Chapter 8 - The Desperate Visitor
Two weeks later, the rain was lashing against the glass of Sophia’s architectural firm in downtown Chicago when her receptionist buzzed through the intercom.
"Sophia? There’s a visitor in the lobby. He insists on seeing you."
"Who is it?"
"Mr. Theodore Kensington."
Sophia’s pencil paused over her tablet. She looked out the glass partition toward the reception area. Through the frosted glass, she could see a familiar silhouette—slumped, rumpled, and looking nothing like the polished heir of Rosewood Manor.
"Send him in," Sophia said calmly.
The door pushed open, and Theo stepped inside. He looked exhausted. His designer suit was wrinkled, and the confident, untouchable aura he used to carry in Connecticut had completely evaporated.
"Sophia," he breathed, taking a tentative step forward. "Thank God. I've been trying to reach you for weeks."
"Your mother's phone calls were blocked, and your emails went straight to spam," Sophia said evenly, not standing up from her drafting chair. "What are you doing in Chicago, Theo?"
"I came to apologize," he said, his voice cracking slightly. "My family... everything is falling apart, Sophia. The board is threatening to strip my father of his executive chairmanship. The bank is auditing our accounts. Mom is... well, Mom hasn't left her bedroom since the stock crash."
"And you think I can fix that?" Sophia asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You can talk to Arthur," Theo pleaded, stepping closer to her desk. "If you ask him to lift the freeze on our credit lines, he’ll do it. We can salvage this, Sophia. We can go away—just you and me, away from my family, away from all of it."
Sophia looked at him for a long, quiet moment. She didn't feel angry. She didn't feel triumphant. She just felt an immense, profound emptiness where her affection for him used to be.
"Theo," she said softly. "When your mother poured ice water down my dress, you weren't there. When she insulted my career, you weren't there. But the moment your family's bank accounts started bleeding, you found your way to my office."
Theo swallowed hard. "I love you, Sophia."
"No, Theo," she replied, shaking her head. "You love the safety net you thought I represented. But I am not a safety net. And I am certainly not going to spend my life apologizing for who I am to people who think I'm beneath them."
May you like
She stood up from her chair, walking over to the door and holding it open.
"The door is behind you," she said quietly. "Don't come back."
