Cristiane Serruya - Trust: Betrayed

I can’t wait to see you again. To love you again.

Yours,

Alistair Connor.

“Sophia, you lucky girl. This is practically a proposal. ‘I want to hold you in my arms. Forever.’ So romantic.” He shook his head, smiling, “You should call-”

“No,” she interrupted him.

“No? Have you gone crazy?”

“I’m just setting boundaries. He’s too... sure of himself. He likes to give orders and if he thinks I’m going to do whatever he wants, he’s wrong. It’ll teach him to treat me like a partner, not like an employee. Let him suffer a bit.” She smiled at him, “In the end, as everything in life, a relationship is about power. I will only cede, if he does too.” She wiggled her brows at him. “As things are, Edward, I have to give you some lessons. I’m unbeatable against these kinds of men.”

“Yeah, it seems so,” he mused, bobbing his head and looking around at the flowers. “So many roses. I’ve never seen anything like it. And more at your house. Impressive.”

Her iPhone vibrated with a message from Alistair. She ignored the itch to grab the mobile and see what he had just texted her.

“So, what do you think of the contract?”

“It’s unbelievably favorable to us...” he paused and looked down at the paper in his hand and frowned. “How did Williams manage to fulfill all their environmental requirements?”

The mobile vibrated again and again and again. Sophia didn’t even glance at it as she discussed the new contract she was analyzing with Edward. “Do you-?” The intercom buzzed interrupting her and she pressed down the button, “Yes, Sarah?”

“Mrs. L., I’m sorry to disturb you, but are you sure we have to keep Mr. MacCraig waiting for ten minutes in the lobby?” Sarah’s voice was worried. “Kathleen has just informed me he’s been pacing with furious strides.”

“Hmm, how long he has been waiting?”

“Five minutes, ma’am.”

Sophia’s face split in a naughty grin and she looked at Edward, wiggling her brows and asked him, “So, what do you think?”

“Well, Imperatrix, it’s your call. I’d say he’s not a man to be trifled with.” Edward tilted his head to the side and a blond lock fell over his forehead.

“Send him up, Sarah, but keep him in my reception room. Tell him I’m busy and you can’t interrupt the meeting.” Sophia released the intercom and jumped from her chair, running to her bathroom.

“Edward, do you know what your problem is? Why your partners dump you so easily?” she asked as she sprayed Sublime Vanille in her long ink-black hair and brushed it.

“No, please tell me, what’s my problem?” Edward leaned on the doorjamb watching as Sophia put some mascara on her lashes and transparent gloss on her dark-red lips.

“You don’t keep things in the dark. You open up to easily. You tell them your secrets. Secrets aren’t supposed to be told.”

“And you, on the other hand, since Gabriel, have cloistered yourself and kept everyone out, afraid of loving again.” Edward immediately regretted his words as pain flickered in Sophia’s eyes and they filled with tears.

“It’s not true,” she whispered, the brush held in midair.

“It is and you know it. You are afraid. You’ve been hiding in this office since Gabriel died. You just work and work. You don’t go out. If not for Ethan Ashford’s insistence, your head would still be stuck in a hole in the ground.”

“I can’t afford to be found, Edward.”

“Who are you trying to fool, Sophia? Me? Yourself? Alberto has no proof, the Brazilian police won’t come after you without any evidence and the only missing criminal is probably still on the run, terrified of your wrath. You’re a young, lovely woman, with a big heart waiting to be filled again. You have to end this eternal mourning you’ve imposed on yourself.”

Sophia bent her head and bit her lip for a while, before whispering, “I went out with Ethan. I’m now with Alistair. I have moved on, Edward.”

“Maybe you’re starting to move on, my love. But to fully do it, you have to let the guilt go. Gabriel will always be an important part of your life. I don’t even want to imagine how difficult it is to move on, but a new love always helps. I can bet you will find it in MacCraig’s arms. He may be domineering and commanding, but everyone has flaws.” He pulled her out of the bathroom and directed her to the phone, “Call Sarah and ask her to let him in.” He curled his fingers under her chin to make her look at him, “Sophia, he’s not Gabriel.”

“I don’t care,” she shrugged. “If he’s not satisfied with me as I am, he can walk away.”

“So you say. You aren’t manipulative, Sophia. You’re trying to fool yourself because you are afraid of his intensity and of your feelings. Deep down here,” he lightly touched her heart with his index finger, “you like him, too.”

