Chapter 11 A Stranger
It was late at night when Magnus finally walked out of his office.
The building lobby was almost empty.
He got into his car. The sound echoed inside the quiet parking area.
He turned on his phone and opened the location Timothy had sent him earlier. The blue navigation line reflected in his sharp eyes as he adjusted the route on the car display.
Then he drove off.
The city lights streaked past his window. When the car finally slowed to a stop, Magnus lifted his gaze.
His fingers tightened slightly on the steering wheel as he looked at the building standing in front of him.
He glanced down at Timothy’s message again, then back at the address. His brows slowly drew together.
It was an apartment building.
Not cheap — the exterior was clean, modern, with warm balcony lights glowing softly in the evening — but it was nowhere near as luxurious as his mansion.
His jaw tightened.
“She moved here after leaving my house?”
His eyes traveled up the height of the building as if trying to imagine her inside one of those small units.
“Doesn’t she feel uncomfortable? After living in my mansion… how can she stay in a place like this?”
The very idea felt wrong to him. Unacceptable.
His fingers tapped impatiently against the steering wheel before he grabbed his phone again. He swiped down, opened Timothy’s contact, as he muttered quietly.
“I’m just going to buy a house for her. The next time she gets angry at me, she’ll have somewhere decent to stay.”
His jaw tightened as he typed the message and sent it to Timothy, instructing him to get it done immediately.
Just as he lowered his phone, movement near the entrance of the apartment building caught his eye.
A familiar figure stepped out of the building and onto the street.
Sophia.
Magnus’s entire body tensed instantly.
His back straightened. His grip tightened around the steering wheel before he quickly tossed the phone onto the seat beside him.
Without thinking, he reached down and unbuckled his seatbelt.
He was just about to open the door and step out—
When another figure appeared behind Sophia.
Magnus froze.
Elias walked out of the apartment building, catching up to her easily. He came to a stop in front of her.
Magnus slowly sank back into his seat. His eyes darkened.
They stopped near a red convertible parked by the curb — a car Magnus immediately recognized.
He didn’t move.
He just watched them through the tinted window.
“Have you packed everything?” Elias asked, his hands sliding casually into his pockets. “Make sure everything is in place for your flight.”
Sophia nodded lightly.
“I’ve packed all the important things,” she replied. “There are some old things I’ll probably just throw away.”
Elias tilted his head slightly, studying her. “If you want to keep anything, drop it off at my place. I’ll keep it safe until you come back.”
He gave her a small, reassuring smile.
Sophia shook her head gently. “No, it’s okay.”
She shifted her weight slightly, looking up at him.
“I’m just worried about the flight. It’s an early morning flight. I’m afraid I’ll miss it.”
Elias chuckled softly. “Everything is taken care of. Don’t worry. I have arranged a car for you. You’ll reach the airport on time.”
Sophia’s lips curved into a genuine smile.
“Thank you. You’re always so nice to me. Emma gets jealous and whines to me all the time about it.”
She let out a small snicker.
Elias grinned. “I’m nice to her too. She’s just a little brat who refuses to see it.”
Sophia rolled her eyes but her smile widened.
“Still… I’m really grateful to you for arranging this opportunity. I wouldn’t have been able to get it if it weren’t for you. Thank you for making everything so smooth.”
“It’s not a big deal,” he replied, his hands still resting casually in his pockets. “You’ve helped our business for years. You deserve it.”
He looked at her seriously now.
“You have the right experience and knowledge. This opportunity landed in the right person’s hands at the right time. I didn’t give you anything, Sophia. You earned it.”
Her gaze softened at his words.
Meanwhile, across the street, inside his car, Magnus hadn’t moved.
His eyes burned as they remained fixed on the two of them.
Burning.
They stood close to each other — too close for his liking. The way they spoke so comfortably. The way it seemed natural. Familiar.
Like this was their daily routine.
Like they were a couple.
The more he watched, the darker his expression became. His fingers slowly tightened around the steering wheel until his knuckles turned pale.
Without taking his eyes off them, he grabbed his phone from the seat beside him. He only glanced down for a split second to swipe Timothy’s name and press call.
The phone rang twice.
Magnus’s voice was cold, perfectly controlled.
“Whose name is the property registered under? The one Sophia is staying in.”
“I’ll check right now, sir.”
There was a brief pause. Magnus’s eyes never left Elias.
Moments later, Timothy’s voice returned.
“It appears to be registered under the name of Elias Creed.”
