The Confrontation
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The living room felt smaller than it had any right to, oppressively so, as if the walls themselves were closing in.
Adrian sat on the sofa beside Sophia, his posture relaxed, one arm draped casually along the backrest behind her. He’d changed into the spare clothes she’d given him…a simple black shirt and dark jeans that actually fit reasonably well. His hair was still damp, pushed back from his face, and he looked… composed. Completely, maddeningly composed.
Sophia, on the other hand, sat rigid beside him, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. She’d changed into a cream- colored blouse and slacks, but her discomfort was palpable. Her eyes kept darting between her mother and the door, as if calculating escape routes.
Across from them, the situation was decidedly less calm.
Sophia’s mother…Mrs. Laurent…sat in the armchair with her spine straight and her expression caught somewhere between shock and fury. Her designer suit was immaculate, not a thread out of place, but her face had gone through several color changes in the past ten minutes. Currently, it had settled on a mottled red that suggested an internal war between outrage and the need to maintain appearances.
Beside her, Aunt Marie perched on the edge of the second armchair, her sharp eyes darting between Adrian and Sophia like a bird watching for sudden movements. Her mouth was pressed into a thin, disapproving line.
And then there was Alexander Chen.
He stood near the window, too agitated to sit, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. His face was flushed, his jaw working as if he were physically restraining himself from speaking. The humiliation from the restaurant incident still burned in his eyes…that public mockery, the blacklist revelation, being forced to leave while Adrian walked away untouched.
He looked like a man barely holding onto his composure, one wrong word away from exploding.
The silence stretched, thick and uncomfortable, broken only by the faint hum of traffic from the street below.
Finally, Sophia broke it.
“Mom,” she said, her voice carefully controlled but laced with confusion. “What are you doing here?”
Mrs. Laurent’s eyebrows rose. “What am I doing here? In my own daughter’s apartment? Checking on her welfare?” Her tone was light, almost amused, but there was steel underneath. “I should think that’s obvious, Sophia.”
“I told you I would meet you at the restaurant,” Sophia said, her discomfort giving way to irritation. “There was no need to…”
“To what? To actually ensure you’d show up?” Mrs. Laurent cut her off sharply. Her composure cracked slightly, revealing genuine frustration beneath. “Let’s not pretend you have a spotless record when it comes to these arrangements, darling. How many times have you ‘suddenly fallen ill‘ right before dinner? How many ‘emergency work situations‘ have conveniently arisen just as you were supposed to meet a perfectly suitable young man?”
Sophia’s jaw tightened. “Those weren’t excuses…”
“They were absolutely excuses,” Mrs. Laurent said flatly. “Which is precisely why I changed my mind about meeting at the restaurant. I brought Mr. Chen here directly so you couldn’t run away this time.”
Alexander shifted at the mention of his name, his expression darkening further.
“I see,” Sophia said coldly. “So this is an ambush.”
“I am ensuring her daughter doesn’t sabotage her own future,” Mrs. Laurent corrected. Her eyes slid to Adrian,
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This Confrontation
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and her expression soured further. “Though it seems I arrived just in time to prevent… whatever that was in your bathroom.”
Sophia’s face flushed. “We were fixing a broken pipe…‘
“Aunt Marie interjected, her voice dripping with disapproval. “Really, Sophia. We weren’t born yesterday.”
“Nothing inappropriate happened,” Adrian said, his voice calm and even. It was the first time he’d spoken since they’d all sat down, and somehow the quiet authority in his tone cut through the tension like a knife.
All eyes turned to him.
Alexander took a step forward, his restraint finally snapping. “You,” he said, his voice shaking with barely contained rage. “You have a lot of nerve showing your face here after what you did at the restaurant.”
Adrian’s expression didn’t change. He simply looked at Alexander with that same infuriatingly calm gaze, as if the other man’s anger was a mildly interesting curiosity.
“What I did?” Adrian asked mildly. “I don’t recall doing anything at all.”
“You humiliated me!” Alexander’s voice rose, his face going red.
“You simply faced the consequences of your own actions,” Adrian finished quietly. “Yes. I remember.”
Alexander’s hands clenched tighter. “You owe me an apology.”
The absurd and entitled demand hung in the air.
Sophia stood abruptly, her patience finally exhausted. “He will do no such thing,” she said, her voice cold and sharp as ice. “And if you don’t watch your tone, I’ll throw you out of my apartment right now.”
Mrs. Laurent rose as well, alarm flashing across her face. “Sophia! That’s incredibly rude. Mr. Chen is our guest…”
“He’s your guest,” Sophia corrected. “I didn’t invite him here. You brought him here without asking me, without my permission, and now he’s standing in my home demanding apologies from my…” She caught herself, took a breath. “From Adrian, who has done nothing wrong.”
“Your what?” Mrs. Laurent’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Your what, Sophia?”
Sophia glanced at Adrian. He met her gaze steadily, and something passed between them.
She turned back to her mother, lifted her chin, and said clearly: “My fiancé.”
The silence that followed was absolute.
Mrs. Laurent’s mouth fell open. Aunt Marie made a strangled sound. Alexander actually took a step backward, as if physically struck.
“Your… what?” Mrs. Laurent’s voice came out as barely a whisper.
“Adrian and I are getting married,” Sophia said, and even though her heart was hammering in her chest, her voice remained steady. “So whatever plans you had for tonight, whatever schemes you’ve been cooking up with your matchmaking dinners and ‘suitable young men,‘ you can forget them. I’m not interested. I’m not available. I’m engaged.”
“You can’t be serious,” Mrs. Laurent said, her voice rising. You’ve known this man for…what, a few weeks? You know nothing about him! His family, his background, his prospects…”
“I know everything I need to know,” Sophia interrupted firmly. “He’s kind. He’s intelligent. He treats me with respect. And more importantly, I love him.”
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The words hung in the air, shocking even Sophia herself. She hadn’t planned to say them. Hadn’t even fully admitted them to herself until this moment.
But now that they were out, she realized they were true.
Alexander let out a bitter laugh. “This is insane. You’re throwing away your future for…for him?” He gestured at Adrian dismissively. “A nobody with no connections, no status, nothing to offer you?”
“He has more to offer me than you ever could,” Sophia said coldly. “He has integrity.”
Alexander’s face went purple. He opened his mouth, no doubt to launch into another tirade, but Adrian stood smoothly, his hand still clasping Sophia’s.
“I think it’s time for you to leave, Mr. Chen,” Adrian said quietly.
It wasn’t a suggestion.
Alexander started to protest, but something in Adrian’s eyes…something cold and utterly final…made the words die in his throat. Despite his anger, despite his humiliation, some primal instinct warned him not to push further.
He looked to Mrs. Laurent desperately, but she was staring at Sophia with an expression of mingled shock and betrayal.
“Fine,” Alexander spat finally. “Throw your life away. But don’t come crying to me when this all falls apart and you’re left with nothing.”
He stormed toward the door, yanked it open, and slammed it behind him with enough force to rattle the frames on
the walls.
The silence he left behind was somehow even heavier than before.
Mrs. Laurent slowly sank back into her chair, her hand pressed to her chest as if physically wounded. “Sophia,” she said, her voice shaking. “Please tell me this is some kind of joke. Some kind of rebellion phase you’re going through.”
“It’s not a joke, Mother,” Sophia said quietly. “I’m serious about Adrian. Completely serious.”
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
