CHAPTER NINE
795 Words
The morning air was crisp, and the streets were dusted with snow. Sophie stood outside her apartment, watching as Daniel buckled Lily into the car.
"I’ll drop her off at school today," Daniel assured her, brushing snowflakes off his jacket.
"Are you sure?" Sophie asked, adjusting Lily’s scarf.
"Of course. You just focus on work," he said with a wink before driving off.
Sophie sighed in relief. She had been adjusting to life in her hometown, balancing work and parenting, but some days still felt overwhelming.
At the boutique where she worked, the morning rush had slowed, giving her a moment to organize some clothes behind the counter. She was folding a soft sweater when the doorbell chimed, signaling a new customer. Without looking up, she greeted them.
"Hello, how may we help you?"
"I should be asking you that."
The voice froze her in place.
She knew that voice.
Slowly, she lifted her head, and her breath caught.
Adam.
Her ex-husband stood in front of her, dressed in a dark coat, his hands tucked into his pockets. His eyes, the same ones that once made her feel safe, now sent a wave of unease through her.
Sophie’s grip tightened on the sweater in her hands. "What are you doing here?" she asked, keeping her voice firm.
Adam smirked. "I should ask you that, Sophie. I followed you down to this place. Is this where you work now?"
Her stomach twisted. "That’s none of your business, Adam."
He took a slow step forward. "Come on, Sophie—"
"Excuse me, who is this?"
The boutique owner, a sharp-eyed woman in her fifties, stepped into the room. Her gaze flickered between them.
Sophie straightened. "Oh, no one, ma’am. He was just leaving."
Adam chuckled softly, shaking his head. He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice so only she could hear. "See you later, Sophie."
With that, he turned and walked out the door.
Sophie watched him disappear into the snow-covered streets, her heart pounding.
"See you later?"
What did he mean by that? Was he planning something?
Her hands trembled as she picked up her phone. She needed to talk to someone—someone who made her feel safe.
She dialed, and after a couple of rings, Lucas answered.
"Hey, honey," his familiar voice soothed her. "How’s your day going?"
Sophie exhaled, gripping the counter. "Oh, perfect," she said sarcastically. Then she hesitated before adding, "You won’t believe who I saw today."
Lucas paused. "Who?"
"Adam."
Silence stretched between them.
Lucas's voice dropped. "What did he say?"
"Nothing. Just passing through as usual," Sophie tried to downplay it, but she knew Lucas could hear the unease in her voice.
He sighed. "Sophie, just keep your distance, okay?"
"I will," she promised.
But as she hung up, a nagging thought wouldn’t leave her mind.
Adam was here. And something told her… he wasn’t just passing through.
Lucas ended the call and stared at his phone, his jaw tightening.
"Why now?" he muttered under his breath.
Just when he thought he could finally have Sophie for himself, Adam had to show up. That son of a b***h—her ex-husband—was suddenly in town, lurking around her workplace, playing it off like a coincidence.
Lucas clenched his fists. What does he want?
Of course, Sophie would say it was nothing. That Adam was just passing through. But Lucas didn’t buy it. He knew men like Adam. A man who had let go of a woman like Sophie but now wanted to circle back, probably because he finally realized what he lost.
I hope he’s not here to take her back, Lucas thought, a knot forming in his chest.
Yes, Adam and Sophie were co-parents. And logically, that should mean he had to accept seeing Adam around her. But Lucas wasn’t convinced. Something about this didn’t feel right.
He leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. What am I going to do?
What if Adam tried to manipulate Sophie again? What if he stirred up old emotions, made her question everything? Lucas had worked so hard to build something with her. He had been patient, knowing she needed time to heal from the damage Adam had done. But now… now, time might not be on his side.
Lucas exhaled sharply.
I need to secure her. Forever.
And then, suddenly, it hit him.
An idea.
A crazy, bold, undeniable idea.
His lips curled into a slow smirk as he leaned forward, gripping his phone.
"Yeah… that might just work."
The thought of it sent adrenaline through his veins.
Lucas had waited long enough. If Adam was here to reclaim Sophie, then he was about to find out—
She was no longer his to take.
- Writer
