Five Years Later
1603 Words
CHAPTER 8
Seattle, Washington , Present Day
"Mommy, can I have pancakes?"
I looked up from my laptop. Liam stood in the doorway of my home office, still in his pajamas, his dark hair sticking up in every direction.
God, he looked so much like Damien it hurt sometimes.
"It's Saturday, baby. Saturday is pancake day." I saved my work and closed the laptop. "Go brush your teeth. I'll start cooking."
"Okay!" He ran off, his little feet thundering down the hallway.
I smiled. Four years old and he had more energy than I'd ever had in my entire life.
I walked into the kitchen of my small apartment. It wasn't much, two bedrooms, old appliances, a view of the parking lot, but it was mine. I'd earned it. Paid for it with my own money from my own business.
No billionaire husband. No penthouse. No expensive things I didn't deserve.
Just me and Liam and our little life in Seattle.
Five years since I left New York.
Five years since the divorce was finalized.
Five years since I'd seen Damien Cross.
I pushed the thought away and started making pancakes.
Liam came back, teeth brushed, face washed. "Can I watch cartoons?"
"Sure, baby."
He settled on the couch, and I finished cooking. Pancakes with chocolate chips, his favorite. I brought him a plate and sat next to him.
"What are we doing today?" he asked, syrup on his chin.
"Well, I have some work this afternoon. But this morning, we could go to the park?"
"Yes! The park!" He bounced on the couch. "Can we get ice cream after?"
"If you eat all your vegetables at dinner."
"Deal."
I laughed. He was such a good kid. Smart. Sweet. Happy.
Everything I'd hoped he'd be.
And he had no idea his father was a billionaire in New York.
As far as Liam knew, his daddy lived far away and couldn't visit very often. I'd kept it vague. Simple. Age-appropriate.
I'd tell him the truth someday.
Just not yet.
My phone rang. Maya.
"Hey," I answered.
"Hey yourself. You busy?"
"Making pancakes with Liam. What's up?"
"I have news. Big news."
"Good news or bad news?"
"Depends on how you look at it." Maya paused. "I got us a contract. Huge contract. The kind that could put your company on the map nationally."
My heart jumped. "Really? What company?"
"Cross Empire."
Everything stopped.
"What?" I whispered.
"Cross Empire. They're doing their 50th anniversary gala. They want to hire us, well, you, to plan it. It's in New York. Eight weeks from now. Budget is unlimited. This could change everything for your business, Sophia."
"No."
"Sophia..."
"Absolutely not. Call them back. Tell them we can't do it."
"The contract is worth two million dollars."
I closed my eyes. Two million dollars.
That was... that was everything. New office. More employees. Security for Liam's future.
But it meant going back to New York.
It meant seeing Damien again.
"I can't," I said.
"Sophia, I know this is hard..."
"You don't know, Maya. You don't know what it took to leave. To build this life. To move on." I looked at Liam, happily eating pancakes and watching cartoons. "I can't go back there."
"What if you don't tell him? What if you just go, do the job, and leave?"
"He'll find out. Of course he'll find out."
"Maybe. Maybe not. It's a big company. You'd be working with the events team, not him directly..."
"Maya..."
"Two million dollars, Sophia. Think about what that could do for Liam. For his future. College fund. Better apartment. Security."
I hated that she was right.
I hated that I was even considering this.
"If I say yes," I said slowly, "I have conditions."
"Name them."
"I work remotely as much as possible. I only go to New York for the actual event. And if Damien finds out I'm involved, I'm out. Contract or no contract."
"Done. I'll make it happen."
"Maya..."
"Trust me. This is going to be good for you. For your business. You can do this."
Could I?
I didn't know.
But two million dollars...
"Okay," I whispered. "Okay, I'll do it."
"Yes! Sophia, you won't regret this..."
"I already regret it."
I hung up.
Stared at my phone.
Eight weeks. I had eight weeks before I had to go back to New York.
Eight weeks before I might see Damien Cross again.
"Mommy? You okay?"
I looked at Liam. His big gray eyes, Damien's eyes, watching me with concern.
"I'm fine, baby." I kissed his head. "Finish your pancakes. We have a park to go to."
Meanwhile, New York City – Cross Empire Headquarters
Damien sat in his office, staring at the contract on his desk.
Event Planning Services Agreement – Martinez & Associates
Martinez.
Sophia's last name.
But it couldn't be. There were probably thousands of Martinez event planners. This was just a coincidence.
Right?
