Replacement Bride Left With His Baby (Sophia and Easton) novel Chapter 18

**The Case of the Bleeding Shadows by Emma Blackwood**

Sophia had just shut her car door with a soft thud when she turned around, only to spot Easton emerging from his vehicle. A rush of adrenaline surged through her, and her heart did an involuntary flip. *What are the odds?* she mused, a mixture of surprise and irritation flaring within her.

With a quick, composed glance, she assessed him, but her resolve didn’t waver. She decided to ignore him completely, as if he were nothing more than a shadow passing by. She opened her car door once more, slid into the driver’s seat, and drove off, leaving him behind as if he were merely a figment of her imagination.

Easton, on the other hand, had long since lost track of how many times Sophia had chosen to give him the cold shoulder. In the small town of Jenston, she was the only one audacious enough to treat him with such indifference. Yet, as he pondered this, he came to a resigned conclusion: there was no longer a necessity for pleasantries between them.

With that thought lingering in his mind, he shrugged it off and, without casting another glance back, strode confidently into the bustling airport lobby alongside Gordon.

“Mr. Foster,” Gordon began, his tone professional yet curious, “since you’re personally heading to Japoria to negotiate with the head of Rothea Designs, should I reach out to them beforehand?”

Easton shook his head dismissively. “No need for that. If they were genuinely interested in meeting us, they wouldn’t have turned us down time and again. I’m simply going there to understand why they chose Crestview Group over Foster Group,” he replied, his voice steady but laced with determination.

As he spoke, Easton’s mind drifted back to the Rothea Designs logo he had spotted on Sophia’s bracelet not too long ago. That small detail had ignited a flicker of suspicion within him; perhaps she was more than just an acquaintance of Rothea’s enigmatic director.

The stakes for Foster Group’s upcoming project extended far beyond just Rothea Designs. It was about uncovering the elusive founder who operated from the shadows. Easton was resolute in his mission to track this person down, no matter the obstacles he might face.

Three years ago, a devastating fire had ravaged the museum that Easton’s father had established before his untimely passing, obliterating a significant portion of the building. In the aftermath, the director of Rothea Designs, who was also the mysterious founder, had stepped in to restore the museum without asking for anything in return. This individual not only revived the space but also infused it with retro elements that lent the entire place a timeless elegance. Easton recalled glimpsing those designs tucked away in his father’s old keepsakes. At the time, the technology had not yet caught up to his father’s vision, and those dreams had remained unrealized.

Lucas stepped forward, extending his small hand to Edward, who grasped it with a trembling grip. “Hello, young man,” Edward greeted, his voice thick with emotion.

“I’ve waited so long for you to come home,” he continued, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. “From now on, this place is your home,” he added, warmth radiating from his every word.

Watching Edward envelop Lucas in a tight embrace, Sophia felt a familiar sting in her nose, a telltale sign of tears threatening to spill. She couldn’t shake the feeling of gratitude mixed with sorrow; Edward had always harbored a sense of pity for her and Lucas, especially after all those years spent in Japoria without a family to rely on. She had faced the challenges of motherhood alone, a burden she had carried with quiet strength.

Just then, Julian approached, placing a reassuring hand on Edward’s shoulder. “Sophia and Lucas are here for good now, Dad,” he said, his tone warm and comforting. “You’ve got all the time in the world to dote on them.”

In that moment, surrounded by the warmth of family, Sophia felt a flicker of hope ignite within her heart.