Marry me 99 more times

James chuckled and suddenly switched the topic, "Hey, Sophia, what brought you to the hotel? And how did you hurt your foot?" Sophia touched her bangs awkwardly, "Just had something to do here, then accidentally tumbled down the spiral stairs." James raised his thumb, amused. "Sophia, you really are something else." "Let's go to the hospital." Ethan said. The doctor later said it was nothing serious-some meds would do, though the swelling might last a few days. As they reached the first floor, Sophia said she needed the restroom. Ethan helped her down, half holding,stopping at the door. Watching her limp inside, Ethan's brows tightened with worry. "Ethan." Someone called his name. He turned instinctively-it was Chloe. They stared at each other a moment. Chloe held her poised air, clearly waiting for Ethan to start the conversation. But he always played it cool, and she eventually caved. When Sophia came out, she caught the scene and instinctively stepped back to stay hidden. "I knew you wouldn't just ignore me," Chloe said with an edge to her voice. Ethan kept his tone steady, "How's your arm?" She lifted the injured arm slightly, smiling faintly. "It got hurt because of you. But if your concern is the payoff, I'd say it was worth it." Ethan let out a dry smile. "Don't be so reckless next time. It's not worth it." "Funny, I'd say you should know better. A little injury's a cheap price to see you again. I'd say that's very worth it." Her words, though sweet, felt more like a well-calculated trade. Ethan gave a tired smile. "I'm married, Chloe. Don't do this to yourself." She stepped closer, her flawless face just inches away. Ethan didn't move, calm as ever. "Then what about the night you took me home.?" Chloe hesitated, a faint smirk playing on her lips. Ethan sensed something off. He turned and caught the reflection of Sophia's sorrowful face in a tilted mirror nearby. So she'd been standing there all along? Sophia didn't want to dwell on it. Sure, running into an ex and exchanging a few caring words was pretty normal. But what she couldn't stop thinking about-what exactly happened the night he took her home? "Babe?" Ethan's voice brought her back. He was suddenly right next to her. She forced a smile. "I was just heading out. And hey, what are you doing in the ladies' room?" She quickly tried to push him out the door but lost her footing. Ethan reacted fast and caught her in his arms in one smooth motion.Sophia quickly pulled herself together. Seeing Chloe was still there, her expression turned a bit stiff. "Miss Patterson, what brings you here?" "Well, what else? I'm here for a check-up," Chloe replied with a polite smile, her sharp eyes giving nothing away. Sophia caught the condescension in her voice, and the awkwardness she felt just now disappeared without a trace. That's the kind of person Chloe was-strong when facing the strong. Sophia responded with a light grin, "Then did the doctor cure you?" Her words had a clear double meaning, and there was no way someone as sharp as Chloe would miss it. Chloe just smiled faintly. "Well, some things take time. But I'm confident I'll get better eventually." Sophia smiled right back. "Hope so. But not all illnesses can be cured, you know. Some turn into cancer. and when that happens, there's nothing to do but sit and wait." Her words came out softly but hit hard. Chloe raised an eyebrow. "Didn't know you knew so much about these things, Miss Marshall. I guess you're a regular here?" "Not really. Ethan takes really good care of me, so I don't get sick that often," Sophia replied casually while glancing around. She added with a sweet smile, "You should try and stay away from hospitals too. Lots of germs floating around-might not be good for your health." She hadn't forgotten those times Ethan got 'urgent calls'. Her meaning now couldn't be more obvious. Finally done exchanging less-than-friendly pleasantries, Sophia noticed James had already been waiting in the car for a while. She looked at Chloe. "Need a ride?" Chloe didn't look too happy. She stole a glance at Ethan and said, "No need. I drove myself here." "Alright then," Sophia said before getting into the car. She noticed Ethan was still standing there. With a cool tone, she added, "It's a bit late, not so safe out there. Why don't you walk Miss Patterson to her car?" Ethan gave a tiny smirk. Tonight, this sweet and soft-spoken woman. was clearly packing fire. He gently closed the door for her, then turned to Chloe. "You should get going. Drive safe." Chloe called after him, "If you're so worried about me, why not walk me back?" Ethan replied plainly, "And who's supposed to look out for my wife?" "Isn't James with her?" In moments like this, being unreasonable