Replacement Bride Left With His Baby (Sophia and Easton) novel Chapter 44

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

**Chapter 44**

Stella found herself momentarily paralyzed by Easton’s words, her expression hardening into a mask of disbelief. It was as if a cold wave of betrayal washed over her; his tone hinted at an unsettling allegiance to Sophia, as if he were crafting justifications for her behavior.

Easton, however, seemed oblivious to Stella’s turmoil. He turned sharply on his heel and strode out of the hotel lobby, each step heavy with the weight of unexpressed thoughts and unresolved feelings.

With a simmering resentment igniting in her gaze, Stella watched him retreat, her heart pounding in her chest. She pressed her fingers against her cheek, where the sting of recent emotions lingered, and a fierce determination ignited within her. “You’ll pay for this, Sophia,” she murmured under her breath, her voice low and filled with venom. “I swear, I’ll make sure of it.”

As Easton exited the hotel, his demeanor was somber, a palpable heaviness surrounding him that seemed to still the very air.

Gordon, his loyal driver, stole a careful glance in the rearview mirror, gauging Easton’s mood. “Mr. Foster,” he ventured cautiously, “are we heading back to the office, or are we going home?”

By home, Gordon meant the sprawling Windmere Estate, a place that held both memories and burdens.

“Office,” Easton replied curtly, his voice sharp and devoid of warmth.

Gordon chose not to press the matter further, recognizing the storm brewing within his employer. He simply started the car, pulling away from the hotel’s entrance, the tires crunching against the gravel.

Once they arrived at the office, Easton stood before the massive panoramic windows, the cityscape sprawling beneath him like a tapestry of chaos. In a fit of frustration, he yanked off his tie and threw it aside, the fabric landing with a soft thud on the polished floor.

Sophia’s words echoed in his mind, haunting him relentlessly, and the image of her tear-streaked face pierced through his thoughts like a dagger. A profound guilt settled heavily in his chest, a bitter truth that he could not escape: he was the architect of her pain.

*****

Meanwhile, nestled in the backseat of her car, Sophia instructed her driver to contact the hotel manager, requesting that her forgotten phone be sent to the Roth residence.

Sophia noticed a glass of electrolyte water waiting for her on the table beside the pond, its presence a small comfort.

She picked it up, taking a grateful sip, the cool liquid soothing her parched throat. “You always know just what I need, Uncle Edward,” she replied, a smile breaking through her melancholy.

After finishing the drink, she settled beside Edward, the warmth of his presence wrapping around her like a protective cloak.

“Your eyes seem a bit red,” Edward observed, his voice laced with tender concern. “Have you been crying?”

Sophia marveled at his perceptiveness, how he seemed to notice every detail. She looked down, a soft, wistful smile gracing her lips. “It’s nothing really. I just heard one of Mom and Dad’s favorite songs on the way home, and it brought back memories of them.”

Edward reached out, giving her hand a gentle squeeze, a silent promise of support. “Let’s visit them at the cemetery this weekend. We can bring Lucas along—he’s old enough now. It’s about time you didn’t have to make those visits alone.”

His words hung in the air, a lifeline thrown into her sea of sorrow, and for a moment, Sophia felt a flicker of hope.