Chapter 49
Henry froze, studying the antique carefully, It looked at least twenty years old, the wear patterns on the case suggesting frequent handling, where hea come from? Who had given it to her? Why was she clutching it so tightly at a time like this?
As if answering his silent questions, Sophia stirred slightly. “Sam…” she murmured softly, a gentle smile touching her lips, the kind of sweet expressing he d never seen when she was awake. “I miss you…”
The tenderness in Henty’s expression shattered instantly. Rage flooded through him as everything suddenly made sense. This was why she suddenly wanted a divorce, why her attitude had changed so dramatically lately. So this was her reason for wanting a divorce, he thought darkly. Some man from her past. Someone named “Sam.”
His gentle motion became a rough shove, jolting Sophia awake. Her eyes flew open, looking at him like a startled deer, her gaze mixing familiar fear with newfound determination. That look made his anger surge higher.
“Where is my son?” she demanded, scrambling to sit up, unconsciously hiding the watch behind her back. “Where did you take Billy? Tell me!
Henry looked down at her with unconcealed contempt. How dare she speak to me this way while dreaming of another man? Anger and something indefinable churned in his chest. Betrayal? Jealousy? He refused to examine it too closely.
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Sophia seemed to realize her mistake. She took a deep breath, visibly trying to calm herself. She lowered the hand hidden behind her back, the watch resting quietly in her palm. “Please,” she began again, deliberately keeping her voice steady. “Just tell me where Billy is. Is he safe? Has he eaten?
“Begging already?” Henry’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. He noticed how she unconsciously gripped the watch tighter. “But you don’t sound sincere at all. Are you thinking about something else? Or… someone
outlining her exhausted features.
“What would make me sound sincere enough? Bitter saturated her voice. Moonlight filtered through the curtain gaps, illuminating her pale face and
“Kneel.”
The word hung between them. Sophia’s face first drained of color, then flushed with humiliation. Her fingers clutched the watch so tightly her knuckles
turned white.
“I said, Henry’s voice dropped to that dangerous whisper she knew so well, “kneel. Or you’ll never see Billy again.” He noticed the pain flash through her eyes but didn’t feel the usual satisfaction of control. Instead, seeing her pain caused by his words stirred an inexplicable unease in his heart.
Sophia’s legs trembled as she slowly began to sink down. But just before her knees could touch the floor, she caught something unexpected in Henry’s expression–was it pain? Or regret? That fleeting look reminded her of the man who had gently held an umbrella for her five years ago.
Before she could understand what was happening, Henry’s hand shot out, grabbing her arm and pulling her up. His grip was strong enough to make her stumble, but compared to his usual roughness, there seemed to be more restraint this time. “I haven’t eaten,” he said abruptly, his voice unusually rough, as if hiding something.
Sophia understood this was just another power play, another way to remind her of her position. To make her forever remember her place under his control. She turned stiffly toward the kitchen, her hands clenched into fists. The edge of the watch dug deep into her palm, the pain making her feel somewhat real.
When she disappeared around the corner, Henry pulled out his phone. The blue light from the screen illuminated his dark expression as his fingers moved swiftly, sending a message to James:
“Investigate Sophia’s past relationships. Every single one. Focus on anyone named ‘Sam.”
No one takes what belongs to me, he thought grimly, his fingers tightening. No one. Whoever this “Sam” was, he would make them understand the price of getting involved with a Harding woman.
