Chapter 74

The weekend had been perfect. Nothing extraordinary happened, but I cherished every moment with Eleanor and Alexander.

They were everything I'd wished Victoria and William could have been—warm, affectionate, and present. Instead, my birth parents had been distant, their love reserved only for Isabella and Nathan.

Hell, they’d even treated Sebastian and Ethan Blackwood better than me, despite insisting I was their daughter.

The more time I spent with Eleanor and Alexander, the deeper my love for them grew. Being around them made me understand why Daniel adored them so much. The way he spoke of them, with such reverence and tenderness—now I got it. They were extraordinary, and no one needed convincing.

"Where the hell is she?" Natalie huffed, snapping me out of my thoughts.

We were at a café, waiting for Amelia, who, as usual, was late. The woman worked as a secretary, yet she had zero concept of time.

"She’ll show. Probably stuck in traffic," I mumbled around a bite of my blueberry muffin.

My pregnancy cravings had officially taken over. Right now, all I wanted were muffins and cupcakes—breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Everything else tasted like cardboard.

"We agreed on two o'clock," Natalie grumbled, irritation twisting her flawless features.

I smirked at her frustration. "You’ll learn that Amelia operates on her own schedule. Accept it now, and you’ll save yourself a lot of headaches."

She exhaled sharply, clearly annoyed. Natalie was the type who’d rather arrive an hour early than a second late.

As she stewed, I devoured another muffin. Hunger gnawed at me constantly these days.

With Liam, my first pregnancy had been brutal. No anti-nausea meds worked, and I didn’t get relief until well into my sixth month.

That’s why Ethan’s abandonment cut so deep. While I was barely surviving, he was too busy pining over Isabella to notice I was wasting away.

I’d been hospitalized multiple times because my doctor feared for Liam’s and my health.

I understood he was heartbroken over losing Isabella, but seriously? Did that excuse neglecting his unborn child?

Shaking off the bitterness, I focused on Natalie. She was tapping her foot impatiently.

"What’s wrong?" I finally asked when her agitation became unbearable.

"I had a business proposal for you and Amelia, but since she’s MIA, I’ll just tell you now because I’m losing my mind," she admitted.

"Okay…?"

"It’s unconventional. Not the kind of venture people in our circles usually consider."

That piqued my interest. If Natalie thought it was unconventional, it had to be wild.

"Go on."

"I want us to start a sex toy company," she deadpanned.

I choked on my muffin. "Excuse me?"

"A sex toy company," she repeated, unfazed. "Think about it. The market’s booming. Seventy percent of women own at least one, single or not. Even men are embracing them to spice things up."

I gaped at her.

"What’s got Sophia so stunned?" Amelia’s voice chimed in as she slid into the booth.

I hadn’t even noticed her arrival—that’s how shocked I was.

Amelia glanced between us. "What did I miss?"

"Natalie just suggested we launch a sex toy line," I said flatly.

I expected Amelia to share my disbelief. Instead, her eyes lit up.

"That’s genius!" she squealed.

"Are you both insane?" I demanded.

"Name one woman who doesn’t own a pleasure toy," Natalie challenged.

"I don’t."

They both stared at me like I’d sprouted a second head.

"Seriously?" Amelia gasped.

"Never had one, never wanted one."

I’d considered it once, but my sex life with Ethan hadn’t exactly been… collaborative. For him, it was about release. For me, it was about filling the emotional void between us.

"We should do this," Amelia declared. "But since Sophia’s a newbie, she should test the top brands and give us unbiased feedback."

Natalie nodded eagerly. "Perfect. Her fresh perspective will help us innovate."

"Hold on—do I get a say in this?" I snapped.

"Not really," Amelia said breezily. "We’re about to make you filthy rich, so…"

"I’m already filthy rich."

She shrugged. "Then consider it a fun challenge. You said you wanted something new, right?"

I groaned. How bad could it be?

"Fine," I relented.

They squealed and crushed me in a hug, nearly suffocating me. Their excitement was contagious, stirring something in me I hadn’t felt in ages. Maybe this would be fun.

"Now that that’s settled," Amelia said, pulling back, "I have a question for you, Sophia."

I raised a brow. "Shoot."

"Who’s Callum Montgomery?"

I stiffened. I hadn’t mentioned him to anyone.

"My new neighbor. How do you know about him?"

"Nathan told me," she said, and my confusion deepened. "Apparently, at the family dinner, Liam mentioned him. Said Callum makes you happy and he wouldn’t mind if you married him and gave him more siblings. Nathan said Ethan looked ready to murder someone."

"No way," Natalie breathed.

"Oh, yes. According to Nathan, Ethan nearly shattered the table in jealousy."

I burst out laughing so hard my stomach cramped.

The idea of Ethan being jealous was ludicrous. If there was one man who wouldn’t care if I slept with the entire male population, it was him.

"That’s a joke, right?" I wheezed.

Ethan had only ever been jealous over Isabella. Not me. Never me.

"Nathan’s starting to question Ethan’s feelings for you," Amelia pressed.

"Why is that so hard to believe?" Natalie asked.

"Because I know him. He was probably just pissed Liam keeps pushing us to reconcile." I turned to Amelia. "And tell Nathan there’s nothing going on. When Isabella came back, he begged me not to interfere with their ‘happily ever after.’ I haven’t."

"I think he’s realizing he might’ve been wrong about you two," Amelia murmured.

I remembered Nathan’s warning at the hospital after Isabella returned. He’d been terrified I’d ruin her fairytale ending.

"The only thing Ethan Blackwood ever felt for me was hatred. Nothing will change that. What you’re suggesting is delusional."

"Not if those feelings were always there, buried," Natalie countered.

I shook my head, irritation flaring. "Drop it, Amelia. Even if Ethan magically developed feelings, it’s too late now."

Silence fell. The mood soured, and suddenly, I just wanted to go home.

Why couldn’t they let this go? Ethan was my past. He’d stay there.

My future was my children, my foundation, and this absurd new business.

Nothing would change that.