THE WORD THAT SHATTERED EVERYTHING
Chapter 7: The Word That Shattered Everything
Sophie's heart pounded.
Evelyn was alive.
Adrian stood frozen, his usually sharp, unshakable presence now replaced with something she had never seen before—uncertainty.
His father smirked from behind the glass, clearly enjoying the moment. "Oh, son, you should see your face. Did you really think you had buried all your ghosts?"
Adrian's jaw clenched. "Where is she?"
Richard leaned back in his chair, feigning boredom. "Now, now. I don't give out information for free."
Sophie stepped forward. "Why fake her death?"
Richard's gaze flickered to her, his smirk widening. "Ah. You must be the new one."
Sophie refused to be intimidated. "Answer the question."
Richard chuckled. "She was a threat—too involved, too curious about things she shouldn't have known. I had to make her disappear."
Adrian's hands curled into fists. "You had her killed."
Richard's smirk didn't falter. "Oh, I arranged a death, yes. But as you now know… I never actually had her killed."
Sophie's breath caught. "So she's been alive this whole time?"
Richard shrugged. "She was placed in… protective custody. A place where no one—not even you—could find her. And it seems she's finally escaped."
Adrian's eyes burned with fury. "Where. Is. She?"
Richard simply leaned back. "Find her yourself."
-
Hours later, Adrian and Sophie sat in the car, silent.
Lucas was in the driver's seat, gripping the steering wheel tightly. "We have a lead. A woman matching Evelyn's description was last seen leaving the airport. She disappeared after that."
Sophie's stomach twisted. "What if she's looking for Adrian?"
Lucas sighed. "Or what if Damien and Vanessa already got to her?"
Adrian didn't say a word.
But Sophie could feel the weight pressing down on him.
What did this mean for them?
Just when Sophie thought things couldn't get more complicated—
Lucas's phone buzzed.
He checked the screen, and his entire expression shifted.
"What?" Adrian asked.
Lucas slowly turned to them. "She's here."
Sophie blinked. "What do you mean?"
Lucas exhaled. "Evelyn. She's in the building."
Sophie's blood ran cold.
Adrian's ex-fiancée was here.
And she was about to walk through that door.
---
The elevator dinged.
Sophie's breath hitched.
And then—she walked in.
Evelyn.
She was beautiful. Stunning green eyes, dark waves cascading over her shoulders, an air of mystery surrounding her.
She stopped when she saw Adrian.
And for a moment, time froze.
Adrian stood up. His expression unreadable.
Sophie couldn't breathe.
Then Evelyn spoke—her voice soft, but carrying so much weight.
"Adrian…"
Sophie swallowed hard.
Because in that moment, she realized—
She wasn't just facing Adrian's past.
She was facing the woman he had once planned to spend forever with.
And that kind of love didn't just disappear.
---
Sophie couldn't move.
Evelyn stood there, eyes locked on Adrian, an emotion swirling in her gaze that Sophie couldn't ignore.
Love.
Pain.
A past that had never truly died.
Adrian took a step forward, his voice low, strained. "Evelyn."
She swallowed, glancing at Sophie briefly before returning her gaze to him. "I had no choice. I had to disappear."
Sophie's heart pounded. "Disappear? Or were you taken?"
Evelyn hesitated.
Then, she lowered her voice.
"I need to talk to Adrian. Alone."
Sophie's stomach twisted.
But before she could say a word—
Adrian nodded. "Lucas, take Sophie outside."
Sophie's breath caught. "Adrian—"
"I need to hear what she has to say."
Sophie's fingers curled into fists.
And then, before she could protest—
Lucas placed a firm hand on her shoulder.
"Sophie." His voice was gentle but unyielding.
Sophie's chest tightened as Adrian turned back to Evelyn.
And the last thing she saw before stepping out of the room—
Was Evelyn reaching for his hand.
---
Sophie paced outside the office, her heart racing.
Lucas leaned against the wall, watching her. "Breathe."
Sophie shot him a glare. "Are you serious?"
He sighed. "Look, I get it. But this is Adrian's past. He has to face it."
Sophie bit her lip, the words stinging in her throat. "What if he doesn't just face it? What if he—"
Before she could finish, the door creaked open.
Adrian stood there.
His face was unreadable.
Sophie's pulse skipped. "What did she say?"
Adrian's golden eyes met hers.
And then—he said the words that shattered everything.
"She's still my wife."
--
Sophie felt the floor vanish beneath her.
"What?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Adrian's jaw clenched. "Our marriage was never legally annulled. She's still my wife in the eyes of the law."
Sophie's lungs tightened.
Evelyn stepped forward, her expression a mix of pain and desperation. "I thought I was protecting him. I thought disappearing would save him. But I never stopped being his."
Sophie felt like she was drowning.
Because no matter what Adrian said next, one thing was clear.
She wasn't just competing with his past.
She was competing with a love that never ended.
And Adrian had to choose.
---