Chapter 27

Andrew

Sleep was impossible. From the second Sophie stormed out, I knew I’d never be able to relax. I lay in bed all night, just staring at my ceiling and replaying our last conversation. Sophie’s angry face glared at me from my memory and denied me any peace. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t shake her out of my thoughts.

Part of me wanted to run after her. I knew she was just on the other side of the house. I’d listened intently for hours, just waiting to hear the front door open and close. If Sophie left, I was certain I would hear her. But as the night dragged on, I heard nothing but endless silence. It plagued my mind, keeping me wide awake and nauseous.

I couldn’t believe things had flown so far off course. Just hours earlier, Sophie and I were making love by the back pond. She was lying naked in my arms, her body shivering from my touch. Her green eyes were locked on my face, her brown hair spread out on the grass beneath her. Our bodies rocked together perfectly. We sank into each other so easily that I wasn’t sure where I ended and Sophie began.

We’d had amazing sex before, but that moment was by far the best. I felt so connected to Sophie that I never wanted to tear myself away from her. She was everything to me, and she didn’t even know it yet. I’d told her that she changed my life and that she finally made me see that there was more out there than work. Many people had tried to teach me that lesson, including my own mother, but Sophie was the reason it finally sank in.

If I could have laid on the grass forever, I would have. If I could have held her in my arms until the sun set and then rose again, I would have. It was torturous to pull myself away from her soft skin and perfect embrace.

Dinner was waiting for us, and so, we rode the horses back and went inside. Still, I wasn’t upset because I knew Sophie and I would be alone again soon. I knew she would accompany me to my bed, and I would have the opportunity to make love to her again. All night if that’s what we both wanted.

Then, everything was ruined. Liam brought up Rick, and from that point on, I knew our night wouldn’t go as planned. Still, I had hope. Hope that Sophie would still want me after knowing the truth. I’d been so afraid of wrecking her relationship with Rick that I never stopped to think how the truth would affect her relationship with me. It never even occurred to me that Sophie might think everything was my fault. After all, her father was the criminal here, not me.

When the sun was high in the sky, I couldn’t ignore the world any longer. I pushed myself out of bed and wrapped my robe around me. Liam would have breakfast on the table any minute, and hopefully, Sophie would already be downstairs.

She wasn’t. When I stepped into the dining room, it was empty except for a pot of coffee and a plate of blueberry muffins.

“Liam?” I called, craning my neck to peer inside the kitchen.

“Yes, Mr. Andrew?” Liam asked, hurrying around the corner.

“Has Sophie been down yet?” I asked.

“No.” Liam shook his head. “I haven’t seen her since last night.”

I nodded and sat down, pulling a muffin toward me. My appetite was all but nonexistent. I forced myself to pick at the muffin, knowing I needed something in my stomach to get me through the day.

“I’m sorry breakfast isn’t grand today,” Liam said. “I didn’t sleep well.”

“That makes two of us,” I said with a yawn. “Last night was brutal.”

“I know.” Liam sighed and shook his head. “Mr. Andrew, I should apologize for bringing up Mr. Rick. That was wrong of me. I truly thought Sophie knew the truth by now. I never imagined she didn’t.”

“It isn’t your fault, Liam,” I said kindly. “It was bound to come out sooner or later.”

Part of me was still angry with Liam, but I didn’t have the energy to fight with him. Not yet anyway. Besides, no matter what Liam said or did, this wasn’t his fault. Rick Newman was the one who broke in. He was the one who tried to steal from me. If the blame fell on anyone, it was him.

I leaned back in my chair and tried to eat, but my stomach grumbled so much that I finally gave up. Instead, I sipped on a cup of coffee and stared at the far wall of the dining room. A floral picture hung right in the middle. My mother had picked it out on one of her many trips to Italy. I’d seen it for years, but I’d never truly looked at it before.

It was beautiful. Bright and well-painted. Whoever the artist was, they clearly had talent. I let myself stare at the painting, taking in every detail to keep my mind busy until Sophie finally made her appearance. After a few minutes, though, I began to wonder if Sophie was ever going to make her way downstairs.

“Liam,” I said. “Will you please go get Sophie? I think she must have gone straight to her office this morning.”

“Are you sure that’s the best idea?” Liam asked nervously. “She was rather angry last night. Maybe she needs more time.”

“Now, Liam,” I said firmly. “Sophie and I need to talk. The longer we put it off, the worse it will be.”

“Yes, sir.”

Liam nodded and hurried out of the dining room. I listened until his footsteps disappeared. I knew it wouldn’t be long before he and Sophie returned, so I tried to gear myself up for yet another fight. Even if Sophie had managed to calm down, I knew she would still be upset. Whatever was going to happen between us this morning, it wouldn’t be pleasant.

