Chapter Four
1007 Words
Sophia walked through the polished lobby of Blackwood Enterprises like a woman on a mission. Her heels clicked sharply against the marble floor, her posture impeccable, her face a mask of calm. But inside, a storm was brewing.
She hadn’t planned on coming to Ethan’s office that afternoon. She wasn’t the type of wife who hovered, at least not until recently. But Vanessa’s words from the night before echoed in her mind like a siren’s warning.
You need proof, Soph. And the closer you get, the more you’ll find.
Sophia wasn’t a fool. She knew what affairs looked like. She’d seen it happen to friends, to women on the covers of magazines, wives discarded like old jewelry for younger, shinier replacements. But she wasn’t going down without a fight.
Not for Ethan. Not for their lives.
As she stepped into the elevator, she caught sight of her reflection in the mirrored walls. The woman staring back was still beautiful, still sharp but her eyes… they were tired. Shadowed.
She set her jaw. Not today.
Ava’s Desk - 2:00 PM
Ava Carter was adjusting her lipstick in a compact mirror when Sophia Blackwood’s reflection appeared behind her.
She turned, quickly schooling her expression into one of polite surprise. “Mrs. Blackwood,” she greeted smoothly, standing to her full, slim height. “I wasn’t expecting you.”
Sophia smiled coldly. “Neither was Ethan, I’m sure. Is he in?”
Ava gestured toward the office. “He’s on a call, but…”
Sophia was already walking past her.
Ava’s hand clenched around the edge of the desk, her pulse spiking. Damn it.
Ethan’s Office
Ethan was pacing behind his desk, his phone pressed to his ear, when Sophia pushed open the door without knocking.
His brows shot up in surprise, but he quickly recovered. “I’ll call you back,” he muttered into the phone, ending the call.
“Sophia. This is… unexpected.”
She let the door close behind her. “Is it?”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “I’ve just been buried in meetings.”
“I’m aware.” Her gaze swept the office, the slightly askew tie on his desk chair, the second coffee cup on the corner of his desk, the faint trace of a woman’s perfume that didn’t belong to her.
Her stomach turned, but her face remained impassive. I thought I’d stop by. Having lunch with my husband. It’s been a while.”
Ethan sighed, gesturing toward a chair. “I’m sorry." It’s just been crazy. We’re closing the Dalton merger, and…”
“I’m not here to talk about work, Ethan,” Sophia cut in softly. “I’m here because something’s wrong.”
He stilled.
“I don’t know when you stopped talking to me,” she continued, her voice trembling just slightly. When you started coming home late, you pulled away. But it’s happening.”
“Sophia…”
“And I know… about Ava.”
The color drained from his face. “There’s nothing going on.”
“Don’t lie to me, Ethan. I’m your wife. I see it. I feel it.”
He raked a hand through his hair. “It’s not what you think.”
She laughed… a sharp, broken sound. “Isn’t it? Because it looks exactly like what I think. A young, ambitious woman dangling herself in front of a man drowning in his own loneliness.”
“That’s not fair.”
“No,” she snapped, standing. “What’s not fair is watching the man I love fall apart and act like I don’t exist.”
The silence that followed was thick, suffocating.
“I’m not giving up on us, Ethan,” Sophia said finally, her voice low and fierce. “But you need to decide what the hell you’re doing.”
She turned and left before he could respond.
Outside the Office
Ava was waiting, perfectly composed.
Sophia stopped in front of her, eyes hard. “Stay away from my husband.”
Ava’s lips curved in a mock-sympathetic smile. “If he wanted to be ‘stayed away from,’ Mrs. Blackwood, he wouldn’t keep me so close.”
Sophia’s hand itched to slap that smug face, but she didn’t give Ava the satisfaction. Instead, she smiled, sweet and sharp. “You might think you’re winning, sweetheart. But trust me, you’ve picked the wrong wife to cross.”
Ava’s smile faltered, just for a second.
Sophia walked away.
Blackwood Enterprises - 5:00 PM
Back in her office, Ava’s façade cracked.
Sophia was smarter than she thought. Stronger. That made her dangerous.
Ava’s phone buzzed.
Vanessa Brooks: I see you, Ava. This won’t end well for you.
Ava scowled, typing back.
Bring it on, Barbie.
She tossed the phone aside and glared at her reflection in the glass.
If they wanted a war, she’d give them one.
Sophia’s Car - Evening
Sophia sat in the back of her town car, watching the city lights blur past. Her heartfelt heavy, but there was a glimmer of fire beneath the weight.
She opened her phone and called Vanessa.
“Tell me you have something,” she murmured.
Vanessa’s voice came through, brisk and confident. “Better. I hired someone. A PI, Scott Rainer. Ex-cop. Discreet. He’s already digging.”
Sophia let out a breath. “Good.”
“I meant what I said, Soph. Play this smart. Ava’s not some amateur. She’s manipulative. Dangerous.”
“I know,” Sophia whispered. “But so am I.”
Meanwhile: Ethan’s Apartment - Late Night
Ethan stood by the window of his penthouse, staring out at the glittering city. His conversation with Sophia replayed over and over in his head.
She was right.
He’d drifted. Let the loneliness of power consume him. Ava had been… an escape. A distraction.
But Sophia was his anchor. His home.
His phone buzzed.
A message from Ava.
Missing you already. See you tomorrow, Mr. Blackwood.
He deleted it without replying.
For the first time in weeks, he wanted to go home.
- Writer
