Chapter 77

Ethan

Damn it!

I watch as Sophia flees from the boutique. Every fiber of my being screams to chase after her, but I know I've crossed a line.

The terror in her eyes was unmistakable. Yet in that moment, I'd been completely hypnotized. The sight of her nearly bare form short-circuited my brain.

I hadn't realized I'd moved until she shoved me away. Hadn't realized I'd backed her into a corner like some predator.

She was my wife, for God's sake. Yet she'd never affected me like this before. I'd seen her naked countless times, but today? Today was different.

Our sex life had been... functional. But I'd always held back. Back then, I was still clinging to Isabella. Every time I touched Sophia, guilt would choke me.

The early days of our marriage were the worst. I'd drown myself in whiskey after every encounter, trying to numb the self-loathing. Eventually, I learned to compartmentalize. To take what my body needed while locking away the guilt.

Even without love, I couldn't cheat. After witnessing my parents' disastrous marriage, I took my vows seriously. Countless opportunities presented themselves over the years, but I never succumbed.

I rake my hands through my hair, gripping the strands. The intensity of my desire moments ago had nearly brought me to my knees.

Her petite frame is burned into my retinas. The way her lace panties hugged her curves. The fantasy of pushing them aside and losing myself in her warmth.

Christ, I hadn't even seen her fully naked, yet I'm harder than I've ever been in my damn life. The whole situation terrifies me.

With another curse, I storm out. I need to escape—from the memories, from this all-consuming hunger.

I never shop at malls—all my clothes are custom-made. But today...

I never expected to see Sophia. Spotted her just as I was leaving the parking lot. She looked jumpy, furtive. Curiosity made me follow.

Now I wish I hadn't. She'll probably build another wall between us after this.

The drive to my parents' estate is a blur. My knuckles whiten on the steering wheel. That image of Sophia won't leave me.

"Finally! Did you get it?" My mother looks up from her seat in the sunroom.

I nod curtly, jaw clenched.

Mothers always know.

"Something's wrong," she states.

For once, I consider opening up. But how?

How do I explain that the woman we've despised for a decade now has me tied in knots? That she's all I think about?

That if Sophia hadn't stopped me, I would've taken her right there in that dressing room? That it wouldn't have been enough—I'd have carried her home and started all over again?

"Is this about the article?" Her question snaps me back.

"What article?"

She hands me her phone. A gossip piece published an hour ago:

[Ethan Blackwood spotted with ex-wife Sophia Sterling at upscale maternity boutique. Could divorcees be expecting baby number two? Sources say...]

I nearly crush the phone. Only four people knew about the pregnancy. Sophia will lose it when she sees this.

I make two calls. First to my media contact, demanding the article's removal. Second, a warning—any outlet publishing about Sophia's private life will face financial ruin.

"What's happening between you and Sophia?" My mother's gaze bores into me.

"I don't know," I growl.

"Victoria says you've cut contact with Isabella. That you ended things. Is this because of Sophia?"

I consider lying. What's the point?

"Partly."

Her sharp inhale says everything. I can't meet her eyes.

"Did you know Sophia wasn't William and Victoria's biological daughter?"

"Yes."

"Is that why you hated her?"

"No." Her answer surprises me. "I hated what she did to you. You loved Isabella so deeply, and Sophia's obsession destroyed that. Watching my son become a ghost of himself... It broke me, Ethan. We didn't get you back until Liam was born, and even then..."

I shake my head, unwilling to revisit that darkness.

"But now?" She continues softly. "I saw those photos. The way you looked at her... Like she hung the stars."

"Sebastian proved she was telling the truth about being drunk that night," I deflect.

The weight of what I did to Sophia crushes me. All the pain I caused until she finally walked away.

"Then I owe her an apology," Mom says quietly.

Silence stretches between us.

"You need to tell her, Ethan. Nine wasted years is enough. Tell her before it's too late."

"How?" My voice cracks. "I don't even understand what I feel. She's... I can't think straight."

"Language," she chides gently. "You've hated her so long, those feelings are warring with new ones. That's the confusion. My advice? Don't push. I saw how she looked at you—that love is either gone or buried deep."

I leave more settled yet still restless.

As I drive toward my office, I finally admit the truth:

I have feelings for Sophia. Powerful ones. Now I need to figure out exactly what they are—and what to do about them.