Chapter 10 A Misunderstanding
The next moment, he turned sharply.
He didn’t even bother drying himself. He stormed into the changing room and threw on his clothes. His wet skin was soaking straight through the fabric. His shirt clung to his chest, buttons slipping through his trembling fingers as he fastened them in a rush.
It didn’t take him even two minutes.
His hair was still dripping, droplets falling down his jaw and onto the floor as he strode out, still buttoning the last few buttons.
“Timothy?” he barked.
Timothy was already waiting by the car, on a call with someone.
Seeing Magnus, he hung up the call, opening the door for him at once.
Then, he got into the driver’s seat, and the engine roared to life. The car shot forward, tires screeching as they sped past the gates and onto the main road.
Inside the car, the air was suffocating.
Magnus sat stiffly, his back ramrod straight, fingers digging into his thighs. His chest felt tight, almost unable to breathe. Harold’s words kept replaying in his head over and over again.
“She might already be gone before you even get home?”
His jaw tightened.
He suddenly leaned forward and snapped, “Drive faster! What the hell are you doing?”
Timothy glanced at him through the rearview mirror, gripping the steering wheel tightly. “I’m already driving at a very high speed, Mr. Graves. I can’t go faster than this. We’ll get into an accident.”
Magnus exhaled harshly, forcing himself back into the seat, though his leg kept bouncing impatiently.
Every second felt like torture.
Fortunately, they reached home soon after.
The car hadn’t even fully stopped when Magnus threw the door open and stepped out.
He had barely taken two steps toward the entrance when he froze.
Sophia was stepping out of the house, dragging a suitcase behind her toward the red car parked at the entrance.
For a second, everything inside him dropped.
The next second, rage and panic surged at once.
She bent down to lift the suitcase and place it in the trunk.
Something inside him snapped.
He strode forward quickly and reached her just as she was about to place it inside the trunk. He grabbed the suitcase from her hands and shoved it roughly to the side. It toppled onto the ground.
Before she could react, he slammed the trunk shut with a loud bang.
Sophia straightened and turned around.
Their eyes met.
“Where are you going?” he demanded.
She looked at him, clearly startled. She hadn’t expected him home this early. He usually returned much later at night.
For a brief second, she said nothing. She had planned to leave before he got back.
But now he was standing in front of her.
She took a slow breath, forcing herself to stay calm.
“What’s it got to do with you, Mr. Graves?” she said evenly. “Please move out of my way. Stop disturbing me.”
She tried to step past him.
He grabbed her arm instantly and pulled her back.
“I asked where you’re going!” he barked. “Isn’t that a simple question? What’s so complicated about answering it? Where the hell are you going?”
Her eyes hardened.
“I told you, we have nothing to do with each other anymore. Our contract is over.”
Magnus stepped closer, towering over her. His face dipped down, their noses almost inches apart.
“You are my wife,” he growled. “I have the right to know where you’re going.”
She let out a short, bitter laugh.
“Now you remember I’m your wife?” she shot back. “You didn’t remember that when you were in a hotel room with your ex-girlfriend. You didn’t remember that when I was drugged and you protected the culprit.”
Her voice turned colder with every word.
“Stop pretending to be my husband. The game is over.”
Magnus froze.
The coldness in her gaze hit him harder than any slap could have. His grip on her arm loosened slightly.
Sophia grabbed his wrist firmly and yanked his hand off her arm.
Then she turned away without another word.
She walked to her car, lifted her suitcase, and placed it inside the trunk. The lid slammed shut with a sharp click.
Without looking back, she moved to the driver’s side, opened the door, and slid into the seat, pulling it closed behind her.
Magnus stood there, unmoving.
The engine started.
And before he could react—
She drove off.
***
Sophia finally came out into the living room of Emma’s house that afternoon.
She had stayed in bed the entire morning.
She hadn’t slept properly for days, and the exhaustion had finally caught up with her. When she woke up in the morning, her body had felt heavy, as if her bones were cracking under pressure. So she stayed in bed, staring at the ceiling, forcing herself to rest until she felt somewhat human again.
Now, freshly dressed, she walked into the living room quietly.
Emma was sitting on the couch in the middle of the room, scrolling through her phone. The moment she saw Sophia, her face lit up. She immediately put her phone aside and straightened.
“Finally,” Emma said with a small smile. “Took you long enough.”
Sophia gave a small, tired smile and sat down beside her.
“I didn’t realize I was that exhausted,” she admitted.
