CHAPTER 104
Sophia’s POV
The elevator ride up to the executive suite was enveloped in an uneasy silence. Julia and I stood side by side, the quiet hum of the elevator filling the space between us. I glanced at her reflection in the mirrored walls, noticing the furrow in her brow and the way she kept wringing her hands.
When the elevator dinged softly and the doors slid open, we stepped out and walked down the plush carpeted hallway.
Gosh, she seems so tense. I wonder what’s going on in her mind.
We reached the door to our suite, and I swiped the keycard, pushing the door open.
The moment we stepped inside, Julia broke the silence. “Sophia,” she began, her voice wavering, “I need to apologize for the way I acted the other day.”
I turned to look at her, surprised. “What do you mean?”
She took a deep breath, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “I was rude to you. I said some things I shouldn’t have. I… I was missing my grandmother a lot that day. Grandma Evelyn… she’s never really accepted me until now. She’s always been aloof, distant. And when I saw how much she seemed to like you, it hurt.”
I softened at her words, my irritation from our last conversation melting away. “Julia, I understand. Family dynamics can be really complicated… And especially in your case.”
She nodded, biting her lip. “There’s more to it, though. Grandma has Alzheimer’s. Sometimes she gets things mixed up. I guess this is the reason why she keeps imagining you to be the little Sabrina she remembers, and… well, I hope you don’t take it seriously if she does.”
“Oh, I see,” I said in surprise. “But I get it. Don’t worry. Both of us know you’re the real Sabrina and I’m not.
As I said those words, I suddenly recalled the snapshot of little Sabrina that Evelyn had shown before. The girl in the picture could pass off as Reese’s sister! And Reese certainly resembled me a lot. Maybe this is why Evelyn kept mistaking me for Sabrina…
Julia smiled. “Thanks for understanding. Oh, and I’m really grateful that you still accepted me to be part of the project team for Grandma and Grandpa’s house design. I’m hoping it will also help me become closer to them.”
“Ah, yes, of course. That would be nice, and you’ll surely have a lot of good input. We can meet about it after the conference.”
“Actually, I’ve already discussed some things with Lilith, and I also talked to Grandpa,” Julia said excitedly, her eyes shimmering. She began describing some ideas that she had, a couple of which would change the whole concept that I’d already laid out.
I wanted to tell her that I was still leading this project, but I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. And besides, she was too eager at the moment.
It’s wiser to just smile and nod for now, I thought. Anyway, I still have to share a room with her and be with her for the rest of the design conference. It’s best that we set aside all our differences first. Who knows? This New York trip may just be our chance to learn to work better together.
NUS
Suddenly, there was a sharp knock on the door, interrupting our conversation.
“I’ll get it,” I said, rising from the bed. Julia nodded, her eyes twinkling with curiosity.
Opening the door, I froze. Standing there was Elijah, looking as composed and handsome as ever. “Hello, Sophia,” he said smoothly. “We haven’t really had a chance to talk much since the flight.”
I blinked, momentarily lost for words. “Elijah… Hi.”
He gave me a small, almost nostalgic smile. “Would you join me for dinner? We have some important matters to discuss.”
I felt my heart rate spike. There was only one important matter that came to mind. Reese.
“Okay,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “We can eat somewhere and talk there. I’m starving!”
Elijah chuckled. “Yeah, me too. Let’s go.”
Julia, who had been listening intently from her perch on the bed, suddenly interjected, “Oh, dinner in New York! There are so many great places. I’d love to join you both. There’s this fantastic Italian place just a few blocks away-”
Elijah turned to her, his expression polite but firm. “Julia, I think it’s best if Sophia and I have this dinner alone, for now. We have some personal matters to discuss.”
The room’s atmosphere shifted palpably. Julia’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and she stammered, “Oh, yes, of course. I understand. Personal matters.”
Elijah, always the diplomat, softened his tone. “I apologize, Julia. How about tomorrow night? After my business meeting, we could all go out for dinner. You, me, Sophia, and Trevis.”
Julia pouted slightly but nodded, her enthusiasm dampened. “Yeah, sure.”
Okay, here we go again. I really hoped she wouldn’t be too sensitive about this. She should understand that Elijah and I have a child together and thus will always be somehow connected in an exclusive way.
“Have fun, guys,” she called out as we stepped away from the door. But her tone seemed a little overenthusiastic, and her smile certainly didn’t reach her eyes.
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