The First Lie
"Are you hiding something from me?"
The question hung between them.
Heavy.
Dangerous.
Impossible.
For a brief moment, Steve couldn't breathe.
Not because of the poison.
Because of Sophia.
The way she looked at him.
The trust in her eyes.
The love.
The certainty that he would never lie to her.
And suddenly...
he felt like the worst man alive.
Sophia frowned.
"Steve?"
His smile came slowly.
Carefully.
The same smile he'd perfected over years of business negotiations and family wars.
The smile he used whenever he wanted people to believe everything was fine.
Unfortunately...
Sophia knew him too well.
"Work problems."
The answer came too quickly.
Sophia immediately narrowed her eyes.
"There."
"Ther
