Chapter 7 He’s Not My Family
“Of course not,” he said at once. He lifted the bags and gently pushed them toward her. “Would you like me to take these inside and place them on the table, or would you prefer to carry them yourself?”
Sophia sighed in defeat. “Give them to me.”
She took the bags from him, turned around, and headed back into the house.
As she headed inside to get dressed, a text from Timothy popped up on her phone: “Mr. Graves is on the way to pick you up. He’ll reach home in about an hour.”
She set the phone aside and moved toward the vanity to do her makeup.
Getting ready took longer than she expected. By the time she finished her makeup, more than an hour had already passed. She didn’t hear a car, footsteps, or any call, so she assumed Magnus hadn’t arrived yet.
Once she was all done, she left the room and headed downstairs to wait for him.
But as she descended the stairs, she froze.
Magnus was already there—standing in the living room, his attention fixed on the television. The movie she’d been watching earlier was still playing.
The moment her footsteps echoed through the house, he turned around.
And then he simply stared.
She was wearing a long, full-length white silk dress that brushed her knees. Over it, she’d draped a thin, delicate net layer, almost like silk sleeves covering her arms. The dress itself was simple, but on her, it looked breathtaking.
Magnus couldn’t tear his eyes away.
He stared so intently that he didn’t even notice when Timothy called his name.
“Mr. Graves?” Timothy called again, having to raise his voice to finally get his attention.
Magnus turned, startled. “Yeah?”
Timothy hesitated, then let out an awkward laugh. “It’s… raining a little.”
Sophia’s eyes immediately shifted toward the door. A light drizzle was falling. She frowned and glanced down at the brand-new dress she was wearing. Without thinking, she said quickly, “I’ll just go grab my jacket.”
She had barely turned when her wrist was suddenly caught.
She froze and turned back, startled—only to find Magnus holding her hand.
Before she could say anything, he released her wrist, shrugged off his own coat, and draped it over her shoulders instead. His movements were unhurried and careful. He adjusted the coat gently, making sure it sat properly on her shoulders, his fingers brushing lightly against her collarbone.
Sophia stood there, stunned.
Her heart skipped.
She looked up at his face, at the focused expression in his eyes, at the quiet gentleness in his gestures. Her breath caught as confusion flooded her thoughts.
‘Am I hallucinating… or has he really changed since the first time we met?’
The man she remembered had been rough. Cold. A complete jerk.
And now—this?
She hadn’t even finished processing the moment when Magnus reached for her hand again.
“Let’s go,” he said.
Sophia gasped softly in surprise as his fingers closed around hers. He didn’t look at her, simply pulled her toward the door, leading her out of the house as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
It didn’t take long for them to reach the Graves mansion.
Magnus stepped out first, circled the car, and opened the door for her. Sophia looked up at him in surprise when he extended his hand. After a brief hesitation, she placed her hand in his and stepped out.
The rain had already stopped.
“Are you cold?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No… actually, I feel a bit warm.”
He gave a short nod, then lifted the jacket off her shoulders and slipped it back on himself. Almost instinctively, his hand slid into hers again, fingers tightening as he pulled her toward the house.
They entered together.
As they headed into the living room, a woman was already seated on the couch, flipping through a magazine.
At the sound of their footsteps, her eyes flickered up. When she saw them, a smile immediately spread across her face.
“You’re already here?” she said in surprise as she stood up. “I thought you’d take a bit more time. I would’ve come out to welcome you. Why didn’t you text me that you’d arrived?”
She didn’t wait for an answer. Walking straight up to Sophia, she wrapped her in a warm hug. Then she turned to Magnus and fixed him with a sharp look.
“I wanted to make a good impression on her, but you ruined it.”
Sophia smiled politely. “Mrs. Graves, thank you for thinking of me. It’s really okay. I don’t mind.”
Sophia noticed she was slightly taller than Camila. Camila looked gentle but strong, her presence warm and lively, far younger-looking than any woman who had raised three grown sons.
Camila took Sophia’s hands, smiling brightly. “I’ve been wondering how you’re adjusting to the new house. Don’t worry about anything—if there’s even the smallest problem, just tell me, and I’ll take care of it for you.”
Sophia smiled and nodded.
Camila pulled her toward the couch, helping her sit down beside her.
“I saw your auction the other day,” Camila said brightly. “I was with a friend, and she showed me a video of you. I couldn’t believe how beautiful and fierce you looked. It was fascinating.”
