The following morning, Eva awoke to the distant sound of classical music playing from somewhere within the penthouse. The notes were soft and melancholy, the kind of music that seeped into your bones and made you feel every bit of sadness it conveyed. She lay there for a moment, her eyes closed as she absorbed the unfamiliar surroundings, reminding herself that this was her reality now.
With a sigh, Eva pushed herself out of bed, her feet sinking into the plush carpet as she made her way to the bathroom. The opulence of the penthouse still felt foreign, like a place she was just visiting rather than her new home. Everything about it was pristine, immaculate, and utterly devoid of warmth—much like the man she had married.
As she prepared for the day, Eva's thoughts drifted to Logan. He had been a distant figure since their wedding, their interactions limited to polite exchanges and brief discussions about their upcoming public appearances. The man who had swooped in to save her boutique seemed to have withdrawn into a world of his own, leaving Eva to navigate the unfamiliar waters of her new life alone.
She dressed carefully, choosing a simple but elegant outfit that she hoped would be appropriate for whatever the day might bring. It was a relief when she stepped out of her bedroom and found that Logan was nowhere to be seen. The music, she realized, was coming from the living room, where a grand piano stood as the centerpiece of the space.
Eva approached the piano, her fingers trailing over the polished wood. She had always loved music, though she rarely had time to indulge in it. The notes drifted through the air, filling the empty spaces with a kind of sad beauty. It was a reminder that, despite the luxury surrounding her, there was something deeply lonely about this place.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" The voice startled her, and Eva turned to see a woman standing in the doorway, a small smile on her lips.
Eva took in the sight of her—tall, elegant, with dark hair that fell in waves over her shoulders. She was strikingly beautiful, with a confidence that seemed to fill the room. But there was something else, too, something in the way she held herself that put Eva on edge.
"I didn't mean to startle you," the woman continued, her smile widening as she stepped further into the room. "I'm Sophia. You must be Eva."
Eva nodded, feeling an uneasy flutter in her stomach. There was an air of familiarity in the way Sophia spoke, as though she already knew everything there was to know about her.
"Yes, I'm Eva," she replied, trying to keep her tone polite but distant. "It's nice to meet you."
Sophia's smile didn't falter, but there was a flicker of something in her eyes—amusement, perhaps. "I've heard a lot about you," she said, her gaze sweeping over Eva as though she were sizing her up. "Logan's new wife. Quite the whirlwind romance, I hear."
Eva stiffened, the words cutting through her like a knife. Whirlwind romance. The term felt like a cruel joke, given the reality of her marriage. But before she could respond, Sophia continued.
"It's funny," she mused, almost to herself, "how things change so quickly. One minute, everything is set, and the next...well, life has a way of surprising us, doesn't it?"
The tension in the room was palpable now, and Eva's mind raced as she tried to piece together who this woman was and why she was here. There was something in the way Sophia spoke, something in the familiarity of her tone, that hinted at a deeper connection with Logan than Eva had been prepared for.
"Logan didn't mention he was expecting company," Eva said, her voice carefully measured as she tried to steer the conversation in a different direction.
Sophia's smile remained, but there was a sharpness to it now. "Oh, Logan and I go way back," she replied smoothly. "I'm sure he just forgot to mention it. We were...very close for a long time."
Eva's heart sank at the implication. It was becoming painfully clear that Sophia was more than just a casual acquaintance. The way she spoke about Logan, the ease with which she moved through his home, suggested a history that ran far deeper than anything Eva could have imagined.
And then, with a sinking feeling, Eva realized exactly what that history was.
"Are you two...?" she began, the words sticking in her throat as she struggled to voice the question.
Sophia's smile turned almost predatory. "Were we together? Yes, for a time," she admitted, her tone laced with a strange mix of nostalgia and bitterness. "But Logan is a complicated man, and things didn't work out the way either of us planned."
Eva's heart pounded in her chest, the implications of Sophia's words hitting her like a tidal wave. Logan had never mentioned any of this. Not a word about Sophia or their past. And yet, here she was, standing in Eva's new home, speaking with the kind of familiarity that only came from years of knowing someone intimately.
