Chapter 5

I knew it wasn't that Lionel didn't help Patrick try to shut down the rumors.

Lionel simply didn't have the power to do it.

I shot a look at Travis, who was busy washing dishes in the kitchen.

Travis was the Huttons' patriarch's favorite grandson. No way he'd turn his back on Travis because Travis screwed up for a bit.

My original plan was to wait until Patrick was about to crack, then beat him to the divorce.

But out of the blue, Sonia intervened.

When Sonia insisted on meeting me alone at a café, I had no idea what she was planning.

It wasn't until she pulled out a fancy gift box and revealed a necklace that looked seriously expensive.

That was when it clicked. I leaned back in my chair.

Sonia leaned in and whispered, "Don't worry, I snuck out. Lionel and the others have no idea I'm here.

"I'm really sorry about what happened with Tessa and Dr. Irving."

I raised an eyebrow, giving her a puzzled look.

"Honestly, I thought you'd be here to apologize for them," I said.

Sonia shook her head quickly. "No, that whole mess was really my fault. I got tricked, and ended up dragging Tessa into it with me.

"We both got caught, and if that hadn't happened, Patrick and Tessa never would've had the chance to be alone together. And Tessa wouldn't have been drugged."

As she spoke, the guilt on her face deepened.

Listening to her struggle to explain herself, I couldn't help but feel a bit at a loss.

"So, if that's how it went, since Travis was the one who kidnapped you, does that mean I can pin all of this on him?" I said.

Sonia shook her head quickly. "No, that's not what I meant. I'm not trying to dodge responsibility."

"That's enough," I cut her off. "I'm not accepting your apology."

Sonia's eyes lost their sparkle.

Words once again appeared before me.

[Sonia spent her own savings to buy a gift and apologize, and this woman just brushes her off? Seriously, what's her problem?]

[Is this side character for real? So ungrateful. Seriously, it wasn't even Sonia's fault.]

[Her husband cheats and Vivian can't control him, so she blames everyone else? She's so mean.]

[Are the above remarks for real? Her husband cheats and she's not allowed to call him out?]

I locked eyes with Sonia.

"Did you know I was pregnant once?" I asked.

She stared at me, eyes wide.

I took a sip of my coffee, tapping my fingers on the table, keeping my voice steady.

I said, "The night before Patrick and I got married, Lionel called him and said you'd been pushed into a lake. He only just made it in time for the vows the next day.

"When I got into a car accident and was hospitalized with a mild concussion, Patrick was only by my side for two hours before Lionel dragged him away.

"The day I found out I was pregnant, I wanted to surprise him, but I waited for him all night, right up until sunrise. That was the night you were kidnapped."

I kept talking, watching Sonia fall apart as I spoke.

"Up until that time before your wedding, when you hurt your foot, Lionel left me all by myself at home," I said.

Sonia's face drained of color, her lips bitten so hard they were about to bleed.

I continued, "That night, I was burning up with fever, barely conscious, couldn't even lift the glass of water on my nightstand. If I hadn't been conscious enough to dial emergency services, I'd have died with my baby."

Sonia's voice trembled.

She knew deep down, even if none of it was intentional, the damage she'd done couldn't be undone with a necklace.

"I-I'm sorry," she stammered repeatedly.

"So don't bother trying to change my mind. At the end of the day, you're on the list of people I hate too," I said, my voice cold and steady.

Sonia's eyes were swollen and red from crying, and it looked like she had more she wanted to say.

But before she could get another word out, a noisy crowd burst into the café and cut her off.

Storming in at the front was Lionel, looking pissed and dangerous.

He didn't waste a second. He just pulled Sonia into his arms protectively.

Sonia was still in shock, but she quickly looked over at me. "Trust me, I swear I didn't tell anyone about today."

I didn't say anything.

Knowing Lionel, there was no way Sonia could really keep her whereabouts from him.

She could never actually hide anything from Lionel.

After double-checking that Sonia was really okay, Lionel shot me a look and reached for his phone, clearly about to call Patrick.

But I stopped him.

"Mr. Starnes, with how fast you track people down, if I really wanted to do something to your wife, she'd already be packed up and dumped in the river by now," I said, my voice laced with sarcasm.

Lionel's eyes narrowed, his voice cold as ice. "Patrick wants to talk to you."

I stood up and waved him off, not interested in wasting any more words on him.

"If Patrick wants to see me, he better show up with the divorce papers," I said.

When I turned around, a group of bodyguards in black suits surrounded me, leaving no way out.

Feigning surprise, I glanced back. "So, Mr. Starnes, is this your go-to move for every woman, or do you only pull this kind of stunt with your wife?"

"I've already locked down this place. You're coming with me to see Patrick," Lionel said, his voice cold and making it clear I had no say in the matter.