34| Breaking the Silence

Sophie walked home slowly after lunch with Evelyn, her mind racing with everything they had discussed.

Just when she thought she had Ethan figured out, she realized how little she actually knew.

He never acted like someone who had grown up with cold, unfeeling parents.

He joked sometimes. He smiled. He laughed.

And she liked him.

More than liked him.

She wanted to talk to him. She wanted to laugh with him like they had before.

As she reached the front door, she hesitated, her hand hovering over the handle.

Something had to change.

I can't do this anymore.

She pulled her hand back.

Instead of going inside, she turned, stepping back onto the curb and hailing a taxi, her determination solidifying with every passing second.

She gave the driver the address for Sinclair Enterprises, her heart pounding as she rehearsed what she needed to say.

Not that she actually knew what to say.

The city buzzed outside the window, but Sophie barely noticed. All she could focus on was Ethan—the silence between them, the distance she desperately wanted to close.

When the taxi stopped in front of the towering glass building, a wave of nerves crashed over her.

Sinclair Enterprises was intimidating.

But she squared her shoulders, inhaled deeply, and walked through the revolving doors into the sleek, bustling lobby.

The receptionist, a young woman with a warm but professional smile, greeted her. "Good afternoon. How can I help you?"

Sophie straightened, forcing her voice to remain steady.

"I'm Sophie Sinclair. I'd like to see my husband."

The receptionist blinked in surprise, then quickly composed herself, glancing at her screen.

"One moment, please." She typed briskly before picking up the phone, speaking quietly into the receiver.

Sophie waited, her palms damp with nerves.

After a moment, the receptionist hung up and smiled politely. "Please take the elevator to the top floor. Mr. Sinclair's assistant, Jessica, will meet you there."

Sophie nodded, murmuring a quiet thank-you before stepping into the elevator.

The ride up was painfully slow, the hum of the elevator only amplifying the storm in her head.

When the doors slid open to the executive floor, Jessica was already waiting for her.

Jessica greeted her with a surprised but friendly smile. "Sophie! Hi. Ethan's in a meeting, but it won't be long if you don't mind waiting—"

"I need to see him now," Sophie interrupted, her voice firm but not unkind.

Jessica hesitated. "It really won't take much longer. If you could just—"

"Any longer, and I'll lose my nerve," Sophie muttered.

And without waiting for permission, she strode past Jessica straight toward Ethan's office.

Jessica quickly followed, her voice a mix of urgency and apology.

"Sophie, I'm sorry, but you really can't go in there right now—"

Sophie didn't stop.

She pushed open the door, stepping directly into a boardroom filled with executives seated around a massive conference table.

The conversation screeched to a halt.

Every head in the room turned.

At the head of the table, Ethan's entire body tensed when he saw her standing in the doorway.

"Sophie?" His voice was low, laced with both surprise and concern.

Sophie took a steadying breath, her emotions brimming at the surface.

"I need to talk to you, Ethan."

The room felt charged with tension.

The executives exchanged uneasy glances, clearly aware that this was not a conversation they should witness.

Ethan's tone was sharp as he addressed the room. "We'll continue this meeting later."

One of the executives, John, tried to interject. "Mr. Sinclair, this is very important—"

"Damn it, John, I said later." Ethan's voice snapped through the air, surprising everyone in the room.

Silence.

One by one, the executives scrambled to gather their things, shuffling out of the boardroom until only two people remained.

Ethan.

And Sophie.

Alone.

As the door closed behind the last of his colleagues, Ethan stood, his expression a mixture of concern and frustration.

"Sophie, what are you doing here?" His voice was low, controlled, but there was an edge of something else beneath it—something unsteady. "This isn't the time or place for this."

Sophie stepped further into the room, her determination unwavering.

"No, Ethan. This is exactly the time and place." Her heart pounded, but she didn't falter. "We can't keep avoiding this. We can't keep avoiding each other."

His jaw tensed, but he didn't move.

"The silence, the distance—it's tearing me apart. I can't take it anymore." Her voice trembled, but her resolve was clear. "I'm sorry, Ethan, but I cannot give you space."

His face softened, guilt flickering in his eyes, followed by something she couldn't quite name. He didn't speak.

He just watched her, waiting.

Sophie swallowed hard, her fingers curling at her sides.

"I like you, Ethan." The words left her lips in a shaky breath. "I like you so much it hurts."

Ethan swallowed hard, her words hitting him like a blow.

She likes me?

For so long, he had convinced himself that he couldn't handle emotions anymore—that he didn't want to.

