"You can go by yourself." Felix Preston's gaze was fixed on Sonia Quincy. He hadn't glanced at Renee Sinclair once since returning from his call.
He reached out for Sonia's bag, also picking up the insulated container with the same hand, and used his free hand to wrap an arm around her shoulder.
"I have to take Sonia home first, so I can't go with you. You drove here yourself, anyway. Just follow your GPS, and you'll get there."
"..." For the second time, Renee Sinclair was left speechless by Felix Preston.
Felix lowered his gaze to Sonia, his eyes filled with tenderness.
'He'd said before that if Sonia was truly willing to repent, he would treat her with sincerity in return. He was well aware of Renee's intentions; he wouldn't let Sonia lose out in front of her.'
"Let's go." Without even saying goodbye to Renee, he started to lead Sonia toward the parking lot.
"Um, I can get back on my own." But Sonia slipped out of his embrace, declining his attempt to shield her.
"What's wrong?" He thought Sonia was still angry about him meeting Renee and, in his panic, rushed to explain, "Sonia, I really didn't lie to you."
Sonia chuckled at his nervous expression. She patted his arm and said, patiently and gently, "I believe that you didn't lie to me. I only said I'd go back on my own because I'm worried you'll be too tired running back and forth. You've been busy for a whole day and night without any time to sleep, and you have to rush back to deal with work soon."
"With so much on your shoulders, how could I bear to make you drive me home when you're so exhausted? You should head to the studio. I can just grab a cab home myself."
As she spoke, Sonia took her bag back from Felix and stood on her tiptoes to flick a piece of confetti from his hair.
"Don't be nervous. I trust you. I just made the food in the thermos this morning, so remember to eat it later."
"..." Felix stared at her, dumbfounded. For a moment, he was at a loss for words.
Sonia's understanding and acceptance were a pleasant surprise. Enveloped by her gentleness, his heart felt full and warm.
'A Sonia this wonderful had only ever appeared in his dreams. He'd never imagined that one day she would become real.'
"Go on." Sonia looked up at him, her eyes clear and bright.
"Thank you," Felix said. "Thank you for being willing to trust me."
Sonia laughed again. "You're being silly. Go on, I'm heading out."
She secured her bag and, before leaving, shot Renee a meaningful glance.
Renee Sinclair's expression was absolutely foul; she was clearly disgusted by Sonia Quincy.
Sonia gave an innocent smile, then turned and walked away with a light spring in her step, bag in hand.
The cafe was nearly five kilometers from their rental apartment. Sonia pulled out her phone to call a ride as she walked.
Felix, holding the thermos, didn't leave right away. He stood in place, watching until Sonia's figure blurred in the distance. Only then did he pull out his car keys and turn to get his car.
"Felix." Renee composed herself and chased after him, her high heels CLICK-CLACK-CLICKING on the pavement. "I'm too lazy to drive myself. I'll just ride with you."
"You should just drive yourself." Felix's refusal was unhesitating. "They say online that pregnant women get especially emotional. I can't go home just yet, so I'm worried Sonia will be by herself, overthinking things."
"You... Why are you so worried about her?"
Renee couldn't hold it in any longer and blurted it out. She jogged a few steps to get in front of Felix, blocking his path.
"After everything Sonia has done to you, do you really need to be this considerate of her feelings?"
Felix's brow furrowed. He pushed his glasses up his nose with his index finger. "Sonia has changed. You don't need to be so hostile toward her."
"Changed?" Renee looked as if she'd just heard the joke of the century. She sneered and shook her head, her eyes filled with profound disbelief. "Do you even know what kind of person Sonia is? How can you believe she's capable of change?"
"The Quincy family was so good to her! Cecilia Quincy was so good to her! How did she repay them? You were so good to her, so how did she repay *you*? Her reputation in Aethelburg is rotten to the core, and you still believe she'll change?"
"Renee Sinclair!" Felix's anger was stoked by her words, and his expression turned cold—a rare sight. "I am Sonia's husband. I have eyes, and I can see for myself whether she's truly changed. Don't talk about her like that."
"I'll say what I want, because that's exactly the kind of person she is!" Renee dropped the act, revealing the full extent of her animosity toward Sonia.
"Felix, you know full well how you ended up with her and that child. That woman is full of schemes. Even if she's willing to change, it's only because she has an ulterior motive!"
"I know you're soft-hearted and have a strong sense of duty! But think about it. When you were at the top of your game, she didn't want to be a proper wife to you. Now that you're bankrupt, how could she possibly have a change of heart?"
"..." Felix fell silent.
'He had to admit, every word Renee said made sense. Sonia's transformation had been sudden and inexplicable. He'd thought about it for a long time but couldn't figure out why.'
'But so what? As long as Sonia was sincere, as long as she was willing to build a proper life with him, he could let all of that go.'
'It didn't matter how their child came to be; he was married to Sonia now. Marriage wasn't a game. Since he had married her, he had to take full responsibility, no matter what.'
'It was his life to live. As long as he was happy, other people's opinions didn't matter.'
"Felix." Seeing his silence, Renee thought she was getting through to him and couldn't resist pressing her point.
"For reasons I can't explain, I know a lot about Sonia. I don't just know her past and present—I also know her future."
"She's truly not a good person. If you stay with her, she will ruin you! Felix, please, listen to me. Leave her while you still can. You're still young. If the baby is gone, you can always have another..."
"Renee Sinclair!"
Felix's face darkened as he cut her off, his brow heavy with undisguised fury.
He stared at Renee, a chill spreading in his eyes. "Sonia is my wife. I know what she's like better than anyone. Stop talking about her like that. If you don't like her, then you are perfectly free to not interact with her."
Frustrated and angry, Renee exclaimed, "Felix Preston!"
"Don't you dare say such awful things about her." Unwilling to listen to another word, Felix turned and walked straight past her.
"If you still want to discuss our collaboration, I'll see you at the studio. If not, I'm leaving now."
Renee clenched her fists. After hesitating for less than two seconds, she turned and hurried after Felix's retreating back.
The car Sonia had hailed was stuck in traffic and didn't arrive for over ten minutes. She double-checked the license plate to make sure it was her ride before walking up to give the last few digits of her phone number.
"449—"
"Sorry, we won't be needing the ride. You can cancel the order."
"Huh?"
Sonia was still trying to process what was happening when a man appeared out of nowhere, grabbed her by the wrist, and pulled her away.