Chapter 18-1
Kieran
She couldn’t escape from me.
Not anymore.
Because she was mine.
I finally had her right where I wanted – beside me.
I wanted… no! I needed to watch her every move, every breath, and with her leaving DC as she intended, it would be impossible. I had to do everything in my power to stop her.
The mere thought of Sophia being away and me not being able to keep an eye on her, study her, and try to figure her out drove me crazy. I couldn’t explain to myself the urge that brewed inside - the urge for her. All I knew was that I needed her like the air I breathed. And damned I would be if I didn’t follow through.
Could I have done something not as drastic as marrying her? Probably. But considering everything that transpired between us, being radical was my only fail-proof option. Because failing was not.
The trip back to the company building passed in a blur, and I parked my car at the designated lot reserved for the CEO. I wasn’t lying to Sophia when I said I had work to catch up on; I had spent far too much time thinking about her and wasn’t proud of it.
“Clara,” I said to my secretary as soon as I got to the 21st floor. “My wife, Sophia, will be coming to work from tomorrow on.” The sight of Clara’s pupils dilating amused me to no end, making me forget about the claws of uneasiness wrapped around me. “There will be…” Although I considered Clara to be more than an employee taking into account what she did for me, I couldn’t bring myself to share the details of what transpired only an hour ago. “…Things you won’t understand and I’m counting on your trust.” I haven’t gone mad, I thought but restrained myself from voicing out because it might as well be true.
“Congratulations, sir.” A genuine smile lit up her face, and it softened my tenseness a bit.
“Prepare the office for her.” I looked towards an empty office space, and Clara confirmed it with a slight nod of her head. “And get me Clarkson here.”
Once I was all alone in the comfort that my workspace provided, I inhaled! Deeply.
I let my lungs fill with air that they seemed to lack all day, and I sank deep into the leather chair placed behind my desk.
It was done.
I was married to Sophia Howard.
I allowed the realization to settle before I reached for the bottom drawer where I kept the most valuable documents.
Grabbing the familiar manila folder, I leaned back into the chair and sprung my legs forward.
Sophia Howard. It stated on the front page.
And indeed, it held every piece of information about her life: from her primary school marks to the names and numbers of her hometown friends, details about her relatives and family, etc.
What bothered me was not what I’ve been reading but what the report failed to offer – the reasons behind Sophia’s sudden move from Sacramento. Because I was awfully sure there had to be a perfectly good explanation for her taking her underaged sister from their burning home in the middle of the night.
The reason for her being fired from the restaurant was also something I was not buying.
To say that I didn’t know Sophia well would be an understatement, but I was certain she would never try to seduce a boss who could easily be her father. Not Sophia who tried to gouge my eyes out for offering her money to break up a relationship between our siblings. Not Sophia who chose a measly paid job over the wealth I threw at her.
That’s why I instructed Simon Bailey to keep digging until he got to the bottom of the pit that Sophia’s life represented. Simon was not only an excellent lawyer and business partner, but I also considered him my friend. He had the means and connections to get things done, even when they required an ‘unconventional’ approach.
Wouldn’t it have been easier if I simply asked Sophia to tell me the truth? Without a doubt.
What were the chances of her actually trusting me with it? Hm.
There was only one thing I was sure of at that moment: Sophia was not the gold-digger I had pegged her to be.
The rest, I was dead set on proving no matter what the results turned out to be.
“Sir, the chief of security is here.” Clara’s voice rang from the speakerphone as she announced the man I expected.
A second later, the door opened, and in walked a seven-foot-tall ex-commando who had been in charge of my company’s safety for the past couple of years.
“You wanted to see me, sir?”
“Yes.” I reached for the white envelope I had prepared and offered it to him. “This is for you.”
Clarkson accepted it with a characteristic curt nod. “Thank you, sir.”
The six-figure check was a token of appreciation of sorts for the time he invested in following Sophia around per my request. She was his top priority assignment from the moment she refused my offer. His timely reports were crucial for me getting to her on time and not losing her in fucking Richmond.
“Let me know if there’s anything else you need help with,” Clarkson said, before closing the door behind him.
It wasn’t the first time I enlisted his off-the-books services. He knew how to do his job and he kept his mouth shut, which was the most important.
Sophia... My thoughts drifted to her again.
Once I started, there was no stopping! She was like a drug I became addicted to a moment too soon! She surged through my veins getting me higher than I thought was possible!
She made me feel elated? Alive? Like I haven’t felt in a really long time.
I was already sure she was not a witch whose only goal was my fortune but was she deservant of more? Could I dare to…
No. She had to prove herself. She had to prove she was worthy of my trust before I gave it to her. She had to prove she was worthy of King’s family name.
Burning in the fires of hell because of a woman once again was not an option, not in a million years!
She had to let me in on her secrets. She had to tell me about her darkest fears. She had to tell me about her most hidden desires. She had to do it on her own! It had to come from her mouth. Reading reports and written statements from witnesses was not enough anymore.
Because there was something about Sophia… there was something about my wife I failed to understand.
And I had to. I just had to.
~ ~ ~
I left the office when the city was long covered with darkness, rushing down the streets towards my home, a place where she was.
What was she doing the entire day? Did she already have dinner? Was she thinking of me at all?
With a trembling heart for the reasons I failed to understand, I unlocked the door, and just like every other night, a silent house greeted me.
No lights were o. No sound was heard.
Where the hell was she?
Did she dare to leave me?
The thought of Sophia not being here threatened to drive me crazy!
I stormed to the kitchen to find it void of any signs she ever stepped a foot inside.
The living room was like a mortuary, cold and dark.
Fuck!
With panic following right behind me, I ran up the stairs. Impatience got the best of me and I slammed open the door, hoping, no! praying I wouldn’t be welcomed by the same sight as a few moments before - emptiness.
But there, on the bed, lying in what had to be the most uncomfortable position with her legs dangling from the side, was Sophia. Fast asleep.
A breath hitched up my throat as relief washed over me.
She was here. She didn’t leave.
I stood there watching her sleeping form, the hallway lights shining up on her at just the right angle. ‘Maybe I should... A loud yelp interrupted my thoughts, and I crossed the distance between us in the blink of an eye. Was she in pain?
“No! Stop! No… I don’t want to...” A barely understandable murmur escaped her lips, knocking me off my feet. Fuck it! She was having a nightmare about me. Damn!
I did this to her! I was haunting her dreams! A tidal wave of guilt plummeted me, dragging me under the surface, threatening to drown me in my own misery.
A sudden desire to punch myself in the face overwhelmed me! I had to fix this! I had to find a way… ‘Uncle… no…’ What? Uncle?
I didn’t dare to move. I didn’t dare to even breathe so that I wouldn’t miss a thing, but except for a few distressful moans, Sophia never said a word.
Gently, I scooped her up in my arms to move her into a more comfortable position, but my wife surprised me once again. As soon as she was tightly wrapped in my arms, she didn’t wake up as I feared she would, but brought her head closer to me, inhaling my scent deeply.
That simple notion, her finding comfort in my embrace in her unconscious state of mind, broke the restraints that were holding me back, and I could only go up from there, knowing I would do anything to make her stay with me on that path.
‘What are you doing to me, Sophia?’ I pondered silently while I covered her with a blanket.