Sophia walked down the stairs just as he stepped in. He looked at her, then lifted the bags in his hands slightly.
“Hungry?” he asked. “I bought dinner.” He placed the bags on the table.
She approached him and glanced into the bags. A smile spread across her face. “That’s great. I bought a good wine. Wait—I’ll bring it.”
She disappeared into the kitchen to grab the drink. Behind her, Magnus pulled out the containers one by one, setting them neatly on the table.
Just then, his phone rang.
Frowning, he pulled it out and glanced at the screen.
Harold’s name flashed.
He took a deep breath, closed his eyes for a brief second to summon what little patience he had left, then swiped to answer the call.
“Magnus, do you remember when I told you I’d seen that Chevrolet before?” Harold’s voice burst through the phone. He let out a sharp breath, barely pausing. “I couldn’t figure out why it felt so familiar—so unique. Iknewit wasn’t just some ordinary Chevrolet.”
Magnus said nothing.
“That car belongs to Elias Creed,” Harold continued, the words tumbling over each other. “You know him, right? The Creeds own the largest aviation business in the world. Apex Airlines. We’ve done business with them before—remember when we bought the private jets from them?”
He began pacing, excitement mounting with every step.
“That red car?” He let out a short, incredulous laugh. “The moment it left the showroom, it stopped being just a car. It became priceless—simply becauseElias Creedowns it.”
He slowed at last.
A brief pause followed. When Harold spoke again, his voice had dropped—measured, thoughtful, edged with wariness.
“So who exactly is that woman,” he said slowly, “that she gets to drive Elias Creed’s car?”
He shook his head, disbelief flickering across his face.
“That man doesn’t letanyonetouch it. Not even at high-profile events. I’ve seen him shut down valets, brush off security—flat-out refuse. He’s obsessively protective of his things. Especially that car.”
His words began to tumble again, urgency creeping back in. “So if that girl is driving his car, something is definitely going on between them. Did we strike gold? Did we stumble onto some kind of secret?”
By the time he finished, Harold was nearly out of breath, his rambling finally catching up with him.
“I’m hanging up,” Magnus said calmly, cutting him off before he could rant any further.
He ended the call and slid the phone back into his pocket, his face hardening as Harold’s words echoed in his mind.
Just then, Sophia stepped out of the kitchen, a bottle of wine in one hand and a few plates in the other, and walked toward the dining table.
“I’m sure you’ll love it,” she said with a warm smile. “It’s one of the best wines in the world. It just arrived from Italy today.” She set the bottle down on the table.
Magnus said nothing. He pulled out a chair, sat down, and began serving the food onto the plates she had brought with her.
They sat down to eat. Wine was poured, glasses clinked softly, and they began drinking.
Throughout the meal, Magnus remained silent. His face was unreadable, his thoughts clearly elsewhere.
Sophia didn’t seem to notice. She continued eating normally. When she saw his glass was empty, she poured him another one and said playfully, a hint of pride in her voice, “I’m glad you like it. You finished the whole glass in just five minutes. Emma always says I have better taste in wine than her entire family.”
Magnus was about to pick up the wine glass when his fingers suddenly froze, hovering above the table.
His eyes flickered up to Sophia as he asked casually, though curiosity crept into his tone, “Emma? Emma Creed? You know her?”