Sophia stared into Edward’s blue eyes and nodded, “I do. And I told him that it didn’t scare me. I lied,” she breathed. “I don’t want to risk losing everything again.”

“Therefore you decided to push away everyone that comes near your heart.”

She sighed, despondent, “Edward. I’m an ill-fated Midas. What I touch, doesn’t even turn to gold. It rots and dies.”

Edward’s blue eyes darkened, “That is the most idiotic thing that has ever left your lips.”

“Edward,” Sophia gripped his arms, her nails digging in the cloth of his suit, “I’ve killed-”

He shoved a hand over her mouth, “You did not! Stop saying that. It got out of control. I don’t need to remind you of that.”

“I should have imagined it was going to derail. You can’t negotiate with criminals. They died because of me, Edward.”

“It’s done. Forget it.”

“I can’t. I see their faces every night before I sleep. They haunt my dreams. I don’t know what I was thinking when I did it. I started a charitable institution. I’m a lawyer, for God’s sake. Revenge wouldn’t bring Gabriel back.”

“You’re doing what you can to redeem yourself. Their families are much better now than they were before. Their children go to good schools-”

“But... what about me, Edward?” Sophia’s beautiful eyes were shadowed by torment. “What about my conscience?”

Edward hugged her against his chest, “Sophia, love, only you can forgive yourself.”

11.13 a.m.

“Don’t think about this anymore, Sophia. Promise me?”

“I’ll try,” she whispered.

Edward slowly released her from his arms and picked up the handset, touching Sarah’s intercom, “Sarah, inform Mr. MacCraig that Mrs. L.’s meeting has ended, please. I’m opening the door.” He went to the door and just before he opened it, he looked at her. “Don’t be afraid to love again, Sophia.”

Fuck. What’s taking so long? Alistair was on the other side of Sophia’s office door, scolding at it, as if his bad mood could open it. He stepped back to allow Edward to pass and stretched his hand, “Davidoff, good morning.”

“Good morning, MacCraig.” Edward gripped Alistair’s hand firmly in his and, looking into his green eyes, he lowered his voice, “She’s not ready for you. Go slow.”

The murmured words undid the deep frown on Alistair’s face and he stepped into the room in a lighter, but still displeased mood. As he took in the sea of roses, the result of his impulsive order, a ghost of a smile appeared on his face.

“Morning, Beauty,” he kissed her lightly on the lips and stepped away to look her over and licked his lips, his eyes flashing. “You rob me of my sanity, you know?”

“And you drive me to distraction, Alistair Connor. I’m not going.”

Fuck all difficult women. Alistair narrowed his eyes. “Sophia,” he warned. “I confirmed it with John’s secretary. We are going even if I have to carry you, caveman style, over my shoulder.”

She narrowed her eyes at him, “Are you serious?”

“Deadly.”

“Alistair-”

“Sophia.”

She searched his taut, implacable face and crossed her arms over her chest. My God, he is serious. “I told you I don’t take well to orders, Lord Caveman.”

You’re too young and inexperienced to override my decisions with your whims; let’s change tactics. “Sweetheart, you scared me this weekend with your blackout.” That isn’t entirely a lie.

He pulled her to one of the navy suede sofas, making her sit down and gathering her hands in his. “I’m asking you to go with me to an appointment with John Walter so we can feel more comfortable around each other, when it comes to sex.”

“Just so you know I feel very comfortable with you in bed and my blackouts are normal. Maybe your other partners weren’t as relaxed, as good and as hot in bed as I am,” she smirked at him.

“You’re implying...” He raised his brows at her petulant tone.

Ha! She flipped her hair over her shoulders.

He pulled her to a hot kiss. “Sophia, Sophia. What you do to me. A simple flip of your endless black hair and,” he put her hand over his already semi-hard erection, “I already want to have you against the wall. Here. In your office. In the middle of the morning.”

“A good idea. I’ve never made love in my office.” She cocked her head to the side, staring into his eyes and whispered, “I’d love to test your strength again.”

He inhaled sharply at her answer, “Don’t challenge me, Beauty. I might do it.”

She gave him a smile and shook her head to break the spell. “You are trying to distract me. Back to the subject. No, you did not ask me to go to John’s. You decided it, made the appointment and informed me. You didn’t talk to me first.”

“You are partially right,” he conceded, “but only partially. We have talked about it, Sophia.”