Being away from Sophie, fighting with Sophie, made him feel things he had never felt before.

So he had told himself that space was necessary, that it was for the best—for her sake as much as his.

He didn't want to hurt her.

And he didn't want her to hurt him.

But Sophie's raw honesty cracked something open inside him.

She had always been bold with her feelings—whether she was angry, upset, or hurt. Now, standing there in his office, she was laying her heart bare for him.

"I should've told you last time," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "The only reason I was upset was because I thought you let Claire in but wouldn't let me in."

She took a breath, her eyes searching his. "Because my feelings for you were growing, and I was afraid... afraid you didn't feel the same way."

Ethan felt the weight of her words settle deep inside his chest.

Sophie took another step toward him, closing the distance. No hesitation.

"I know you're scared," she whispered. "I am too, Ethan. But no matter how scared I am, all I know is that I want you." She exhaled shakily. "No—I need you."

Ethan's heartbeat stumbled.

"And letting you go any longer without knowing how I feel—just because I was scared—makes me feel stupid."

Ethan couldn't take it anymore.

The sight of Sophie standing there, vulnerable yet so resolute, unraveled something inside him.

Her messy hair, her heartbreakingly sincere green eyes, the way she stood there fearless even when she was afraid—

He didn't care about control anymore.

He didn't care about holding back.

The legs of his chair scraped against the floor as he moved suddenly, startling Sophie.

Her breath hitched.

Before she could say a word, Ethan reached her, his hands gently cupping her face as if she might break under his touch.

His blue eyes locked onto hers, and they were anything but gentle. The storm of emotions in them made her chest tighten.

And then—without hesitation—he kissed her.

It wasn't tentative.

It wasn't careful or restrained.

It was raw.

A kiss full of hunger, full of desperation, full of every unsaid thing between them.

It was as if she was the air he needed to breathe.

His lips moved against hers with a passion that left no room for doubt. No room for questions, no room for anything but the feelings he had kept bottled up for far too long.

Sophie gasped softly, her knees going weak as she clung to him, her arms wrapping tightly around his neck. She kissed him back with equal fervor, pouring every ounce of her own longing into him.

The world outside vanished, leaving nothing but the two of them—locked in this fiery, electric embrace.

Ethan's hands slid to her waist, pulling her closer until there was no space left between them. His grip was firm yet reverent, his fingers pressing into her as though letting go wasn't an option.

His lips moved with an urgency that spoke of years of silence—of words he had never said but needed her to feel in this moment.

He kissed her like she was his salvation. Like she was the only thing keeping him from drowning.

Sophie felt herself drown in him—his warmth, his scent, the way his heartbeat pounded against hers.

The chemistry between them was overwhelming. Consuming her entirely.

It wasn't just a kiss.

It was an explosion—of everything they had held back, every fear, every unspoken word.

It was passion and regret, hope and forgiveness, tangled together in the way his mouth claimed hers.

And then—just as suddenly as the desperation began—his lips softened, brushing against hers in a way that was achingly tender.

A confession.

A promise.

An apology.

Sophie melted against him, her fingers threading through his hair as tears pricked the corners of her eyes.

This was nothing like the kiss they shared at their wedding.

Back then, she had thought it was everything. A perfect, fleeting moment.

But this?

Kissing Ethan now—knowing how she felt for him, knowing her feelings had grown into something so much more—was everything and more.

It was the kiss of a man who had finally let down his guard, who was baring his soul for the first time.

And she accepted it all.

When they finally broke apart, both of them were breathless.

Sophie's hands rested on his chest, feeling the rapid thud of his heart against her palm.

Ethan pressed his forehead against hers, his eyes closed as if he was still grounding himself in the moment.

The intensity lingered between them.

Thick.

Unspoken.

"I'm sorry," Ethan whispered, his voice hoarse and raw.

"For everything."

His fingers brushed against her cheek, his thumb catching a stray tear she hadn't realized had fallen.

"I really like you, Sophie," he admitted, his voice trembling with sincerity. "You make me feel things I haven't felt before." His grip on her tightened, as if saying the words aloud made the reality of them terrifying. "And I want us to work. I want you in my life."

He cupped her face, his hands steady but his eyes pleading.

"I don't want to lose you," he murmured. "I can't lose you."

Sophie's throat tightened, her emotions crashing over her like a tidal wave.

She couldn't speak, so she nodded, her fingers tightening in his shirt as if to anchor herself to him.

Ethan exhaled shakily, relief flickering across his expression before he pulled her back into another kiss.

This one was softer.

Gentler.

But no less full of meaning.

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