she'd grown to love it and be very passionate about her job. But during times like these, she wished she weren't a public figure. It was like living under a magnifying glass, and everyone was waiting for her to make a mistake.
Her son chose that moment to kick her a bit. "Really, baby?" She looked down at her belly and quirked a grin.
"Is he kicking up a storm?" Zane asked.
She nodded. "He's always more active at night. I may be giving birth to a night owl."
Zane chuckled and moved his palm over her stomach. "Oh, I felt that one."
"Sophie?"
Sophie's head snapped up at the sound of that voice, and the last thing she wanted was to turn around. Brooklyn and Zane were sort of frozen, and Daniel and Noah were standing by the exit, waiting for their cars.
Help me.
"Sophie, don’t be a child. Face me, damn it." Dad sighed and came to stand in front of her.
She clenched her jaw and made sure her discomfort didn’t show. "What do you want? As you can see, I'm not crawling back to you, so there's no reason for you to speak to me."
She had to admit it was nice throwing his words back at him. Dad had been so fucking arrogant and confident, sure she'd be back with him in no time. Joke was on him.
His eyes flicked between hers and her baby bump, and for the first time in Sophie's life, she could see beyond his stony expression. Actually, it had been over ten years since she'd thought he was more than a business tycoon, but he didn’t look all cold and detached right now.
He almost appeared…older. Peter Pierce had always been handsome, but it looked like he was running ragged nowadays.
"I underestimated you," he conceded, frustrated. "But you have to agree that you've taken this way too far. You belong at home, where people can take care of you—especially in your condition."
Sophie was fuming, but she couldn’t help but let out a hard laugh. God, how delusional was he? "I can't believe you, Dad." Her humor faded as soon as she'd said Dad . It didn’t feel right to call him that anymore. He'd stopped being her father a long time ago.
Taking a step forward, she glared at him and jabbed a finger at his pristine suit. "First of all, I'm not a business deal you can estimate . And my son isn't a condition . Second of all, we're so done. Do you even remember how to be a parent? There's no way I'm letting my child near you."
Daniel and Noah had noticed Dad by now, but before they could reach Sophie, she stalked toward them instead, so fucking ready to leave. Her blood was boiling, and she was both panicky and happy she'd gotten that off her chest.
"Sophie!" Dad called after her. "I'm just— fuck . Listen to me!"
Nope. Not going there. Sophie let Daniel usher her outside, but maybe that was a mistake.
"Holy hell, they got here fast," Noah said irritably.
Half a dozen photographers had gathered on the sidewalk outside the restaurant's property, and they were crowding Daniel's and Noah's cars.
As the cherry on a shit sundae, Sophie soon heard a nasal voice behind her.
"Hey, Pierce! You're not going to say hi to your BFF?"
"For the love of God," Daniel muttered. "I'll handle this. Noah, you get Sophie home—"
"Wait." Sophie placed a hand on his arm. She couldn’t believe she was about to do this, but she wanted closure. A swift one. So she turned to face Cass and hoped they were out of earshot of the paparazzi, who were shouting questions from left and right.
Cassandra grinned sardonically as Brooklyn flanked Sophie. "I see you've replaced your friends with the help. One makeup artist, a former PA, and…" She waved a hand, dismissive about Noah and Zane. "Couldn’t handle all the attention I got, huh?"
"Yeah," Sophie replied dryly, " that was the problem." She was shaking with anger and her gut twisted with nerves, but she needed to do this. "Look, I just want to be left alone—"
Cassandra cut her off with a laugh. "Oh my God, who are you? The Sophie I remember never wanted to be left alone. What happened to
Her son chose that moment to kick her a bit. "Really, baby?" She looked down at her belly and quirked a grin.
"Is he kicking up a storm?" Zane asked.
She nodded. "He's always more active at night. I may be giving birth to a night owl."
Zane chuckled and moved his palm over her stomach. "Oh, I felt that one."
"Sophie?"
Sophie's head snapped up at the sound of that voice, and the last thing she wanted was to turn around. Brooklyn and Zane were sort of frozen, and Daniel and Noah were standing by the exit, waiting for their cars.
Help me.
"Sophie, don’t be a child. Face me, damn it." Dad sighed and came to stand in front of her.
She clenched her jaw and made sure her discomfort didn’t show. "What do you want? As you can see, I'm not crawling back to you, so there's no reason for you to speak to me."
She had to admit it was nice throwing his words back at him. Dad had been so fucking arrogant and confident, sure she'd be back with him in no time. Joke was on him.
His eyes flicked between hers and her baby bump, and for the first time in Sophie's life, she could see beyond his stony expression. Actually, it had been over ten years since she'd thought he was more than a business tycoon, but he didn’t look all cold and detached right now.
He almost appeared…older. Peter Pierce had always been handsome, but it looked like he was running ragged nowadays.
"I underestimated you," he conceded, frustrated. "But you have to agree that you've taken this way too far. You belong at home, where people can take care of you—especially in your condition."
Sophie was fuming, but she couldn’t help but let out a hard laugh. God, how delusional was he? "I can't believe you, Dad." Her humor faded as soon as she'd said Dad . It didn’t feel right to call him that anymore. He'd stopped being her father a long time ago.
Taking a step forward, she glared at him and jabbed a finger at his pristine suit. "First of all, I'm not a business deal you can estimate . And my son isn't a condition . Second of all, we're so done. Do you even remember how to be a parent? There's no way I'm letting my child near you."
Daniel and Noah had noticed Dad by now, but before they could reach Sophie, she stalked toward them instead, so fucking ready to leave. Her blood was boiling, and she was both panicky and happy she'd gotten that off her chest.
"Sophie!" Dad called after her. "I'm just— fuck . Listen to me!"
Nope. Not going there. Sophie let Daniel usher her outside, but maybe that was a mistake.
"Holy hell, they got here fast," Noah said irritably.
Half a dozen photographers had gathered on the sidewalk outside the restaurant's property, and they were crowding Daniel's and Noah's cars.
As the cherry on a shit sundae, Sophie soon heard a nasal voice behind her.
"Hey, Pierce! You're not going to say hi to your BFF?"
"For the love of God," Daniel muttered. "I'll handle this. Noah, you get Sophie home—"
"Wait." Sophie placed a hand on his arm. She couldn’t believe she was about to do this, but she wanted closure. A swift one. So she turned to face Cass and hoped they were out of earshot of the paparazzi, who were shouting questions from left and right.
Cassandra grinned sardonically as Brooklyn flanked Sophie. "I see you've replaced your friends with the help. One makeup artist, a former PA, and…" She waved a hand, dismissive about Noah and Zane. "Couldn’t handle all the attention I got, huh?"
"Yeah," Sophie replied dryly, " that was the problem." She was shaking with anger and her gut twisted with nerves, but she needed to do this. "Look, I just want to be left alone—"
Cassandra cut her off with a laugh. "Oh my God, who are you? The Sophie I remember never wanted to be left alone. What happened to
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