Chapter 48

#48 “I Want Sophia Here With You for My Birthday.”

Alexander made his way to the front door to meet his mother, where she had left a huge pile of shopping bags and packages. He couldn’t help but chuckle, a familiar sight to him.

“Let me help you,” he offered with a warm laugh. Alexander’s mother, Caroline Stone, appeared before him as elegant as ever. Her blonde hair was neatly pulled back into a bun, with a few stray strands framing her face casually. She had always been a strikingly beautiful woman, and her radiance hadn’t diminished with time.

Her dark green eyes, so similar to Alexander’s, gazed at him warmly from the front door. She patted her white coat and approached him, opening her arms for a hug, “You know I can’t resist when I step into a store,” she admitted with a playful smile. Alexander smiled.

“Yes, I can see that. It’s why I work so hard to keep up financially with your impulse buys.”

She playfully furrowed her brows and tapped his nose. “We need to talk, Alexander,” she said with a seriousness that made him pause.

“Sure, do you want to sit in the garden? “Alexander offered, picking up her purchases and putting them back in the house.

“I love this garden, Sophia has done wonders with it,” Caroline commented, walking out the large French window.

Alexander was silent. Every mention of his ex-wife stung him. He hated that feeling in his stomach, knowing it was his fault that they didn’t get along. The two sat at a table in the garden lit by the sun’s rays. Charles brought them cups of coffee and biscuits.

He left without troubling them further, and as soon as Alexander’s mother was sure they were left alone, she decided to go directly to the topic.

“I want you to know that I am extremely disappointed by the news of your divorce,” she said, her tone heavy with concern.

“Mother, I understand, but…” Alexander began, trying to explain.

“Do not interrupt me,” she admonished him firmly. Alexander nodded in agreement, allowing his mother to continue without interruption.

“I know that relationships and marriage are complicated, and you know very well that I have a history too. After all, Michael wouldn’t be your half -brother if everything had gone as planned.”

“What does this mean?” Alexander inquired, curious about where the conversation was leading.

“It means that people fall in love with other people, and sometimes mistakes happen,” Caroline responded cryptically.

Alexander sought clarification, “That’s not the case here. Neither Sophia nor I are in love with someone else.”

“Then why did all this happen?” his mother pressed. “The fault is entirely mine. The truth is, I didn’t even know Sophia Johnson was my wife,” Alexander admitted with a heavy sigh.

Caroline furrowed her brows as she took a sip of her coffee. “She didn’t tell you?” she asked, clearly surprised.

“There was no way she would tell me when I hadn’t met her once in these three years,” Alexander replied, his tone tinged with regret. Caroline’s eyes widened in disbelief.” How could you not be curious?” she exclaimed.

“I was consumed by my work at the time and didn’t care, except that it was an arranged marriage. I saw no need to waste my time,” Alexander explained.

His mother raised her voice indignantly, “Wasting your time? Alexander Stone, how are you not ashamed?”

“Mother, I am deeply sorry for everything,” Alexander said, acknowledging his mistakes. “At the same time, I had my own discontent with this arrangement. So when I was forced to marry Sophia, I believe I was intentionally disregarding her and this marriage.”

“Of course you’re sorry. Sophia was arranged for you for a reason. Your grandfather carefully arranged this marriage. We thought highly of Sophia’s family, and there was a history between us. And now, you’re throwing it all away?” his mother scolded him.

“I didn’t know it was important. I was foolish,” Alexander admitted again. ” But at the same time, I was also unaware of any necessity for our family to conceal Sophia’s identity from the outside world, and I myself was in the dark about it.”

“Sophia is the most remarkable woman I have ever met. She’s intelligent, kind, and was willing to put her career on hold to start a family with you and support you. Don’t let your foolishness ruin it all,”

Caroline chastised him.

“As for the confidentiality of the information, it was all orchestrated by your grandfather. I have only heard whispers and don’t know the exact reasons behind it,” she added.

Alexander’s curiosity was ignited by his mother’s words, but he sensed a hesitant tone in her voice. He decided not to delve into the truth behind it for now.

“I’ve met Sophia, spoken to her, and I agree with you. She’s incredible in every way. The problem is, we met too late, and she now despises me. And I…” Alexander paused, his voice cracking with emotion.

“You what?” Caroline prodded gently.

“I’ve fallen in love with her, but now everything has fallen apart because I took her for granted when I had her,” Alexander confessed, his vulnerability laid bare.

Caroline’s expression softened as she heard her son’s confession. “Oh, Alex, my dear boy. I never interfered in your relationships or your work. I stepped back to allow you to make your own choices.

When I learned of your divorce, I returned home immediately.”

“Why?” Alexander inquired, curious about her sudden involvement. “Because I believe it’s a colossal mistake, and I know that you and Sophia should be together. I came to help you win her back,”

Caroline declared with conviction.

“I’m afraid it’s too late,” Alexander said, his voice filled with resignation. ” She really wants nothing to do with me.

“Because she doesn’t trust you, Alexander,” his mother countered gently. “Imagine that someone ignores you for years and then suddenly decides they want you. Would you believe them? Or would you think they might turn away again at the first sign of trouble?”

“I understand that, but we’re constantly arguing. Every time we talk, it turns into a fight,” Alexander explained.

Caroline smiled knowingly. “If you’re arguing, that’s a good sign. If she didn’t care about you, she wouldn’t bother arguing. Where there are sparks, there’s fire. Nothing is lost until the end.”

“Do you really think so? It sounds a bit naive to me,” Alexander laughed.

“Let me ask you this,” Caroline began. ‘ If a random person on the street started arguing with you, would you pay attention to them or ignore them?”

“I’d probably ignore them,” Alexander replied, starting to grasp his mother’s point.

“Exactly,” she affirmed. “Now, I want you to go and show her that you care about her, that you’ve changed, and that you won’t repeat your mistakes.”

“I’ll try,” Alexander replied with a newfound determination.

“My birthday is coming up. Why don’t you invite her to my birthday party here at the villa?” Caroline suggested.

“I don’t know if she’ll want to…” Alexander started to say.

“Please, Alexander,” Caroline interrupted with a warm smile. “I don’t need another gift. I want Sophia here with you for my birthday.”

Alexander sighed realizing that this was a difficult task.

“I will do everything in my power to bring her home again. mother.”