Replacement Bride Left With His Baby (Sophia and Easton) novel Chapter 70

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

**Chapter 70**

In the tangled web of the Weston family, trust was a rare commodity, and if there was one person who embodied this distrust, it was Nicolas. Whenever his gaze fell upon Sophia, it was as if his eyes ignited with an insatiable hunger, a fire that made her skin crawl.

As she stepped into the dimly lit side hall, the sudden buzz of her phone broke the silence. “May, are you here yet?” she asked, her voice tinged with a mix of anticipation and irritation.

“Yeah, I’m in the front hall. Just ran into a few old clients and chatted for a bit. Where are you? I’ll come find you,” came May’s cheerful reply, her voice cutting through the murmur of the gathering crowd.

Sophia informed her of her location in the side hall. As she ended the call and turned to head back, she found herself nearly colliding with a figure looming behind her. “Sorry,” she murmured, her politeness a thin veneer over her rising discomfort.

Nicolas stood there, his eyes narrowing as a mischievous smirk danced on his lips. He took a moment to drink in her appearance, his gaze lingering uncomfortably, as if he were appraising a fine piece of art.

A shiver of unease coursed through Sophia at his heated scrutiny, causing her demeanor to shift abruptly, turning icy. She instinctively stepped aside, desperate to create distance between them, to escape the intensity of his gaze.

“Ms. Roth, long time no see,” Nicolas drawled, his voice oozing with a false sense of camaraderie that sent a chill down her spine.

Sophia raised an eyebrow, confusion knitting her brow. “And you are?” she asked, her tone sharp and guarded.

“Nicolas. We met once, a long time ago,” he replied, his tone casual, as if they were old friends rather than strangers.

Sophia stared at him, her memory a blank slate. Yet, the name rang a bell—he was Stella’s brother, the notorious playboy who had spent years abroad, leaving a trail of chaos in his wake. Recently, he had been dragged back to Jenston by the weight of family obligation.

“Sorry, I have no memory of that. Would you mind moving aside?” she shot back, her impatience flaring as she glared at him with frosty disdain.

Sophia laughed, shaking her head gently, her spirits lifting despite the earlier encounter.

Meanwhile, across the room, Easton had just finished a conversation with Ryan. He let his gaze wander, though he tried to mask his search for Sophia. Yet, she was nowhere to be found, and a subtle worry began to gnaw at him.

He glanced at his watch, noting that it was still early in the evening. Surely, she hadn’t left yet. With a determined stride, he made his way over to Ryan and Charles, grabbing a glass from a nearby table as he joined them.

“Easton, work never seems to stop for you. I just spotted your usual companion—Ms. Weston—mingling in the crowd. Why isn’t she on your arm tonight? You always bring her to these shindigs. Have you set your sights on someone new?” Charles teased, his eyebrows waggling in amusement.

Ryan chimed in, laughter bubbling from his lips, “Seriously, Charles, lay off. Easton didn’t bring a date tonight. He came solo.”

Easton shot them both a cool glance, irritation flickering in his eyes as he tried to brush off their banter. “I saw May here,” he replied curtly, hoping to divert the conversation away from his lack of a date.