."
I closed the door, blinking back tears. In the kitchen, Lily looked up from setting the table, her innocent smile nearly breaking my heart. She had no idea what was coming—the missed events, the abbreviated bedtime stories, the broken promises.
"Is Daddy coming?" she asked hopefully.
I forced a smile, swallowing the lump in my throat. "He'll be here soon, sweetheart. He's just finishing some work."
The first of many lies , I thought.
As I helped my daughter into her chair, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning of a pattern I'd seen before—and sworn I'd never accept again. The question was, what the hell was I going to do about it?