Chapter 186

#185 “Because I Already Have You.”

Sophia and Alexander returned to the house, the weight of their newly discovered family secrets lingering in the air. For the past few days, Sophia had been sharing stories of her childhood with Alexander, but there was one part of the house she had yet to show him.

“Now that our careers are in jeopardy, I want to show you something,” Sophia said, her tone filled with determination.

“What is it, love?” Alexander asked, curiosity piqued.

“When I was little, there was a place where no matter how hard things got there, I always managed to figure out how to cope,” she told him.

Sophia took his hand and led him up the stairs, her steps purposeful as she guided him towards the attic.

Alexander followed with a smile, intrigued by Sophia’s mysterious revelation.

As they entered the attic, Alexander’s initial impression was that it was just a storage space, cluttered with boxes and covered in sheets to protect its contents.

“The ceiling?” Alexander exclaimed in astonishment. “Is this where you get your inspiration?”

Sophia chuckled and shook her head. ” My grandfather always taught me not to judge a book by its cover. You should remember that too,” she replied, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

Behind a tall tower of cartons, Sophia revealed a hidden door. With a gentle pull of the handle, they stepped into a small, beautiful room adorned with shelves full of books. A triangular window bathed the space in soft light, illuminating a cozy couch nestled beneath it.

In one corner, a desk stood surrounded by posters of famous personalities from Sophia’s teenage years, interspersed with photos of her and her friends.

Alexander’s eyes widened in amazement as he scanned the photographs, each one offering a glimpse into a different facet of Sophia’s past. He couldn’t help but marvel at the sight of Sophia dressed in all black, her hair dyed red and adorned with numerous fake tattoos.

“I told you I was a rebel,” Sophia laughed, her voice tinged with nostalgia.

“You never cease to amaze me,” Alexander remarked, his admiration evident in his gaze.

Sophia handed him another photograph, this time of her at a concert, clad in chains with her hair dyed black.

“Or this one,” she said, handing him yet another picture, each one a testament to her vibrant spirit and adventurous nature.

“I think this is a good place to start deciding what we’re going to do when this information reaches the media,” Sophia begins, her voice laced with concern.

“Maybe not…” Alexander trails off, uncertainty coloring his tone.

Sophia furrows her brows. “Oh, that’s enough, Alexander. Your father wants revenge, and we can’t hope that he will show mercy. We have to be prepared.”

Alexander nods in reluctant agreement, acknowledging the gravity of their situation.

“If I’m being honest… I’m not as worried as I should be about what’s going to happen,” Alexander confesses, his gaze locked with Sophia’s.

“And why not?” Sophia questions, curiosity piqued by Alexander’s seemingly calm demeanor.

“Because I already have you, and he can’t take that away from me. I’m sure if something goes wrong, we’ll find a way to handle it,” Alexander replies.

Sophia’s heart swells with love for him, reassured by his unwavering confidence. She smiles and wraps her arms gently around Alexander’s neck. ” Even if the world turns against us, as long as we are together, everything will be fine,” she confirms his words, her voice filled with conviction.

Just as they lean in for a kiss, Alexander’s phone rings, shattering the moment with its shrill tone. With a snarl of frustration, Alexander glances at the caller ID and sees that it’s Benjamin.

“I guess it’s for you,” Alexander grunts, handing the phone to Sophia. ” And tell him to give your phone back, that’s ridiculous.”

Rolling her eyes at Alexander’s exasperation, Sophia accepts the phone and answers the call, only to be met with Benjamin’s demand to be discharged from the hospital. Despite her reservations about his well-being, she knew she had no choice but to compromise. With a heavy sigh, she agreed to his demands, promising to arrange his discharge from the hospital as soon as possible.

*

Sophia went to collect Benjamin from the hospital early in the morning. He had been incessantly calling Alexander’s phone, which Sophia noticed was making him nervous. As she parked the car in front of the house, she turned to Benjamin.

“I want you to give me my phone back, ” Sophia told him firmly but gently.

“Your phone is not in…”

“Save it for me. I won’t question why you did it, nor am I angry with you. I want you to take it easy now while you recover. So let it be in the past and give me my phone back.”

Benjamin nodded understandingly and retrieved Sophia’s phone from his pocket. He handed it to her, and she accepted it with a warm smile.

“So…” she began as she unbuckled her seat belt. “Do you mind staying at home while you recover?

That way, I will be much calmer.”

Benjamin’s face lit up with gratitude at Sophia’s consideration.

“Of course, I would also like to spend more time with you.”

However, his smile quickly faded as he saw Alexander leaving the house. Alexander approached Sophia’s car, opened her door, and greeted her with a kiss.

“How was the journey?”

“We avoided the traffic jams. Let’s go in.”

Alexander and Sophia proceeded towards the house, and she didn’t turn to Benjamin again. This deepened his resentment towards Alexander. Benjamin followed them into the house and then called out to Sophia.

“Sophie, can you help me with the luggage?”

“I’ll take care of it,” Alexander intervened. “There’s no point in making her carry your things.”

“How thoughtful of you,” Benjamin remarked sarcastically. “Sophie, which room will you be assigning to me?”

“Sophie, while Alexander is busy with the luggage, would you like to go for a walk in the garden? A little fresh air will do me good,” Benjamin suggested, trying to draw Sophia’s attention away from Alexander.

Sophia agrees with a smile and walks with Benjamin to the garden while Alexander heads to the car.

As soon as Alexander opens the trunk, he realizes it’s filled to the brim with Benjamin’s belongings. It dawns on him that Benjamin has intentionally burdened him with the task of carrying everything upstairs to the room Sophia had prepared for him.

While moving some of the bags, Alexander notices that most things still have tags on them. Cursing under his breath, he realizes that Benjamin has played a trick on him, wasting his time with Sophia.

“If you want to play, so be it,” muttered Alexander in the silence of the house. He is inspired to foil Benjamin’s plans to steal Sophia away from him. With determination, Alexander decides to take matters into his own hands and strategize a plan to regain Sophia’s attention.