"Sir?" Jennifer stood in the doorway. "The contracts are ready for signature. Ms. Rodriguez from Martinez & Associates will be handling most of the planning remotely. She's based in Seattle."
Seattle.
Damien's chest tightened.
"This Ms. Rodriguez," he said carefully. "What's her first name?"
Jennifer checked her notes. "Maya. Maya Rodriguez."
Maya.
Sophia's best friend.
Damien stood up slowly. "And who owns the company?"
"The owner is listed as S. Martinez." Jennifer looked up. "Is there a problem?"
"No. No problem." His heart was pounding. "Thank you, Jennifer."
She left.
Damien pulled out his phone. Opened his private investigator's contact.
He'd been looking for Sophia for five years.
Five years of dead ends. She'd disappeared completely. No social media. No digital footprint. No trace.
He'd respected her wishes. Hadn't pushed too hard. Hadn't hired an army of PIs to hunt her down.
But he'd never stopped looking.
And now...
Now she might be coming back.
He dialed the PI. "Marcus, I need you to look into something. Martinez & Associates, event planning company, based in Seattle. Owner is S. Martinez. I need to know if it's her."
"Sophia Martinez?"
"Yes."
"I'll have an answer by end of day."
"Make it end of hour."
He hung up.
Walked to his window.
Five years.
Five years since she'd almost gotten on that plane.
Five years since she'd told him she was pregnant.
Five years since they'd signed the custody agreement and she'd disappeared before the baby was even born.
She'd violated the agreement. Completely.
He should have sued. Should have fought.
But his lawyer had advised against it. "She's scared. She's running. If you chase her, she'll run further. Give her space. She'll come back eventually."
So he'd waited.
And waited.
And waited.
And now, maybe, she was coming back.
With his child.
A child he'd never met.
A child who was probably four years old now.
A child who didn't know he existed.
His phone rang. Marcus.
"It's her," Marcus said. "Sophia Maria Martinez. Owner of Martinez & Associates. Started the company four years ago. Successful. Growing. Lives in Seattle. And sir... there's more."
"What?"
"She has a son. Liam Martinez. Age four. No father listed on the birth certificate."
Damien's knees went weak. He sat down.
A son.
He had a son.
"Send me everything," he said. "Photos. Address. Everything."
"Yes, sir."
Damien hung up.
Stared at his desk.
For five years, he'd wondered. Hoped. Feared.
Was the baby okay? Healthy? Happy?
Did they look like him? Like Sophia?
Did they know about him?
And now he was about to find out.
Because Sophia was coming to New York.
And this time, she wasn't getting away.
Two weeks later , Seattle
I was drowning in work.
The Cross Empire gala was massive. Bigger than anything I'd ever done. Maya was handling most of the New York coordination, but I was doing all the design work, vendor selection, budget planning.
It was exhausting.
But also... exciting.
This was my chance. My chance to prove I was more than just Damien Cross's ex-wife. I was Sophia Martinez, successful businesswoman.
"Mommy, I'm bored."
I looked up. Liam was coloring at the kitchen table, but he looked restless.
"Almost done, baby. Ten more minutes."
"You said that an hour ago."
Had I? I checked the clock. Oops.
"You're right. I'm sorry." I closed my laptop. "How about we go get ice cream?"
"Really?"
"Really."
"Yes!" He jumped up. "Can I get chocolate?"
"You can get whatever you want."
We walked to the ice cream shop down the street. Liam got chocolate. I got vanilla.
We sat outside, enjoying the Seattle sunshine.
"Mommy?"
"Yeah, baby?"
"Why don't I have a daddy?"
I froze.
He'd never asked before. Never questioned it.
"You do have a daddy," I said carefully. "He just... he lives far away."
"Why doesn't he visit?"
"It's complicated, sweetheart."
"That's what you always say." Liam licked his ice cream. "My friend Tyler's daddy lives far away too. But he still visits. On weekends."
My chest hurt.
"Your daddy... he doesn't know where we live."
"Why not?"
"Because I didn't tell him."
"Why?"
God, four-year-olds asked the hardest questions.
"Because grown-up stuff is complicated sometimes." I touched his hair. "But he loves you very much. Even if he can't see you."
"How do you know?"
"Because I know."
Liam thought about this. "Do I look like him?"
"Yes. You have his eyes."
"What's his name?"
I hesitated. "Damien."
"That's a cool name." Liam smiled. "Maybe someday I can meet him?"
"Maybe someday."
Probably someday soon, I thought.
Because in six weeks, I was going to New York.
And there was no way Damien wouldn't find out.
- Writer
