Chapter 161

The moment Sophia stepped into the dimly lit interrogation room, her pulse quickened.

Daniel Carter sat across from her, his hands cuffed to the table. His piercing blue eyes locked onto hers, filled with a mix of defiance and something else—something raw.

"You shouldn't be here," he said, his voice rough.

She ignored the warning, pulling out the chair opposite him. "I need answers."

The air between them crackled with tension.

Daniel leaned forward, the chains rattling. "You don’t know what you’re getting into."

Sophia didn’t flinch. "Try me."

A slow smirk curved his lips, but it didn’t reach his eyes. "Your ex-husband isn’t the man you think he is."

Her breath hitched.

Before she could respond, the door swung open.

Gregory, the chief of police, stood there, his expression grim. "Time’s up, Ms. Blackwood."

Daniel’s gaze never left hers. "This isn’t over."

Sophia stood, her mind racing.

As she walked out, she could still feel the weight of his stare.

Something told her he was right.

This was far from over.

The weight of the morning pressed down on me like a lead blanket. Liam’s anger still lingered in the air, a bitter reminder of my failed attempt to shield him from the truth. Kicking Ethan out had seemed like the right decision at the time, but now? Now it just felt like another lie in a long string of them.

I hated that we ever pretended in front of Liam. We thought we were protecting him, giving him some illusion of a happy family. Instead, we fed him a fantasy—one where his parents might magically fall back in love.

How was I supposed to tell him the truth without shattering his heart? How do you explain to a child that everything he believed about his parents was just a carefully constructed lie?

My greatest fear wasn’t his anger—it was his disappointment. The moment he realized we’d deceived him, he might never look at us the same way again. But we couldn’t keep this up. He needed to know that Ethan and I were never getting back together.

With a heavy sigh, I dragged myself out of bed. Sleep had been fleeting lately, my growing belly making every movement more exhausting than the last.

The shower did little to wash away the fatigue clinging to my bones. I slipped into a white sundress dotted with delicate blue flowers, the fabric skimming just above my knees. No more hiding—my parents knew about the pregnancy, and honestly? I was too tired to care who else saw.

A swipe of concealer under my eyes did nothing to mask the exhaustion. I wasn’t in the mood for visitors, but fate had other plans.

The doorbell rang just as I reached the bottom of the stairs.

I should’ve ignored it.

But curiosity got the better of me.

Nathan stood on my doorstep, looking like he hadn’t slept in days. His usual polished arrogance was gone, replaced by something raw and desperate.

I moved to slam the door in his face, but he caught it before I could.

"Please, Sophia," he rasped, his voice ragged.

I arched a brow. "What do you want?"

The coldness in my own voice surprised me. It wasn’t forced—just automatic, like speaking to a stranger.

"Can I come in?"

"Absolutely not. Say what you need to say and leave."

He hesitated, and that alone was enough to pique my interest. Nathan had never been the type to falter. Seeing him like this? Unsettling.

"Spit it out. I don’t have all day."

His jaw tightened before he finally spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. "I need you to talk to Eleanor and Alexander."

"About what?"

"Sterling Corp." His voice cracked. "They’re destroying us. Investors are pulling out. Customers are leaving. We’re bleeding money, Sophia."

I blinked. I’d assumed my parents' threats were just that—empty warnings. But they’d actually gone through with it.

Nathan loved that company more than anything. For him to come here, practically begging? He was out of options.

"You realize I don’t care if your company burns to the ground, right?" I crossed my arms, watching him closely.

He looked wrecked—dark circles under his eyes, his clothes rumpled. Like a man who’d been fighting a losing battle for too long.

Amelia hadn’t mentioned any of this to me. Then again, I’d made it clear I never wanted to hear Nathan’s name again.

"Please," he whispered. "We’re family."

That word sent a sharp jolt of anger through me.

"Family?" I scoffed. "You disowned me, Nathan. You told me I was dead to you. For nine years, you acted like I didn’t exist. So tell me—where was this ‘family’ loyalty then?"