Whispers of Deceit, Echoes of Love

Chapter 30

Sophia was frozen. She had not thought that Steven would say that in front of Mia. Shaking her head, she stepped back, bumping into Mia, who steadied her. “Mia, let’s go home.” She whispered, her hand reaching to her silently.

Mia placed her hand on Sophia’s and walked out together, leaving Steven and Daniese in the room.

Sophia walked fast, constantly apologizing as she bumped into people.

“Girl, slow down!” Mia groaned as she tried to keep up with Sophia’s pace. “You are walking as if we have a thousand horses chasing us!”

Sophia slowed down once they were outside the club. She took a deep breath, a hand resting on her flat stomach. She took another, bending over to calm herself.

“Babe, people are staring,” Mia muttered as she stood beside Sophia and placed a hand on her small back. “Come, Orlando is holding the car door open.” She guided her friend in.

The rhythmic beat of the music echoed in the car as Sophia and Mia were driven home from the club, the night's events still playing on a loop in Sophia's mind. The memory of Steven's unexpected kiss left her feeling disoriented and conflicted. Sitting in the dimly lit interior of the car, Sophia stared out of the window, her thoughts a tangled mess.

Mia, who had been watching Sophia closely, finally broke the silence. "Sophia, are you okay? You seem lost in thought."

Sophia sighed, her confusion evident. "Mia, something happened back there. Steven kissed me, and I didn't know how to process it. I mean, he's so much older than me, and we have never-I mean, I haven’t thought much about that kind of relationship with him. What was he thinking?"

Mia's eyebrows furrowed as she processed the revelation. "Wait, Steven kissed you? Seriously? When?"

“When I had gone to the toilet,” Sophia recounted the unexpected kiss, her emotions ranging from shock to anger. "I just don't get it. What does he want?”

Mia's expression shifted to concern. "Sophia, you need to figure out what you want. Do you have feelings for him, or was it just a spur-of-the-moment thing?"

Sophia's indecision was palpable. "I don't even know, Mia. It's just all so confusing. I'm angry at him for pulling a stunt like that."

Mia placed a supportive hand on Sophia's shoulder. "You need to talk to him, Sophia. Ask him straight up about his intentions. Make it clear how you feel, and don't let him play any games. Establish boundaries, and see if there's a genuine connection or just a momentary lapse in judgment."

Sophia nodded, contemplating Mia's advice. "But Mia, what if people find out about this? It's not just the age difference; he's wealthy. What if they think I'm after his money or assume the worst about me?"

Mia looked at Sophia with a knowing gaze. "People will talk, Sophia. But you can't control their opinions. If you decide to explore this further, be prepared for some backfire. The fact that he's older and rich might fuel some assumptions. Just make sure you're doing this for the right reasons and not because of external pressures."

As the car rolled to a stop in front of Mia’s building, Sophia felt a mix of uncertainty and determination. The road ahead seemed complex, with potential pitfalls, but Mia's words echoed in her mind: "It's your life, Sophia. Do what makes you happy, but be ready for the consequences." With that, Mia stepped out of the car, leaving Sophia with her thoughts.

Her phone pinged for the fourth time, and she still ignored it. She heard Orlando’s phone ringing but focused on the passing scenery instead.

“Sophia?” Steven’s deep voice filled the interior of the car.

Sophia shot an accusing glare at Orlando, who just shrugged.

“I know you can hear me, Sophia. Do you want me to speak in front of Orlando?”

Sophia rolled her eyes, “what is it, Steven?”

“Answer your phone when I call you,” Steven stated before disconnecting the call. A short second later, Sophia’s phone began to ring.

Closing her eyes for a second, she reached for her phone and connected the call. “Hello?”

“Are you mad at me?” Was the first thing that Steven asked her.

“I don’t know what I feel, to be honest,” Sophia sighed and sat back in the car seat.

“Would it make it better if I apologized?”

Sophia scoffed, “Would you mean it?”

“I would only apologize for saying what I did in front of your friend and Danise, but every word I said was the truth.”

Sophia bit her lip, shaking her head to try and clear it, “I-I can’t do this right now, Steven. Can we do this tomorrow instead?” She blinked, trying to get rid of the moisture forming there. Was it the alcohol that was making her emotional? Or the fact that she felt too confused? It was too soon after her break-up with Eric, and she couldn't process how she felt then.

“Ok. I will pick you up from your office. We can have dinner at my house and talk,” Steven stated. “Let me know when you get home.” Without waiting for Sophia to reply, he disconnected the call.

Sophia glowered at the phone before placing it on the seat. “Orlando, how long have you been working for Steven, your boss?”

“A few years,” Orlando replied.

Sophia nodded, biting her lip. “And how many, uhm-” she hesitated, asking the next question. She bit on her nail. Why was asking him how many women Steven had been with so difficult? Did she want to know? She wouldn't be surprised if he had a string of women. Wasn't that the way the rich lived? She frowned. Her thoughts were being unfair now. She remembered having this conversation with him, and he was adamant that he did not have a relationship. She took a deep breath and shook her head, "Never mind."

Orlando glanced at her through the rearview mirror and gave her a small smile, “Only you, ma’am."

"What?" Sophia raised her brows in question.

"I have never driven any other woman apart from you,” Orlando explained.

“You are not his only driver,” Sophia muttered. “And I am not ma’am.”

“There are two of us,” Orlando supplied. “Myself and Bradley. With me driving you, Bradley is now with the boss and sometimes with Betty.”

Sophia sighed and looked away from Orlando.

“If I can be so frank, ma’-I mean Miss,” Orlando pulled the car to a stop in front of Sophia’s apartment.

“Sophia, just call me Sophia. And please,” Sophia nodded.

“Boss is very private, and sometimes people think he is very cold and arrogant.”

Sophia scoffed, thinking about all the times he had ordered her around. “Well, they aren’t wrong there.”

Orlando chose to ignore her, “that is why this is so unlike him. Many people in the city know I am his driver, yet he does not care for them to see you in his car. He has given you VIP access to his club. No one gets that. So, what I am trying to say is that everything that the boss has done in the past few days has been out of character. I don’t know what sort of relationship you are in, but give him a chance to talk to you.”

Sophia glanced at Orlando, seeing the genuineness in his eyes. All she could do was nod, before stepping out of the car and making her way to her apartment, her head filled with thoughts.