Chapter 14 You Lied To Me?
“Sir, you need to come to the Empire Hall right now,” Thomas said, his voice urgent. “Mrs. Graves—she was very stressed after leaving your house. She fell and hurt herself.”
Magnus went still.
“Stay right there,” he said at once, all traces of alcohol gone from his voice. “I’m coming. Call a doctor.”
He didn’t wait for a reply.
Within seconds, he was out of the house.
His movements were fast, tense, driven by worry. He reached his car, got in, and sped off toward the Empire Hall.
The car barely stopped before he threw the door open and stepped out, not even bothering to close it as he rushed inside.
His footsteps echoed loudly in the empty building.
“Mom?” he called out, his voice tight as he hurried forward.
Then—
He stopped.
Camila stood in the middle of the hall, perfectly fine, her phone in her hand as she giggled watching a video on Tiktok.
Magnus’s breath caught.
“Mom?” he rushed over, his voice panicked. “What’s going on? Are you hurt?”
Camila looked up, then gave him a slightly guilty smile. Her eyes flickered toward Thomas, who immediately turned away, pretending not to see anything.
Magnus followed her gaze.
Then looked back at her.
Realization hit.
“You lied to me?” Magnus snapped, dragging a hand through his hair as he paced in front of Camila. His chest rose and fell sharply. “Mom, what the hell is wrong with you? Do you even know how worried I was?”
Camila didn’t back down. She stepped closer, her voice quick, almost defensive. “I just wanted you to meet Sophia! You liked her so much. It’s impossible you wouldn’t fall for her.”
Magnus let out a harsh laugh, shaking his head. He turned away, jaw tight, then faced her again. “Mom, you need to stop doing this to me.”
He was too caught up in his anger to notice the movement at the entrance.
The doors opened quietly.
Sophia walked straight in.
Since Thomas had told her Magnus wouldn’t be there, she had been relaxed, her guard down. She didn’t pay much attention—until she stepped fully inside.
And froze.
Her eyes landed directly on Camila.
Then shifted—
To Magnus.
Her breath caught.
Panic flashed across her face. She immediately turned around, her heels scraping lightly against the floor as she tried to leave. She barely made it a step toward the exit—
“Wait.”
Magnus’s voice came from behind, loud and sharp.
He had already turned, his brows pulling together as he stared at her back. Something about her felt… familiar.
“Sylvia?” he murmured, confused.
At the same moment, Camila gasped, her face lighting up. “Sophia? You’re here?”
Magnus stilled.
“Sophia…?” he muttered, confusion deepening as his gaze fixed on her.
She was wearing a dress. The way she stood, the curve of her side profile—
She looked like Sylvia.
He took a step toward her. Then another.
“Turn around,” he said, his voice commanding.
Sophia lifted a hand to her face, squeezing her eyes shut as if she could block everything out. Her breathing grew uneven.
She didn’t move.
Magnus’s expression darkened. He reached out—
His fingers wrapped around her arm.
Before she could react, he pulled her back and spun her around to face him.
“Sylvia?” he said, shock flashing across his face, tangled with disbelief.
“Sophia!” Camila’s voice rang out at the same time, bright and excited.
Magnus’s eyes sharpened instantly at the name.
“Sophia…?” he repeated, his brows furrowing deeper as he stared at her face.
And then—
Everything crashed into him.
Sylvia returning to Manhattan after two years.
Sophia disappearing after the divorce.
Her being an auctioneer.
Her anger. Her words.
‘You are not like my ex-husband. You are him.’
His breath hitched.
“You’re my ex-wife?” Magnus said, his voice low, almost stunned.
But then—
His expression shifted.
Happiness burst across his face, sudden and overwhelming.
“You’re Sophia?” he said, stepping closer, eyes lighting up. “We’re married?”
Sophia flinched slightly, her fingers tightening at her sides. The look on his face unsettled her.
She took a breath, forcing the words out.
“We were married,” she said, her voice steady but cold. “Then we divorced. It’s over.”
“It’s not over.” Magnus shook his head immediately, gripping her arm tighter. “We’re still together. You came back to me.”
“I didn’t.” She pulled her arm free from his grasp.
Magnus’s hand lingered in the air for a second before he stepped forward again, panic creeping into his voice. “Stay. Wait—”
He reached for her again. “Don’t go.”
But Sophia had already turned.
This time, she didn’t hesitate.
She ran.
The doors swung open as she rushed out.
Magnus stood there, frozen for a second.
Then, a smile spread across his face. His eyes gleamed, filled with something intense.
Behind him, Camila walked closer, her expression full of confusion.
“You’ve met her already? What’s going on?” she asked.
