When Reese met his eyes, calm and unreadable, Sebastian felt his heart tighten painfully, like someone had squeezed the air right out of him.
For years, he''d told himself Reese was just after status, that she married him so the Ratcliffs would help the Ramos family. It never even crossed his mind that her own family was using her too, treating her like a bargaining chip.
Once Dylon and his wife left, the hospital room fellpletely silent.
Sebastian walked to the bed, his voice rough and low. "I checked the security footage. It was Sofia."
"I''ve already asked someone to bring her over. Don''t worry. I''m not going to cover for her anymore."
Reese looked up, disbelief flickering in her eyes.
Wasn''t Sofia his first love? Didn''t he care about her so much that he''d let Reese carry their child? So now, why was he standing up for her now?
Before Reese could figure it out, Sofia arrived.
She walked in holding a fruit basket, her expression perfectly worried, eyes red like she''d just been crying.
"Ms. Meyer, I''m so sorry. Something came up that day and I couldn''t get back to ckOak in time. I never meant for you to go through all this."
Sofia nced at Sebastian, her voice trembling just enough. "Sebastian, seeing Ms. Meyer like this because of me-I feel so awful. Please, talk to her for me. Tell her not to be upset. She needs to focus on getting better."
"Oh, really?"
Sebastian tossed his phone in front of Sofia.
"Watch this first."
Sofia scrambled to catch the phone, lookingpletely confused.
He nodded curtly. "Go on. y it."
Sofia looked down, and as the video started, all the color drained from her face.
Everything she''d just said to Reese reyed in her mind, but the video on the screen felt like a p-humiliating and impossible to deny.
"It''s not what it looks like, Sebastian, please let me exin—"
"Exin what?” Sebastian''s voice was freezing. "Why you cut the power? Why
you just stood there while Reese was in danger?"
He pressed on, his words sharp. "Or maybe exin why you tried to get Robbie to hurt Reese?"
“I—I...” Sofia stammered, shrinking back until she hit the wall.
He knows. He knows everything. It''s over.
"I just wanted you to notice me." Her voice cracked as she reached for him, desperate like always.
"You''ve barely looked at metely. You only care about her. I just wanted you to see me again."
Sebastian stepped away, frowning. "Sofia, enough. I never promised you anything. Not ever."
"Then why are you always so good to me?"
Hearing himy it out so clearly, Sofia finally broke down in tears.
"All this time, you stood up for me, looked out for me. You can''t tell me you never felt anything."
Sebastian nced at Reese, guilt
flickering in his eyes before he
looked away. "Sofia from the
beginning, we agreed this was just
business."
"I let you use my name to get established at Bridger Lake. You helped Ratcliff
Global with the transition. That''s all it was."
He paused his voice tinged with
anger. "But none of that gives you
the righ
to hurt Reese Whatever
else, she''s my wife warned you."
Sofia''s face wentpletely gray.
She grabbed his sleeve, her voice shaking. "Sebastian, I''m sorry. Please, just this once. Please forgive me. I''ll never do it again—”
He pulled away from her. "Did you think about forgiveness when you hurt her and the baby?"
He turned to the door. "Brady, send her back to Brookfield. Tell her father everything she''s done."
"No, Sebastian, please. Don''t tell my dad. I''m begging you!"
If Bailey found out she''d hurt Reese, she and Grace would be out of the Meyer family for good.
"Yes, sir." Brady stepped in, taking hold of Sofia as she crumpled, and led her away while her cries faded down the hall.
Only when the room was quiet again
did Sebastian let out a shaky breath
and turn to Reese his voice
trembling in a way he didn''t seem to notice.
"I''m sorry, Reese. I never thought it woulde to this."
Reese hadn''t even processed everything she''d just heard between Sebastian and
Sofia.
If Sebastian and Sofia were just business partners... then whose baby was she carrying?