She shook her head in disbelief.
“I never thought we’d have an auctioneer in our house,” she continued, laughing softly, “but look at you. My friend said she couldn’t take her eyes off you—you looked so graceful and confident.
” Her eyes sparkled with pride. “I was so happy that I ended up bragging about you to all my friends. When I showed them the video, everyone loved it so much!”
She leaned closer, lowering her voice conspiratorially. “When I take you to meet them, they’ll probably ask for your autograph.”
Sophia’s heart jumped—happiness blooming alongside sudden nervousness.
“Thank you, Mrs. Graves,” Sophia said, visibly stunned.
In high society, all she had ever heard about her profession was criticism. Auctioneering was looked down upon—especially among families whose status came from business empires.
Standing on a stage and selling items, no matter how valuable, was considered improper. Again and again, she had been told to give it up and do something “respectable.”
That was all she had heard since the day she started working.
Because of that, she had assumed Camila would be the same. She had even prepared herself for the inevitable—being asked to quit her job after marrying into the Graves family.
But instead…
Camila was praising her.
Bragging about her.
Showing her off to friends.
Something in Sophia’s chest softened—something she hadn’t realized had been tense for a long time.
Camila picked up a glass of water from the table and handed it to her.
Sophia accepted it automatically.
“We’ll also be hosting several auctions in the coming months,” Camila continued. “I’ll arrange for you to be the auctioneer. In fact—” she smiled mischievously, “—we’ll make them even bigger.”
She smiled with unmistakable pride. “I’ll make them so grand that when you step up to announce the items, people will be watching you more than the items being auctioned!”
“Don’t do that,” Magnus said at once, displeasure clear on his face.
Camila ignored him completely. Instead, she turned to Sophia and flashed her a bright smile.
Before Sophia could say a word, Camila pointed toward the table across the room. “Look at all of that,” she said cheerfully. “You have to take them with you before you leave.”
She glanced at Magnus pointedly. “You’re carrying all of them. Don’t forget.”
Sophia’s gaze followed Camila’s finger to the table—and her eyes widened.
The entire table was covered in gift boxes of every size imaginable, stacked and piled on top of one another. There had to be more than a hundred of them.
The sight made her look back at Camila in pure shock.
Camila then picked up a box resting at the center of the table. She opened it carefully and held it out toward Sophia.
“This is for you,” Camila said warmly. “This is a special set I give to all my daughters-in-law. Now it’s your turn.”
She smiled as she placed the box in Sophia’s hands.
Sophia looked down.
Inside lay a diamond necklace embedded with emeralds, the stones catching the light and sparkling brilliantly.
Sophia’s eyes widened instantly.
“Mrs. Graves… this is too expensive—” Her voice trailed off. The rest of the sentence died in her throat. The necklace alone probably cost more than everything she owned combined.
Camila gently pushed the box back toward her when Sophia instinctively tried to return it.
“Don’t give it back,” Camila said firmly. “This is a gift. I told you—it’s for all my daughters-in-law. Now it belongs to you.”
“But—”
Before she could say more, Magnus leaned closer. He placed his hand over the jewelry box and pressed it lightly into Sophia’s hands.
“Keep it,” Magnus said calmly. “This isn’t something you return. It’ll bring bad luck.”
He lied smoothly.
Sophia hesitated for a second before lowering her hands and accepting it.
‘We’re getting divorced in three months anyway, she thought quietly. Why would I keep something this expensive?’
They spent the rest of the day with Camila. After lunch, Sophia wandered around the mansion, accompanied by a maid who showed her the house—including Magnus’s old room.
Meanwhile, Camila and Magnus sat together in the living room.
Camila studied him closely. “So,” she asked, “do you like Sophia?”
Magnus lifted his eyes from his phone, briefly meeting her gaze.
Camila kept staring at him, her expression serious. She crossed one leg over the other, her posture casual—but her gaze sharp.
Camila continued. “Before getting married, you kept saying she wasn’t someone you would ever like. So tell me—what do you think of her now? Do you still think she isn’t suitable for you?”
Magnus avoided her gaze. He turned away without answering and continued scrolling through his phone.
Camila’s expression hardened. She straightened. “Don’t pretend to be deaf in front of me. I know everything.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Don’t think I don’t know about your little three-month contract marriage stunt, you little bastard.”