didn't seem unreasonable at all. Ethan let out a helpless chuckle. "Letting another guy take my wife home so I can escort my ex? Really think that sounds okay?" Chloe froze for a second, then pushed back. "You don't even love her. Is this boring life really what you want?" Ethan didn't say another word. Even as their car disappeared down the road, Chloe stood there, refusing to move. Back at home, Sophia collapsed onto the couch, flipping through a comic book, though she wasn't actually reading it. She snuck a glance-Ethan had been in the bathroom for ages. What was he even doing in there? The ride home had been dead silent. James had started off chatting excitedly about how he got tonight's client dead drunk, but when he noticed the weird tension between them, he quietly shut up. If she'd only had suspicions before-that lipstick smudge, that perfume-she might've brushed it off. But now? It was happening too often. She remembered the first time she saw Chloe and felt uneasy. Even when Ethan offered to walk her home, she'd told herself maybe it was just him being polite. As long as he showed he cared afterwards, she'd been willing to quietly protect what they had. But if he really cheated... Sophia, can you honestly say you'd still be by his side? Chloe's words echoed in her head, making her feel like she couldn't breathe. Turns out, she was just like every other woman out there-when it came to betrayal, forgiveness wasn't so easy.But Ethan never really cared to explain things, so... was there even a point in asking? She was still mulling it over when Ethan walked out from the bathroom. "Come here," he said and pulled her into his arms without a word. "W-what are you doing?" Her face went bright red. Her leg was messed up, surely he didn't want to... do that now, right? "What's going through that head of yours?" Ethan gave her a light tap on the forehead, pulling her away from her wild thoughts. The bathtub was already filled with warm water. Of course-that's what he'd been doing just now, adjusting the temperature. Ethan was always quick when it came to taking off her clothes. In no time, she was stripped down and lowered into the tub. "The water's perfect," she mumbled. "I twisted my ankle, not broke it. I'm not helpless, you know." Even though she grumbled, there was a warmth in her chest-Ethan had this weird ability to make her forget she was mad at him, just like that. "Want me to wash your hair?" He gave her a half-smile while asking. Might as well enjoy this rare pampering. Lying back in the bath, she sighed, "Yeah." As Ethan ran his fingers through her hair, massaging gently, a shiver went down her spine. The whole bathroom was foggy with steam, and she could just feel her cheeks flushing. Maybe it was how gentle he was, but somehow, she dozed off. Half-asleep, she vaguely felt herself being lifted and laid onto the soft bed. She curled up against his chest-it was warm and safe. Would this warmth always be hers? Lingering in her heart was a twinge of worry. The next morning, even though Ethan told her not to, she still dragged herself to work-she had to deliver the contract. But no sooner had she stepped out of the manager's office than Isabella stopped her. "Sophia, babe, what happened to your foot?" "Just fell, no biggie." Isabella gave her a sly grin. "Why is it you always come back looking beat up after seeing Mr. Marshall? Man, what's that guy doing to you?" She giggled behind her hand, voice full of innuendo. Sophia froze, cleared her throat, and shuffled past awkwardly. Lately, the rumors floating around her weren't pretty, but she chose to ignore them, pretending she heard nothing. But now, the star of this gossip just appeared at the office. "Lucas from Brighten!" someone gasped, and the whole place buzzed. Lucas stood at the doorway, hands in his pockets, the cool distance in his expression making him seem untouchable. But his eyes eventually settled on Sophia. "Mr. Marshall! We weren't expecting you until ten!" Henry rushed over, flustered. "So sorry for the poor welcome." Lucas finally shifted his stare away from her. "Apologies for the mix-up. Seems my team dropped the ball." Apologies? Sophia rolled her eyes. What the hell was he playing at now? "Oh no, not at all. It's really my fault for not staying on top of things," Henry said, leading him into the office. Just before the door closed behind him, Lucas muttered, "Had to apologize, or someone might get mad." Every single pair of eyes turned to Sophia again. Her face was full of confusion. Wait-was that "someone"... supposed to be her? Isabella leaned in, eyes sparkling. "So, Sophia, how'd you manage to win over Lucas, huh?" Sophia ignored her. Whatever game Lucas was playing, she seriously had no clue.