"One man broke her. The other swore to never let her break again."
Sophia paced her room like a ghost trapped in velvet and marble.
The rose-gold evening light spilled through the glass balcony doors, soaking the room in a glow that felt too soft for the chaos building inside her chest.
Lucas was here.
She had heard his voice—had felt the words cut through her like a blade softened only by time. He was back. And she had no idea why. No idea what he wanted. No idea how she was supposed to look him in the eye when her body still remembered the way his hands once held her like she was made of stars.
But this wasn't that time anymore.
She wasn't that girl anymore.
She had his baby growing inside her…
And his brother's ring on her finger.
A soft knock on the door made her freeze.
Not again.
Her heart raced.
"Mason?" she asked as she stepped toward it.
But when the door opened, it wasn't Mason.
It was Lucas.
And for a moment—just a breath—time unraveled.
He looked older. Sharper. Like Manhattan had chewed him up and spat him back out with more lies behind his eyes. His dark hair was tousled, his chin sharper, his green eyes less playful than she remembered. But they still held that same ache… the one that used to ruin her.
"Sophia," he said.
She didn't answer.
Because what could she say?
He stepped in without permission, closing the door softly behind him.
"You shouldn't be here," she whispered, backing up.
"I had to see you."
"You left," she said. Her voice cracked. "You left and you never came back."
"I didn't know you were pregnant," he said, pain laced in every word. "I swear, if I had known—"
"You still left!" she snapped, louder now. "You said you loved me, Lucas! We talked about the future. We made promises. And then you left without a goodbye!"
"I was protecting you."
"Don't you dare feed me that excuse." Her eyes glistened. "You abandoned me."
"I didn't know what to do!" Lucas exploded, running a hand through his hair. "My father threatened to cut me off if I stayed with you. He said you were after the family. That you'd ruin the Davis name."
Sophia blinked. "So you chose money."
He looked away.
The quiet was louder than a scream.
Tears welled in her eyes, but she blinked them back. "It doesn't matter anymore. I've moved on."
"To Mason?" he asked, anger slicing through his voice. "Do you love him?"
She paused.
And Lucas's eyes darkened.
"You don't, do you? You're just playing house because he offered to fix your mess. Because he offered to take what I left behind."
She flinched. "Don't talk about my baby like that."
His face softened with sorrow. "I didn't mean it like that. I just… I still love you."
She shook her head, voice shaking. "You lost the right to say that the moment you let me go without a fight."
And then, just as quickly, the door slammed open.
Mason stood there—eyes wild, chest rising and falling like he'd run the whole hallway to get there.
His eyes flicked to Lucas, then to Sophia, then back.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Mason barked.
Lucas straightened, defensive. "She's still carrying my child."
"And she's my wife," Mason growled, stalking into the room. "You had your chance. You left. Now stay the hell away."
"I want to be a part of this—"
"You don't get to want anything!" Mason roared. "She begged for you. Cried for you. Bled for you. And you let her rot alone."
Sophia stared, her heart racing.
She had never seen Mason like this.
Furious.
Uncontrolled.
Protective.
Lucas stepped forward, jaw clenched. "I won't let you use her to clean your reputation. She's not your charity case."
And then Mason did something no one expected.
He punched him.
Lucas stumbled backward, hand to his jaw.
Sophia gasped. "Mason!"
But Mason didn't follow it up. He didn't yell again. He just stood there, his shoulders heaving, his jaw tight, his voice low and dangerous.
"You will not speak to my wife again," he said through gritted teeth. "If you ever step foot in her space without permission, I will destroy you. Not just personally. Publicly. Financially. Utterly."
Lucas's eyes burned with hate. "This isn't over."
"No," Mason said, stepping between him and Sophia like a fortress. "It is."
Lucas stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
Silence stretched thick in the room.
Sophia was shaking.
Mason stood still, shoulders tense.
She fell onto the edge of the bed, her hands covering her face.
He walked slowly toward her.
When he knelt in front of her and gently pried her hands from her face, her tears were already falling.
"You shouldn't have done that," she whispered. "He's still the father."
"He's nothing," Mason said. "Not anymore."
She looked into his eyes—so dark, so cold—and saw something frightening.
He meant it.
She wiped her face quickly. "He's right about one thing, though."
"What?"
"You didn't marry me because you cared. You married me to protect your name. Your company. Your image."
Mason didn't deny it.
But then, his voice dropped. "And yet I find myself wanting to protect you anyway."
Her heart stuttered.
She looked down at his hands—calloused but warm—still holding hers.
"You don't have to be this man all the time," she said softly. "The one who's always in control. Always cold. Always cruel."
"It's who I've had to be."
"And what if that's not who you are?" she asked. "What if the real Mason Davis is someone else entirely?"
He stared at her like he wasn't sure how to answer.
Like no one had ever asked him that before.
She leaned forward, the air between them charged.
"Thank you," she whispered.
"For what?"
"For standing up for me."
Mason stood slowly, then reached out, brushing a tear from her cheek.
It was the softest touch she'd ever felt.
"I told you," he said softly. "If you ever need something, you come to me. No one else."
Their eyes locked.
And for the first time, she didn't feel like a pawn.
She felt like a woman.
His wife.
Even if just on paper… something was shifting between them.
Later that night, Sophia sat in bed, looking at the ceiling.
The house was quiet.
The city beyond the glass walls sparkled like a thousand lies.
She heard footsteps outside her door.
Then a pause.
Then nothing.
Mason had stopped at her door.
But he didn't come in.
And somehow… that hurt more than anything else.