Too Late She Already Married Mr. Right (Sophia) novel Chapter 273

But the doorway out of the private room was blocked by the newcomer. If she wanted to get away, there was no choice but to pass right by him.

"If I did that, wouldn't I basically be handing myself over on a silver platter?" she thought.

Sophia locked eyes with Richard, whose gaze was as deep as a bottomless pool. His eyes seemed to hold countless unspoken words, speaking volumes without a single sound.

For days now. Sophia had been desperately trying to shove that night out of her mind, hypnotizing herself into believing nothing had happened at all.

But every time midnight came, those dreams haunted her again and again.

She could feel Richard's scorching breath on her skin, his voice whispering in her ear.

Just thinking about those words made her cheeks burn with shame.

She never expected that someone as self-restrained and detached as Richard would be so intense and full of desire in bed

His warm lips and sweet words could melt away all her defenses.

"Oh my god, someone help!' Sophia screamed inwardly, her heart pounding. 'I seriously can't let my mind get stuck in this gutter! I have to get out of here, now-before I totally lose it!'

Annabelle was already tipsy, feeling all floaty as the young guys kept sweetly calling her one after another.

But the instant she spotted Richard at the doorway, her drunken haze snapped away.

"U-Uncle Richard, w-what are you doing here in Haisburg? You should've told us beforehand-we would've picked you up!" Annabelle stammered, still a bit flustered.

At least that way, they wouldn't have been totally caught off guard.

And especially not right when the night was peaking-with male models everywhere and everyone living it up.

Richard didn't even spare her a glance. If I'd told her I was coming, she probably would've already dragged Sophia out of here, he thought.

He strolled over, his tone casual. "Just in Haisburg for work.

Passed by the private room, heard a familiar voice, and thought I'd drop in.

"Looks like you guys are having a good time," he added, his words practically dripping with sarcasm.

The word "good time" was spat out through clenched teeth, practically sizzling with barely contained anger.

Annabelle hunched her shoulders and shot Richard a sheepish glance before quickly looking away.

"Come on, it's not really what it looks like! We just bumped into Erica by chance, decided to get together, and, well, invited a few of the guys just to spice things up. That's all," Annabelle stuttered, hoping to sound innocent.

"Wow, didn't peg you guys for this type," Richard said coolly as he walked over, his presence dominating the whole room.

The young men inside fell silent, completely cowed by his energy.

They were no strangers to nightlife, eyes sharp enough to spot a heavyweight as soon as he appeared

On his wrist was a watch worth millions, glacier-blue sapphire cufflinks at his sleeves, and the entire getup was custom-tailored luxury.

This was a genuine big shot-for sure, not someone you'd want to cross.

Especially the two young men who'd been clinging to Sophia like her personal entourage-they were feeling the burn way more than anyone else.

With Richard looming right beside them, it was like his stare could slice them to ribbons on the spot.

Sophia was so on edge that every time she tried to say something, the words got stuck in her throat-she just couldn't get a single word out.

Erica, still totally out of the loop, blurted out, "Whoa, who is this insanely gorgeous guy? Never thought i'd see a male model this hot at a club-"

Before she could even finish the word "model," Annabelle swooped in and clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Girl, give it a rest, will you?" Annabelle hissed, her scalp prickling with nerves.

Annabelle was nervous as hell, still clamping a hand over Erica's mouth as she edged her way toward the door.

"Uh, Sophie, Erica, and I gotta run to the bathroom really quick. You and Uncle Richard have a real talk," Annabelle mumbled, obviously just trying to escape.

With that, she grabbed all the guys she'd invited and made her getaway. In seconds, only Sophia and Richard were left alone in the private room.

Sophia wanted to bolt, but her legs just wouldn't cooperate -they felt like jelly.

She could tell Richard's presence wasn't gentle anymore-it was downright intimidating.

Right now, he was oozing pure menace.

If she even dared to run, he'd probably just drag her back, snap her legs, and lock her away somewhere.

Seeing Annabelle bail on her like that, leaving her alone to deal with Richard, Sophia was so ticked off she could've written a whole essay just to rant about it.

"Seriously, some friend! No loyalty at ail!' Sophia griped to herself.

Inside the private room, Richard watched as Sophia lowered her head, just staring blankly at the floor.

All that anger vanished, replaced by helpless affection for her.

He sat down beside her.

The cushion sank under Richard's weight, and before Sophia knew it, her body leaned helplessly toward him-completely out of her control.

Flustered, she clung to the edge of the sofa for dear life, determined not to end up crashing straight into his arms.

"Mr. Sterling, it's been a while. Have you been doing okay?" Sophia finally blurted out, her voice barely above a whisper, nerves on edge.

"Wait... isn't he supposed to be busy entertaining guests next door? Is it really okay for him to just fall asleep in here?' Sophia thought, her mind full of disbelief.

But soon enough, Richard's breathing became soft and steady next to her ear-he'd actually drifted off, fast asleep.

Sophia had figured Richard had tracked her down to Haisburg to get some answers about what happened that night.

But he didn't say a single word-just came over, curled up beside her, and actually fell asleep. And I mean literally-just sleep. nothing else.

Her racing heart finally eased.

Truth to be told, in moments like this, Sophia's heart was in absolute turmoil. If Richard suddenly wanted to make things official between them, she honestly had no idea how she'd even respond.

Deep down, that invisible moral compass wouldn't let her cross the line while her previous marriage was still a mess she hadn't

resolved

What she truly wanted was to start fresh-only after settling her past would she be able to face Richard, herself, and the world with a clear conscience.

Richard wasn't pressing her for answers or pushing her into a corner. Instead, he was letting her breathe, and for that, she was deeply relieved

Richard was completely out cold, falling into a deep sleep right beside her.

Sophia's whole body finally started to unclench, a wave of relief washing over her-then suddenly, her phone screen lit up on the sofa.

Sophia glanced at Richard, his head nestled right against her neck

—all she could really see was a mess of his shiny hair.

She reached over, picked up her phone, and unlocked the screen.

Annabelle pinged her on WhatsApp. [We snagged a new private room next door.

[Once you're done over there, come join us!]

Sophia stared at the words "done with it" and couldn't help but let her thoughts slip into the gutter, her imagination running wild for no reason.

"Wait, done with what?' she wondered, a mix of embarrassment and fluster racing across her face.

Freaked that Annabelle might get the wrong idea and think she'd hooked up with Richard again, Sophia hurried to clear things up and shot back a message.

Sophia: [All done here. Richard was totally knocked out and fell asleep.]

Annabelle fired right back. [Seriously? Uncle Richard finished that quickly? It's only been a few minutes. Don't tell me he's.... You know, not up to it?]

Sophia just stood there, at a total loss for words.

'Perfect. Annabelle just went there, and now I'm stuck in the gutter with her, Sophia thought inwardly, half mortified, half ready to tear her hair out.