Chapter 3: What Are You Doing Here?
1197 Words
The room descended into an awkward, suffocating silence.
Rex Carlson stood rooted to the spot, blindsided by the brewing storm. He hadn’t signed up for this level of chaos, but there he was, smack in the middle of it.
Helen Bennett, Sophia’s mother, wasted no time. She stormed across the room, her heels striking the floor like gunshots. “What did you just say? This cab driver is your boyfriend?”
Rex blinked, caught off guard. Cab driver? The way she said it stung like a slap.
“Hold up,” he said, squaring his shoulders. “What’s wrong with being a cab driver?”
Helen spun on him, her glare sharp enough to cut glass. “Quiet! I wasn’t speaking to you.” Then, turning back to Sophia, her voice dripped with accusation. “Sophia! Explain. Now.”
Sophia tried to offer a smile, but it came out crooked, almost pitiful. “Mom, calm down. It’s not what you think. I twisted my ankle, and he just helped me inside. That’s it.”
Helen clutched her chest as if narrowly avoiding a heart attack. “Do you realize how close you just came to destroying everything? You’re about to marry into the Hansen family! If anything jeopardizes that, the Bennetts will—” She leaned in, lowering her voice to a dramatic whisper—“be ruined.”
“I know, Mom,” Sophia muttered, her tone laden with exhaustion.
Helen grasped Sophia’s hands, her manicured nails gleaming under the chandelier. “Sweetheart, I know this isn’t easy, but you understand, don’t you? Without Ethan’s support, the Bennett family won’t survive. He’s already promised to secure the development deal. This marriage is the only way to save us.”
Sophia nodded, her face devoid of expression. “I understand.”
Helen sighed, finally removing her scarf. “Good. And while we’re at it, don’t joke about boyfriends. Especially not…” She gestured at Rex with disdain. “That.”
Rex felt his temper flare. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Helen’s brow arched as if the answer were obvious. “Do I really need to explain? You’re a cab driver. My daughter is an heiress. End of discussion.”
“Lady,” Rex said, his voice low and dangerous, “you’ve got no idea who you’re talking to.”
Helen waved him off like he was a pesky fly. “Sophia, get this man out of my house. Immediately.”
Sophia’s eyes flicked to Rex, her desperation evident. “Rex, please. Just go. Thanks for helping, but… you need to leave.”
Rex sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. “Fine. But not because she told me to.” He threw Helen one last pointed look before stomping out of the room, muttering under his breath.
Helen disappeared upstairs, leaving Sophia to collapse onto the couch, looking utterly defeated.
Olivia Harper, Sophia’s best friend, had been uncharacteristically silent during the exchange, but now she leaned forward, her smirk impossible to miss. “So… are you going to explain who the very angry cab driver was?”
Sophia groaned. “No one.”
Olivia arched a perfectly shaped brow. “No one? Really? Because ‘no one’ doesn’t usually look like he’s ready to set the world on fire for you.”
Sophia hesitated, then rested a hand on her stomach. “I’m pregnant. And it’s his.”
Olivia bolted upright so fast she nearly toppled over. “I’m sorry, WHAT?”
“Shh!” Sophia hissed, gesturing frantically for her to lower her voice.
Olivia’s jaw dropped as she whispered furiously, her hands flying like a conductor leading a chaotic symphony. “How? Actually, never mind. I know how. But Sophia, seriously?”
Sophia buried her face in her hands. “It was an accident. One night. I was drunk. He was drunk. And by the time I realized—” She trailed off with a helpless shrug.
Olivia dropped back onto the couch, staring at her friend like she’d confessed to murder. “And your grand plan is… what? Pretend this isn’t happening? Because, hate to break it to you, pregnancy doesn’t exactly fly under the radar.”
“I’m keeping the baby,” Sophia said, her voice resolute.
Olivia’s jaw fell open again. “You’re WHAT?”
“I’ve already made up my mind,” Sophia said, her voice firmer this time.
“Sophia,” Olivia said, gripping her friend’s shoulders as if trying to physically shake sense into her. “You’re a Bennett. He’s a… a cab driver. Do you even understand what your family will do when they find out? Do you know what Ethan will do? He’s not exactly Mr. Forgive-and-Forget.”
Sophia looked away, her jaw tightening.
“And,” Olivia added, throwing her hands up, “what happens when the Hansens get wind of this? Do you think Rex can protect you? They’ll eat him alive, and you’ll be caught in the middle.”
Sophia rubbed her temples. “Let’s not talk about me. Why are you even in D.C.?”
Olivia let out a long, exaggerated sigh. “Grandpa dragged me along for some big investment thing. But honestly, this is way more interesting.”
Meanwhile, Rex stormed out of the gated community, still muttering.
“Rich people,” he grumbled, flipping off the security guards who scowled at him from their booth.
He was unlocking a bike-share when a sleek black limousine rolled to a stop beside him. The tinted window slid down, revealing a silver-haired man in a tailored suit.
“Mr. Carlson,” the man greeted with a polite nod. “Your presence is required.”
Rex squinted at him. “And you are?”
“Leonard Hayes,” the man replied. “Nine Dragons Corporation, Washington division. I’ve been instructed to escort you to tonight’s bidding conference.”
Rex blinked. “Oh, right. Leonard. My old man mentioned you.”
Leonard stepped out, opening the limo door with practiced grace. “Shall we?”
Rex shrugged, abandoning the bike and sliding into the luxurious leather interior.
The limo eventually pulled up to a sprawling estate.
“This is a little much,” Rex muttered as Leonard handed him a set of keys.
“It’s yours,” Leonard said simply.
Rex shook his head. “Too big. I’d lose my keys in there.”
Leonard didn’t press the issue, merely leading him inside. After a quick shower and meal, Rex ditched the designer suit Leonard had prepared and opted for his usual casual attire.
As they arrived at the Summit Tower, Rex’s disinterest was evident. The buzzing energy of the conference didn’t faze him.
In the restroom, as he washed his hands, the door to the women’s bathroom swung open.
Out stepped Olivia Harper, her fiery red hair tied in a sleek ponytail. Her tailored blazer hugged her figure, and her legs seemed to go on forever in black tights and red stilettos.
Rex froze.
Her sharp green eyes locked onto his, widening in surprise.
“What are you doing here?” she demanded, her voice sharp enough to slice through steel.
- Writer
