Chapter 101

The air in the penthouse was thick with tension.

Sophia's eyes burned with a fire I hadn't seen in years.

She stood before me, her fists clenched, her breathing ragged.

"You had no right," she spat, her voice trembling with barely contained rage.

I remained silent, watching her.

The accusations in her glare were sharper than any blade.

"Did you think I wouldn't find out?" she demanded.

Her words sliced through the quiet like a whip.

I exhaled slowly, bracing myself.

This storm had been brewing for weeks.

"You kept him from me," she continued, her voice cracking. "My own son!"

The pain in her voice was raw, unfiltered.

Liam.

The name hung between us like a ghost.

I had my reasons.

But none of them would justify this betrayal in her eyes.

"You don't understand," I began, but she cut me off.

"Understand?" she laughed bitterly. "You stole years of his life from me!"

Her tears fell freely now, but her anger didn't waver.

I took a step forward.

She recoiled as if burned.

That small movement shattered something inside me.

"I was protecting him," I said quietly.

Her laugh was hollow. "From what? From me?"

The accusation stung more than I expected.

"No," I said firmly. "From everything else."

She shook her head, disbelief written across her face.

"You don't get to decide that," she whispered.

The silence that followed was deafening.

Then she turned on her heel and walked out.

The door slammed behind her with finality.

I stood there, staring at the empty space she'd left behind.

The weight of my choices pressed down on me.

This wasn't over.

Not by a long shot.

But for the first time, I wondered if I'd gone too far.

And if she'd ever forgive me.

“Is Liam coming?” my mother asks me.

“Not today, Mom. I forgot to tell Sophia, and I didn’t want to spring this on her last minute,” I say as I step into Victoria’s house.

It was our monthly family gathering. Just like last time, I didn’t want to be here. The only reason I showed up was because I’d promised Mom I would.

“I’ve missed him so much, and so has Victoria. She was really looking forward to seeing him.” She hesitates. “Now that she and Sophia aren’t speaking, these gatherings are the only time she gets to see Liam.”

I should feel sorry for her, but I don’t. Maybe that makes me a jerk, but I believe we’re all getting exactly what we deserve. This is our punishment for how we treated Sophia.

“Maybe next time,” I mutter, brushing past her.

Mom and Victoria have been best friends for decades. She’d move mountains for her. The last thing I need is to stand there for half an hour listening to how Victoria is suffering.

I have enough suffering of my own to deal with.

She trails behind me as I head to the backyard. I know this house like my own. They’ve lived here forever. This is where Sophia and I got married. Where she tried to run when she found out she was pregnant with Liam.

I stop abruptly.

Mom, who was right behind me, bumps into my back.

“What the hell, Ethan?” she snaps, but I don’t turn around. I can’t.

She steps in front of me when I don’t respond. My gaze is distant, unfocused.

“Ethan? What’s wrong?”

I swallow hard, struggling to speak.

“I just remembered the day I caught Sophia trying to leave. Looking back now… I don’t know what my life would’ve been like if she’d gotten away.”

Mom sighs. “Sweetheart, don’t dwell on that. It didn’t happen, and we should be grateful.”

I shake my head.

“Sophia was eighteen and terrified, Mom. She begged me to let her go because she knew—somehow, she knew—that staying would destroy her. And I did. I broke her heart over and over. Now? I don’t know what to think. Part of me wishes I’d let her leave. Maybe she wouldn’t be this broken. But the other part? The selfish part? I’m glad I stopped her. Because I wouldn’t have Liam. I wouldn’t have known the incredible woman she became.”

The weight of my regrets crushes me every time I think about what I put her through. I should’ve tried harder. Maybe then I wouldn’t feel this suffocating guilt.

“You’re carrying too much blame, Ethan. Yes, you hurt her, but you’re not the only one. Both our families played a part in breaking her. You’re not solely responsible for her pain.” Mom squeezes my arm, trying to comfort me.

“Your mother’s right.” I turn to see Dad standing by the sliding doors.

“We all failed Sophia. We forgot she came into our lives as a little girl. We forgot the joy she brought. We forgot she needed love. That’s on us. We were the adults. You kids followed our lead. If anyone’s to blame, it’s us.” His grip on my shoulder is firm.

Their words are meant to comfort me, but they don’t. The others ignored her. I did worse. So much worse. And that’s entirely on me.

I force a small smile. I don’t want to linger on this.

Mom seems to take the hint. She tugs my hand.

“Come on, let’s go before everyone wonders where we are.”

I groan internally when I spot Isabella. I knew she’d be here, but knowing and seeing her are two different things.

“Ethan! I’m so glad you came.” Victoria kisses my cheeks.

“Yeah,” I reply flatly.

She’s quickly distracted by my parents, giving me the perfect chance to slip away.

I head straight for Sebastian.

“How’s it going?” he asks after we exchange greetings.

“Terrible,” I grumble, thinking about my fight with Lucas last weekend.

Not my finest moment, but hearing about how he used to chase Isabella scared me. Because what if he’s doing the same to Sophia? Lucas is a good guy. That’s what terrifies me—because it means he actually has a shot with her.

“Any progress?” he asks.

“None. Unless you count pissing her off even more.”

Sebastian sighs. “What did you do?”

“Got into a fight with Lucas. Turns out he’s Hunter’s father.”

I don’t need to explain who Hunter is. Liam talks about him nonstop. Calls him his new best friend.

Sebastian blinks. “Wait—Lucas? As in Nerdy Lucas? The one who followed Isabella around?”

“The very same.”

I still can’t believe it. The coincidence is insane.

“What’s going on?” Nathan asks, joining us.

I glance behind him, relieved Isabella isn’t following. Honestly, as long as she stays far away from Sophia, I don’t care.

“Just found out Nerdy Lucas is Hunter’s dad, and Ethan got into a fight with him,” Sebastian explains.

Nathan’s eyes widen. “Seriously? Was it because of Isabella?”

Before I can answer, the front door slams open.

A second later, Sophia’s furious voice echoes through the house.

“Isabella!” she shouts, storming into the backyard.

Nathan and I exchange glances.

“What’s happening?” I ask.

“No idea.”

We move closer, watching as Sophia marches toward Isabella, who’s standing with our parents. Before anyone can react, Sophia slaps her—hard. Isabella stumbles back, falling to the ground.

“What the hell, Sophia?” Nathan yells, rushing to his sister’s side.

Isabella looks stunned. Sophia? She looks furious. Like she’s ready to tear someone apart.

“Shut up, Nathan,” she snaps, teeth clenched.

Victoria’s eyes fill with tears. “Sophia, what’s going on? Why would you hit your sister?”

She’s torn. The old Victoria would’ve taken Isabella’s side immediately. But now? She’s waiting to hear Sophia’s side first.

That alone shows how much she’s changed.

Sophia glares at Isabella. “I want to know why you did it, Isabella. Why would you abandon your own child? Your son?”

The backyard goes silent.

No one moves. No one breathes.

This can’t be real. Isabella would never—

“That’s bullshit!” Nathan defends. “Isabella doesn’t have a kid. She’d never do that.”

Sophia laughs, but it’s hollow. Unhinged.

“That’s what I thought too. But I’m not wrong.”

Isabella clings to Nathan, trembling. Tears streak down her face. Fear fills her eyes.

But she doesn’t deny it.

Sophia stares at her like she’s trash.

“You’re Hunter’s mother, aren’t you? Or are you going to keep pretending?”

The bombshell drops.

None of us saw it coming.

None of us were ready.