Emma stood up and pointed toward the dining table. “Lunch is here. Come on. Let’s eat together.”
Sophia nodded and followed her.
They both settled down at the table and began eating quietly. For a few minutes, the only sound was the clinking of cutlery.
After a while, Emma looked up.
“So,” she asked gently, “what are your plans now? Have you already booked the ticket to London?”
Sophia took a small sip of water before answering. “Yes. Your brother has arranged everything already.”
“Where?” Emma asked. “Company apartment? Or did you rent your own place?”
Sophia shook her head slightly. “Own place. All I have to do is land in London and go to the address Elias gave me. Since my work is going to be confidential, I will need privacy. It’s a big position. I have to learn first, then take over.”
Emma’s expression softened. “I’m going to miss you so much.” She hesitated. “Are you sure you want to move away?”
Sophia lowered her gaze to her plate for a moment before nodding.
“I’m sure. It’s time for me to move on.”
Emma reached across the table and gently pressed her hand over Sophia’s.
“It’s just… It feels sudden.”
Sophia looked up and smiled faintly, squeezing her fingers back.
After a few minutes, Emma casually picked up her phone again and started scrolling through social media.
Suddenly, she froze.
Her expression shifted.
She turned the phone toward Sophia. “Isn’t this that woman? What’s her name… Celia? The one who had rumors with Magnus?”
Sophia frowned slightly and leaned closer.
On the screen was a photo of Celia.
Behind her was a building with the company name clearly visible: Black Diamond Horizon.
“What’s going on?” Sophia asked.
Emma quickly read through the article.
“Black Diamond Horizon has collapsed,” she said. “Apparently, some of their major projects were stolen. There were also internal issues caused by Celia. And the project with the Graves Group was canceled, which pushed them into massive debt.”
She scrolled further.
“They lost equity. Celia was also thrown out of the company.”
Sophia listened silently.
Emma’s eyes widened as she kept scrolling.
“Jesus…” she whispered. “It’s a complete mess. Not only are their financial problems exposed, but Celia’s entire personal life is trending.”
She glanced at Sophia again.
“They’re exposing everything. It says she manipulated employees, got people fired for personal gain, pretended to be kind while ruining others behind their backs. The backlash is insane.”
Emma slowly lowered the phone and looked at Sophia, suspicion creeping into her tone.
“Do you think this is Magnus’s way of apologizing to you?”
***
Magnus sat behind his large desk, staring at the news articles on his computer screen.
Headlines flashed:
‘Empire Group Cancels All Deals with Black Diamond Horizon’
‘Black Diamond Horizon Collapses Overnight’
‘Jerry Thomson Removed from the CEO Position Amid Scandal’
Gregory sat across from him, leaning back in the chair, arms crossed.
Magnus’s lips slowly curved into a satisfied smile.
“Now that I’ve taken revenge and handled everything for Sophia,” he said, his voice filled with pride, “her anger should’ve subsided.”
Gregory stared at him for a long moment before shaking his head.
“I don’t think so,” he said flatly.
Magnus’s smile faded slightly.
“Don’t you think you’re too late?” Gregory continued bluntly. “You should’ve done this the moment the issue happened. Instead, you waited.”
He leaned forward slightly.
“And now you expect her to just stop being angry?”
He shook his head.
“How is that possible?”
Magnus’s jaw tightened.
Before he could respond, there was a knock on the door.
“Mr. Graves?”
Magnus looked up. “Come in.”
Timothy stepped inside respectfully. “Miss Thompson is downstairs. She’s insisting on meeting you.”
Magnus’s expression darkened instantly.
“There’s no need—” he began coldly.
But he stopped mid-sentence.
A thought crossed his mind.
His expression shifted.
“It’s fine. Bring her up. Take her in the meeting room.”
Timothy nodded.
“And,” Magnus added, “go pick Sophia up immediately. Bring her here.”
Gregory raised a brow in question.
Timothy nodded once, quick and obedient, then turned and left the office, the door clicking shut behind him.
Silence settled.
Magnus exhaled slowly, then looked at Gregory. There was something almost boyish beneath the usual authority in his expression — a restrained excitement he didn’t bother hiding this time.
“Sophia will see it for herself,” he said, smoothing an invisible crease from his sleeve. “Celia will apologize to her. In front of everyone.”
His lips curved faintly.
“And once she does, all the misunderstandings she has about me will finally be gone.”
***
Celia had been waiting in the meeting room for nearly an hour, pacing restlessly.