“Mom—” Magnus suddenly pulled her into a tight hug.
Camila stiffened in surprise.
He pulled back just as quickly, his face lit with certainty.
“Don’t worry, I’m going to marry her again soon!”
Camila blinked, completely thrown off. “What?”
But Magnus didn’t answer.
He had already turned.
And the next second, he rushed out after Sophia, leaving Camila standing there in stunned silence.
***
Sophia pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The moment she entered, her strength seemed to drain out of her. She dropped her bag onto the table with a dull thud, her fingers trembling slightly.
She was exhausted to the bone.
But her heart—
It was racing wildly, slamming against her ribs so hard it hurt. Her chest felt tight, her breathing uneven, almost suffocating.
Magnus knew.
He knew everything.
The thought alone made her chest tighten even more. Their past. Their marriage. Everything she had tried to leave behind—
It was all in front of him now.
She sucked in a shaky breath and quickly pulled out her phone, dialing Emma’s number with unsteady fingers.
The call connected after a few rings.
“Sophia?” Emma’s voice came through.
“Magnus knows,” Sophia said immediately, her voice low but rushed. “He knows I’m Sophia… his ex-wife.”
“What?!” Emma’s sharp gasp rang through the phone. “How in the world—”
Sophia turned slightly, pacing as she quickly recounted everything that happened at Empire Hall. Her words came fast, uneven, still shaken from it all.
When she finished, there was a brief silence.
Then Emma asked, “So… what was his reaction?”
Sophia paused, letting out a slow breath. “He looked surprised. I didn’t stay long enough to see everything…”
A faint, almost cold smile touched her lips.
“But I saw enough,” she added. “There was guilt on his face… and anger when I didn’t accept him.”
Her smile deepened slightly, a hint of satisfaction slipping through.
“Honestly, I was pretty happy seeing that.”
“Really?”
A low voice came from behind her.
Sophia froze.
Her entire body stiffened as a chill ran down her spine.
“Did watching me realize what a fool I was… make you that happy?”
Her breath caught.
She spun around sharply—
Magnus stood at the door.
The door she had forgotten to close.
He leaned casually against the frame, both hands braced on either side, blocking the exit. But there was nothing relaxed about him.
His face was dark.
His eyes locked onto her.
“He’s there?!” Emma’s voice screeched from the phone. “What the hell is going on?! I need all the tea. Don’t hang up—keep the call on, I want to hear everything!”
But Sophia didn’t hear her anymore.
Her fingers loosened.
The phone slipped from her hand and landed on the table with a soft clatter, the call still connected.
Magnus pushed himself off the door and started walking toward her.
“Answer me,” he said, his voice low.
Sophia forced herself to stand straight, lifting her chin despite the way her heart pounded.
“Yes,” she said, steady but cold. “So what?”
She tried to sidestep him, moving to create distance—
But Magnus moved faster.
He stepped right in front of her, blocking her path completely.
His gaze hardened. “Sophia… if I hadn’t recognized you, were you planning to run away from me again? Just like last time?”
Her brows drew together, surprise flashing across her face.
“You… regained your memories?”
Magnus didn’t answer immediately.
He just stared at her.
Then suddenly—
His arm slid around her waist.
Before she could react, he pulled her sharply against his chest.
Sophia gasped softly at the sudden closeness, her body colliding with his. His scent surrounded her instantly, familiar and suffocating all at once.
“Bits and pieces came back,” he said quietly, his voice near her ear. “But now that I can put your face to the name ‘Sophia’…”
His grip tightened.
“They’re coming back fast.”
Sophia snapped out of it and shoved against his chest, breaking free from his hold.
“Good,” she said sharply, taking a step back. “Then you should understand why we need to keep our distance.”
Her eyes were cold.
“We’re divorced. It’s better if we never see each other again.”
Magnus’s expression darkened instantly.
His eyes narrowed, clearly displeased.
Before she could move again, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her right back into him, even closer this time.
“Now I understand,” he muttered, his tone low and dangerous. “Why you’ve been so prickly. Why you’ve been treating me like this all along.”
Sophia let out a scoff, trying to pull away again. “If you remember everything, then you should stay away from me.”
Magnus’s hand suddenly came up to her face.
His fingers gripped her chin, forcing her to look at him.
He leaned down, his face inches from hers, his breath brushing against her lips.
His eyes burned into hers.
“If I had known you were my ex-wife,” he said, his voice rough and intense, “I wouldn’t have wasted two years trying to find you again.”
Sophia’s eyes widened slightly.
Her heart slammed violently against her chest, her breathing turning uneven from the closeness, from his words—
But the anger rose just as fast.