The Unrequited Love

Chapter 9

Chapter Nine



The fallout from Sean’s downfall rippled through the city like a tidal wave. News stations ran his story on repeat, exposing every lie, every fraudulent deal, and every desperate attempt to ruin Chris. The once-feared media mogul was now a cautionary tale, abandoned by the very people who once worshiped him.

But Chris knew better than to think their troubles were over.

Sophia Liang was still out there.

Madeline sat by the window, her fingers tracing the rim of her coffee cup. She had spent the past few days watching everything unfold, feeling both relief and unease. Sean was gone, but the air still felt heavy, as if another storm was brewing just beyond the horizon.

Chris walked up behind her, resting a hand on her shoulder. "You’re quiet."

She sighed. "Just thinking."

"About Sean?"

Madeline shook her head. "About her. Sophia. I know she’s not done with us."

Chris exhaled slowly. "No, she’s not."

Before Madeline could respond, Jonathan burst through the door, his face set in hard lines. "We have a problem."

Chris turned sharply. "What is it?"

Jonathan tossed a tablet onto the coffee table. "Sophia just made her move. She went on a prime-time interview and told the world that she and you—" He looked directly at Chris. "—were engaged before you left for the military. And that you broke it off without explanation."

Madeline stiffened, her grip tightening around the cup. "What?"

Chris’s expression darkened. "She’s twisting the truth. We weren’t engaged. We talked about a future together, but I ended things before I left because it wasn’t right."

Jonathan nodded. "She’s playing the long game. Public sympathy is on her side. She made herself look like the woman who lost the love of her life to war and then had to watch as he moved on with someone else. People are eating it up."

Madeline swallowed hard, her stomach twisting. "So what’s her endgame?"

Jonathan hesitated. "She implied that you’re the reason Chris changed. That you turned him into someone cold, calculated—someone she barely recognizes anymore. And she made it sound like she still loves him. That if given the chance, she’d take him back."

Chris’s jaw tensed. "She’s setting up a narrative."

Madeline forced herself to stay calm, but the weight of Sophia’s words pressed down on her. "So now I’m the villain in her love story."

Jonathan sighed. "Essentially. And unless we respond, that’s the story people will believe."

Chris took a deep breath. "We’re not playing by her rules. If she wants a war, we fight on our terms."

Madeline looked at him, searching his face. "And what does that mean?"

Chris met her gaze, his voice steady. "It means we’re going to confront her. Face to face."

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The private lounge of the Grand Orchid Hotel was empty except for the three of them. Sophia sat across the table from Chris and Madeline, her expression poised and confident, a quiet smirk playing on her lips. She had dressed deliberately—elegant, composed, and untouchable.

Chris leaned forward, his gaze sharp. "Enough with the games, Sophia. You had your moment in the spotlight. Now tell me—what do you really want?"

Sophia let out a soft, almost amused chuckle. "Straight to the point, as always. I expected nothing less."

Madeline folded her arms. "We’re not here to entertain your delusions. You lied on national television. You twisted the past to make yourself look like the victim."

Sophia’s smirk didn’t waver. "Was it really a lie? We did have a future once, Chris. You can’t deny that."

Chris’s jaw tightened. "We had something, yes. But it ended before I even left. You knew that."

Sophia sighed, tilting her head slightly. "You say that, but I wonder… would you have stayed if I had asked you to? If I had fought for you back then?"

Madeline stiffened beside him, and Chris’s fingers instinctively found hers under the table, grounding her. His voice was firm. "It wouldn’t have changed anything. I made my choice then, and I’m making my choice now."

Sophia’s eyes flicked toward their interlocked hands before she let out a soft hum of disappointment. "You’ve changed, Chris. This isn’t the man I used to know."

Chris didn’t hesitate. "You never really knew me. You knew the version of me that fit into your world. And now you’re trying to rewrite history to fit your own narrative."

Sophia’s confidence wavered for the first time, but she quickly recovered. She turned her gaze to Madeline, assessing her, as if trying to find a crack in her armor. "And you? Do you truly believe you can keep up with him? You think you belong in his world?"

Madeline met her stare without flinching. "I don’t need to prove anything to you, Sophia. Chris and I have fought for what we have. We’ve faced worse than you."

Sophia chuckled, but there was an edge of frustration in it. "We’ll see about that."

Chris stood, pulling Madeline up with him. "We’re done here. Whatever game you think you’re playing, it ends now."

Sophia leaned back, her expression unreadable. "You might think so, Chris. But I never lose."

Chris didn’t dignify her words with a response. He placed a protective hand on Madeline’s back and led her out of the lounge, not sparing Sophia another glance.

As they walked out into the cool night air, Madeline exhaled slowly. "She’s not done."

Chris’s grip on her tightened slightly. "No. But neither are we."