“Alright.”
Sophia hesitated for a moment, fidgeting slightly with her fingers before looking up at him again.
“There’s something important I need to tell you.”
“What is it?” Elias asked gently, his eyes studying her face. He sensed the shift in her expression.
Sophia took a quiet breath.
“I got married.”
She paused.
“And divorced.”
Elias blinked.
“What?” His brows drew together in confusion. “To whom?”
He searched her face for a sign that she was joking.
“And how come I wasn’t invited to the wedding?”
“It’s not like that,” Sophia said quickly, shaking her head. “It wasn’t a real marriage. It was just a contract marriage.”
Her gaze dropped briefly to the ground. A faint, bitter smile appeared and disappeared just as quickly.
“And then…” She swallowed. “I fell in love with him.”
The words were soft.
“But it didn’t work out. We divorced a few days ago. It’s over.”
Elias stared at her for a long moment.
Then he let out a breath, running a hand through his hair.
“You’re so smart,” he said quietly. “And yet… you’re so stupid sometimes.”
There was no mockery in his tone. Just frustration.
Sophia gave him a tired look.
“Why would you do something like that? A contract marriage?”
“It was necessary back then,” she forced a small smile. “But it’s fine now. I’m leaving anyway. After a few months, I’ll forget about him. Eventually… I might even forget I was ever married.”
Elias clearly wasn’t happy with that answer, but he didn’t push further.
Instead, he glanced at his watch.
“The car will be here at one in the morning to pick you up. Your flight is at 4 AM.”
“Okay,” Sophia nodded.
Elias gently patted her arm. “Go upstairs and sleep. Don’t stay up late. Otherwise you won’t wake up in time.”
Sophia nodded and turned around, walking back into the apartment building without looking back.