Finally, I heard footsteps approaching from down the hall. I cleared my throat and straightened my posture. As I sat up in my chair, I prepared myself for the worst.

When Liam stepped inside the dining room, I spun around in my seat. I expected to see Sophie walking behind Liam. I pictured her green eyes narrowed in anger and disgust. I imagined her cheeks would be flushed pink. But when I turned around, I saw only Liam.

“She’s not there, Mr. Andrew,” Liam said. “I checked her bedroom and her office. I knocked on the bathroom door. I even checked the back courtyard because I know how much she loves the horses. She’s gone.”

“Gone?” I asked blankly. “She can’t be gone.”

“I’m certain she is,” Liam said. “I looked everywhere for her.”

“That’s impossible,” I said. “I would have heard the front door open last night.”

“Maybe she went out the back,” Liam said sadly. “I don’t know, Mr. Andrew. All I know is, she’s gone.”

I stared at Liam blankly for a second. He was wrong. He had to be.

“I’ll be back,” I said.

I shoved my chair away from the table and marched down the hallway. When I reached the staircase that led to Sophie’s wing, I took them two at a time. Liam must have been mistaken. Sophie was probably just out for a walk. Or maybe she took Gemma for a short ride. She wouldn’t have just left, would she?

Sophie’s bedroom door was cracked open. I knocked softly and pushed it in. My eyes scanned the room quickly, but Sophie wasn’t inside. The bed was perfectly made, and the closet door was closed. I ran over to it and yanked the doors open. It was empty. All of Sophie’s things were gone.

Panic gripped my chest as I realized what this meant. Liam was right. Sophie had left.

My heart pounded inside my chest as I spun in a circle, staring around the room. I felt lost and confused. No matter how angry Sophie had been, I couldn’t believe she’d left without a word. She didn’t even say goodbye. After everything we went through together, how could she just disappear?

There was nothing left for me in Sophie’s room, so I slowly made my way into the hall. My legs felt weak as I walked. My head was spinning, but my heart finally slowed down. Nothing felt real. It was as if I was trapped inside a nightmare, and I couldn’t wake up.

As I passed by Sophie’s office, I realized Sophie hadn’t just left me. She left her job behind. I’d brought her here for one reason: to work.

I pushed open the office door and stepped inside. What did this mean? If Sophie took off before her job was finished, then the deal was off. Rick was no longer in the clear. I could call the police, press charges, and have him arrested.

The thought sent a sick satisfaction coursing through my veins. Picturing Rick being carted away in the back of a cop car was an image I wanted to hold onto. After losing Sophie, I longed to do something active. To hurt Rick the way he’d hurt me. Not only was he a thief and a traitor, but he’d taken away the one woman I ever thought I could love.

My eyes roamed around Sophie’s office. A pit formed in my stomach. A part of me had hoped she would be in the office, sitting behind the desk with her hair pulled over one shoulder. She wasn’t. She was really gone.

As I moved toward the desk, my eyes fell on a piece of paper taped to the computer. Sophie’s handwriting was visible even from a few feet away. I ran forward and pulled the paper off the computer, my eyes scanning it quickly.

“Andrew,” it read. “I’m sorry to leave this way, but I don’t know what else to do. I can’t stay here now. Not after what happened last night. I resolved your financial problems. The money that went missing seven years ago was moved to a separate account only in your father’s name. I found the account number and left it for you below. If you can gain access to that account, you’ll find enough money to balance your books. There are a few other ways you can save money. I’ve listed those below as well. I hope this helps you and fulfills my father’s debt. Now that I’ve helped you, please leave us alone.”

It was signed “Sophie” and nothing else.

I gripped the paper tightly in my hands and closed my eyes. My anger was gone. I couldn’t feel anything other than a deep-seated loss. My heart ached inside my chest. My stomach felt empty and heavy at the same time. I hated everything about Sophie’s note, everything about this screwed up situation.

It took me a while before I could move again. Sophie’s note was still pressed against my palm as I made my way out of the office. I didn’t bother to look over the notes she’d left. Work was the last thing on my mind.

“Mr. Andrew?” Liam asked when I stepped off the last stair. “Are you all right?”

“No, Liam,” I said simply. “I’m not.”

Without another word, I walked away from my butler. I didn’t know where I was going. My office was out of the question. I couldn’t bear the thought of being in that room. Instead, I wandered outside. I didn’t stop until I reached the stables.

Amy hadn’t yet arrived. The stables were empty, and all the horses were silent in their stalls. My feet led me toward Gemma. She was Sophie’s favorite. My mind was blank as I stroked her coat and tried to come to terms with the fact that I would never see Sophie again.