The line went silent.
Magnus’s jaw tightened so hard a vein stood out near his temple.
He ended the call abruptly, his thumb slamming the red button before tossing the phone onto the passenger seat. His face darkened, fury spreading across it uncontrollably.
“Elias fucking Creed?”
His voice dropped dangerously.
“She walked out of my house less than two days ago, and now she’s already living with another man?”
His grip on the steering wheel tightened further, leather creaking under the pressure.
Across from him, Elias suddenly stepped forward and pulled Sophia into a hug.
Magnus’s breathing stilled.
Elias’s arms wrapped around her shoulders to hug her. Sophia’s hands lightly rested against his chest for balance. After a moment, he pulled back just enough to hold her by the shoulders.
His face dipped near her ear.
“Take care of yourself when you reach there,” he said gently. “There’s no one in London to look after you. Make sure you eat properly. If you need anything, I’m just a call away. I’ll come there if I have to.”
His hand moved gently over her arm, patting her back in reassurance.
From where Magnus was watching—
It looked like Elias was kissing her.
Something inside Magnus snapped.
The fury that shot through his veins was beyond words. Heat surged through his body so violently that his vision blurred for a second.
Without thinking, he turned on the engine.
The next second, he slammed his foot on the accelerator.
The car shot forward violently.
The sudden aggressive sound made Elias’s head jerk up instantly. His instincts kicked in. He grabbed Sophia by the shoulders and pulled her sharply toward him.
A black car sped past the exact spot where they had been standing just a second earlier.
Wind rushed violently around them as the vehicle disappeared down the road.
Sophia’s heart pounded as she looked after it.
“That car…” she frowned slightly. “Why does it look familiar?”
She tried to focus on the number plate, but it was already too far away to see clearly.
Elias slowly released her, his brows slightly drawn together as he looked at the direction the car had vanished.
Then he turned back to her.
“Are you scared about going to London alone?” he asked, studying her face. “You’ve never lived alone in another country before. This will be your first time, right? Are you nervous?”
Sophia forced a small smile.
“It’s fine,” she said, brushing off the uneasy feeling in her chest. “I’m used to being alone.”
Elias gave her a soft nod.
“Alright.”
Sophia hesitated for a moment, fidgeting slightly with her fingers before looking up at him again.
“There’s something important I need to tell you.”
“What is it?” Elias asked gently, his eyes studying her face. He sensed the shift in her expression.
Sophia took a quiet breath.
“I got married.”
She paused.
“And divorced.”
Elias blinked.
“What?” His brows drew together in confusion. “To whom?”
He searched her face for a sign that she was joking.
“And how come I wasn’t invited to the wedding?”
“It’s not like that,” Sophia said quickly, shaking her head. “It wasn’t a real marriage. It was just a contract marriage.”
Her gaze dropped briefly to the ground. A faint, bitter smile appeared and disappeared just as quickly.
“And then…” She swallowed. “I fell in love with him.”
The words were soft.
“But it didn’t work out. We divorced a few days ago. It’s over.”
Elias stared at her for a long moment.
Then he let out a breath, running a hand through his hair.
“You’re so smart,” he said quietly. “And yet… you’re so stupid sometimes.”
There was no mockery in his tone. Just frustration.
Sophia gave him a tired look.
“Why would you do something like that? A contract marriage?”
“It was necessary back then,” she forced a small smile. “But it’s fine now. I’m leaving anyway. After a few months, I’ll forget about him. Eventually… I might even forget I was ever married.”
Elias clearly wasn’t happy with that answer, but he didn’t push further.
Instead, he glanced at his watch.
“The car will be here at one in the morning to pick you up. Your flight is at 4 AM.”
“Okay,” Sophia nodded.
Elias gently patted her arm. “Go upstairs and sleep. Don’t stay up late. Otherwise you won’t wake up in time.”
Sophia nodded and turned around, walking back into the apartment building without looking back.
***
Magnus slammed the whiskey bottle down on the kitchen counter so hard the glass nearly cracked.
He had already drunk too much. His tie hung loose around his neck, his shirt collar open.
Timothy stood a few steps away, watching as Magnus staggered toward the stairs, his steps uneven but fast.
“Mr. Graves, you’re going to fall,” Timothy called out in alarm.
Magnus ignored him.
He climbed the stairs with unsteady steps, gripping the railing tightly. His breathing was rough, uneven.
He stormed into the bedroom and flung the door open.