"Why are you here?" Eva finally managed to ask, her voice trembling despite her best efforts to keep it steady.
Sophia tilted her head slightly, as if considering the question. "I suppose I wanted to see for myself what all the fuss was about," she said lightly. "Logan is...well, he's always been a man of mystery. And you...you're the latest chapter in his story."
The words felt like a slap in the face, and Eva had to fight to keep her emotions in check. She didn't know this woman, didn't know her history with Logan, but it was clear that Sophia had some kind of hold over him—one that Eva couldn't begin to compete with.
"Whatever your history with Logan," Eva said, finding her voice again, "it's in the past. He and I are married now."
Sophia's expression softened, though there was still an edge to it. "Of course," she replied, her tone almost pitying. "But marriage isn't always about love, is it? Sometimes, it's just...convenient."
Eva flinched at the truth in those words. Her marriage to Logan was anything but a love story, and the fact that Sophia knew this—could see it so clearly—felt like a wound being ripped open.
Before Eva could respond, she heard the sound of footsteps approaching from the hallway, and her heart skipped a beat as Logan appeared in the doorway. He stopped short when he saw the two women facing each other, a flicker of surprise crossing his features before he quickly masked it.
"Sophia," he said, his tone carefully neutral. "I didn't expect to see you here."
Sophia turned to face him, her smile turning warm, almost affectionate. "I was in the neighborhood," she said lightly. "I thought I'd drop by and say hello."
Logan's eyes flicked to Eva, and she saw the tension in his posture, the way his jaw tightened ever so slightly. He was not pleased by Sophia's presence, that much was clear. But whether it was because of the unexpected visit or because of the situation it had created, Eva couldn't tell.
"Sophia," he said again, his voice firmer now, "this isn't a good time."
Sophia's smile didn't waver, but there was a glint of mischief in her eyes. "I can see that," she replied. "But I just had to meet the woman who managed to do what so many others couldn't."
Logan's expression darkened, and for a moment, the tension between him and Sophia was so thick that Eva felt like an outsider in her own home. Whatever their past was, it was clear that there were unresolved issues between them, issues that Logan had been keeping from her.
"I think it's time you left," Logan said, his tone brooking no argument.
Sophia didn't move right away. She held his gaze for a long moment, something unspoken passing between them, before she finally turned back to Eva.
"It was lovely meeting you, Eva," she said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "I'm sure we'll be seeing more of each other."
And with that, she turned and walked out of the room, her footsteps echoing through the penthouse as she made her exit.
Eva stood there, feeling as if the ground had been pulled out from under her. Logan hadn't moved, his gaze still fixed on the spot where Sophia had just stood. The silence between them was heavy, charged with the tension of everything that had just happened.
"Who is she, Logan?" Eva asked, her voice quiet but demanding.
Logan sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as if trying to ease the tension there. "Sophia is...someone from my past," he admitted, his tone clipped. "We were together once, but it didn't work out."
Eva felt a pang of something she couldn't quite identify—jealousy, maybe, or insecurity. "She still cares about you," she said softly, the words more an observation than a question.
Logan didn't deny it. "Sophia is complicated," he said after a moment. "But whatever we had, it's over."
His words were meant to reassure her, but they didn't. Not really. Because even though Logan claimed it was over, the way Sophia had looked at him, the way she had spoken to Eva, suggested otherwise.
"Why didn't you tell me about her?" Eva asked, trying to keep the hurt out of her voice.
Logan turned to face her then, his expression unreadable. "Because it doesn't matter," he said firmly.
"She's not a part of our lives."
Eva wanted to believe him, wanted to trust that he was telling the truth. But the unease in her chest refused to go away, the lingering doubt that maybe, just maybe, she was only a stand-in for the woman Logan had truly loved.
As Logan turned and walked away, leaving Eva standing alone in the living room, she couldn't shake the feeling that she had just been thrust into the shadow of something far more complicated than she had ever imagined.