7. She wasnt bluffing
Adrian’s Pov:
While Sophia was talking to me that morning, my phone rang.
It was the office.
There had been a virus attack in one of our systems, and the IT department couldn’t handle it alone.
I had to leave immediately.
Without another word, I walked out of the room and headed straight to the company.
By the time I reached the office, the whole technical team was in chaos.
After nearly two hours of dealing with the problem, everything was finally under control.
I let out a tired sigh as I entered my cabin.
Evan Miller was already sitting there waiting for me.
Evan and I had been friends since high school.
He owned a successful company of his own, but no matter how busy he was, he always showed up whenever I needed him.
I dropped into my chair and leaned back.
“Finally,” I muttered.
Evan smirked. “Rough morning?”
Before I could answer, the cabin door opened.
Vanessa walked in.
Like always, she didn’t knock.
She never had to.
She leaned against my desk and looked between us.
“So?” she asked. “What happened with the system?”
Evan and I explained the issue briefly.
She nodded, then looked at me curiously.
“And what happened this morning?”
I knew exactly what she meant.
“Sophia wanted to talk,” I said casually. “So she asked Lily to go with you.”
Vanessa narrowed her eyes.
“You and Sophia talked?”
I shrugged.
“Not really.”
Then I added, almost amused,
“She asked for a divorce.”
Evan straightened immediately.
“What?”
I looked at him calmly.
“She was bluffing.”
Evan frowned.
I leaned back in my chair and gave a short chuckle.
“She has nowhere to go, Evan. She doesn’t work. She has no one. She won’t survive without me.”
Vanessa crossed her arms, her expression suddenly serious.
“No, baby, don’t be so sure.”
I looked at her.
“She trapped you once with that pregnancy,” Vanessa said. “What if she’s asking for divorce just to get alimony?”
I waved my hand dismissively.
“No. She won’t.”
Then, lowering my voice slightly, I admitted,
“Though... she did look really upset.”
Vanessa’s expression softened immediately.
“Well,” she said with a smile, stepping closer to me, “if she leaves, then that’s good for us.”
Her fingers traced lightly over my shoulder.
“Then we can finally get married.”
I gave a small nod.
“Yeah.”
Satisfied, Vanessa smiled and walked out of the cabin.
The room fell silent.
Evan was staring at me.
I already knew what he was thinking.
He had met Sophia once or twice before, and he had never approved of the way things were between Vanessa and me.
Finally, he spoke.
“You have treated her terribly.”
I opened my laptop, barely looking at him.
“What are you talking about?”
He let out an incredulous laugh.
“Adrian, you’ve practically tortured her.”
I frowned.
“Tortured?” I repeated. “She lives in a mansion, has everything she needs, doesn’t have to work a day in her life. How exactly is that torture?”
Evan sighed and shook his head.
“You really don’t get it.”
I ignored him.
After a pause, he asked,
“So what happened after she asked for divorce?”
I shrugged.
“Nothing. We were talking when I got the office call, so I left.”
Evan stared at me in disbelief.
“You left?”
“It was urgent.”
“Adrian,” he said sharply, “she asked for a divorce, and you just walked out?”
I sighed in frustration.
“Why are you so worried? She’s not going anywhere.”
Evan leaned forward.
“You need to go home and talk to her right now.”
I rubbed my forehead.
“She can’t do anything, Evan.”
“She is your wife,” he snapped, “and the mother of your daughter.”
I knew from the look on his face that he wasn’t going to drop it.
So I stood up.
“Fine,” I said. “I’ll go after picking up Lily.”
---
That afternoon, Vanessa and I went to pick Lily up.
As usual, Lily spent time at my office.
Sometimes in the play area.
Sometimes in my cabin.
Sometimes with Vanessa.
Lily adored her.
And honestly, it made things easier.
Evan had already left, so there was no one to lecture me anymore.
Besides, Lily and I weren’t planning to return home that night.
We were staying at Vanessa’s place.
---
The next morning, after breakfast at Vanessa’s apartment, Lily and I headed home.
The moment we entered the mansion, Lily ran upstairs.
“Mommy! I’m back!” she shouted excitedly.
A moment later, she came running down again.
“Daddy, Mommy isn’t there.”
I loosened my tie.
“She’s probably in the garden or another room.”
Before Lily could say anything else, James entered the hallway.
“Mr. Whitmore,” he said carefully, “Mrs. Whitmore left yesterday with her friend, Miss June Adler.”
Lily tilted her head.
“Oh,” she said innocently, “Mommy went for a sleepover too?”
I didn’t answer.
Something cold settled in my chest.
Without another word, I went upstairs.
I entered our bedroom and walked straight to Sophia’s closet.
I opened it.
Half the space was empty.
Her clothes were gone.
I turned to the vanity.
The makeup she always kept there—
gone.
I opened the cabinet where she kept her documents.
Empty.
My pulse quickened.
I walked into the bathroom.
Her skincare products had always lined the shelves.
Now the racks were nearly bare.
I stood there in the silence, staring at the emptiness she had left behind.
Then slowly, I looked up at my reflection in the mirror.
And the truth hit me.
She left.
Sophia had actually left.
She wasn’t bluffing.
She was gone.
So how was this chapter?
Adrian got to know about Sophia's departure a day later??. What do you think what will he do next?