Chapter 5 I Stole Your Fiancé
1205 Words
Sophia's POV
I got home to an empty apartment. Wyatt hadn't come back.
I called him. It rang a long time before he finally picked up, his voice low and uneven, slightly out of breath. "Sophia."
One second of that sound and I knew exactly what I'd interrupted.
Apparently one woman a night wasn't enough for him.
"Disgusting," Aurora spat.
"What are you doing?" I kept my voice light. "You sound out of breath."
"Playing ball with the guys. Get some sleep, I'll be back soon."
"Okay. Don't stay out too late."
I hung up. The corner of my mouth curved into something that had nothing to do with warmth.
Wyatt. You showed me exactly who you are. Don't expect me to pretend I didn't see it.
I didn't go to sleep. I sat at the mirror and did my makeup with careful, deliberate hands — not to look good. To look sick. Pale foundation. Lips colorless. Shadows under the eyes deepened just enough to worry someone who cared.
He didn't get back until midnight. I was waiting on the couch in my pajamas, hair loose, looking like I hadn't slept in days. Because I hadn't.
"Sophia? Why are you still up?" Wyatt crouched beside me, laying his hand over mine.
"He still has that woman on him," Aurora said, disgusted.
I looked up at him slowly.
The guilt hit his face immediately.
"Sophia — have you been crying? You look terrible. What happened?"
I let the silence stretch. Then, quietly: "Is there really no way you'd marry me? I don't want to spend the rest of my life wondering."
"Sophia, you've always put your career first. What's this about all of a sudden?"
I looked away, flustered on cue. "It's just — my family's been pushing me lately. Never mind. You must be tired from your game. I made you soup."
I wiped my eyes as I went to get it. When I came back, I caught his expression — guilt written plainly across his face, a flicker of something that looked almost like regret.
Good. Everything was going exactly as planned.
I sat beside him and brought the spoon to his lips myself, soft and attentive.
"You've never been like this before," he said. "I don't know what to do with you when you're being this sweet."
He wasn't wrong. Three years together, and I had always been the one pulling away, always buried in work. He was the one who showed up, who reached first.
"You've always been the one taking care of me," I said, letting my voice go soft. "I have so little time left to —" I stopped myself.
"What?"
"Nothing." I shook my head, smiled. "I've been neglecting you. I want to do better. Drink all of it — you worked hard tonight."
He watched me go to bed with unease written all over him.
I smiled in the dark.
Take your time figuring it out.
The next morning I cooked a full breakfast. I stood at the table and let myself look fragile — shoulders slightly curved, color drained from my face, lips pale.
"You don't look well," Wyatt said.
"Probably didn't sleep much." A tired smile.
"Eat something. I have to head to the office."
Today was the handover. The new CEO was coming in. Once that was done, I was free to go North.
"Come home early tonight," he said.
"I will."
I walked out without looking back. Only once I was in the car did I put on a fresh coat of lipstick.
My phone rang before I could pull away. Old William, the family's head of household, his voice low and careful. "Sophia. When are you coming back? Serena's match has been decided."
My fingers locked around the steering wheel.
"Who is it?"
"The Silvermoon Pack heir. Same age as Serena. He's been studying down South."
The man who had called me 'Sophia' not long ago in a completely different context. My voice went flat. "He agreed to it?"
"From what I hear, Silvermoon is very pleased with the arrangement. They're meeting in three days. If everything goes smoothly, it'll move to an engagement."
"I see."
William's voice tightened. "Sophia, if Serena has Silvermoon behind her, your position at home will be even more —"
Precarious. I already knew that.
I could come forward right now. Reveal myself. Swap my name into the arrangement instead of hers. It was possible.
But the thought of Wyatt — of every single thing I'd seen and heard in that bar — made my stomach turn. Sharing a home with him for the rest of my life? I'd lose my mind.
"William, I need you to look into other options up North. Someone whose standing is higher than Wyatt's."
"Sophia, who in the entire North ranks above Silvermoon?" He paused. "Actually — there is one person I've been thinking about."
"Who?"
"Wyatt's uncle."
My fingers tapped the steering wheel once. "His uncle."
"He's been based overseas. Never married. Word is he's coming back soon. If you were to marry him, you'd have real standing in Silvermoon — possibly more than Serena ever would. The heir is young, hasn't fully taken control of the pack yet. The future isn't written."
William didn't need to spell it out. If Wyatt's uncle ended up running Silvermoon, then no matter what Serena married into, that pack wouldn't be hers to command.
If Wyatt hadn't done what he'd done, I might not have wanted war.
But he did.
My mouth curved. This uncle, then.
I had tried for love. I'd given it three years and it had cost me everything. Fine. If love wasn't the answer, I would use power instead. In this world, money didn't lie. Power didn't leave you in the middle of the night. Only those two things commanded actual respect.
I thought about Wyatt's face — his plans to keep me quietly tucked away down South, satisfied with myself. And then I thought about his expression when he realized I was his aunt.
There wasn't a better ending to this story. I refused to believe there was.
"Sophia, I love this plan," Aurora said, practically buzzing.
"William, send me everything you have on this Mr. Steele. As soon as you can."
"Of course, Sophia."
I'd barely hung up when Serena's message came through.
[Sophia, I'm meeting the Silvermoon heir in three days. He was originally supposed to be matched with you, but I mentioned it to Dad and he said I could go instead. I basically stole your future fiancé — you're not mad, are you? :)]
I read it twice.
[Not at all. Wishing you both the best.]
[Sophia, since you're so generous about it, you'll come back for the meeting, right? I've seen his photo — he's gorgeous. I just can't tell about his personality yet. Come be my judge :)]
[I'll be there. On time.]
I set my phone down.
A perfect pair of frauds. They really deserved each other.
Since Serena loved taking things that were mine — let's see if she could actually handle what she thought she was getting.
The anger was still burning. Steady. Patient.
Wyatt. Wait for me.
- Writer
