Chapter 20: Sofía's Break
The office was unusually quiet for a late afternoon. The low hum of the city outside was the only sound that filled the space as Alejandro sat at his desk, his hands clenched tightly around a glass of whiskey. He stared at the amber liquid swirling inside the glass, but his mind was elsewhere—on Sofía, and the conversation that had been building in his mind for days.
He had known, deep down, that something was wrong. Sofía's return to his life, to his bed, had never felt entirely right. Her reasons had always seemed murky, her motives veiled in shadows. But now, with everything that had transpired—Diego's scandal, Lía's unexpected involvement, and his own growing unease—Alejandro had reached a point where he couldn't ignore the truth any longer.
Sofía had come back for a reason, but it wasn't for him.
His decision was made. He couldn't keep living a lie, couldn't keep pretending that their relationship was what it once was, that it could ever be what he wanted it to be. He needed answers, and he needed them now.
He stood up abruptly, the chair scraping noisily against the floor. He could feel the weight of his decision settling in his chest. Taking one last swig of the whiskey, Alejandro walked out of his office, his footsteps echoing down the hallway as he headed toward Sofía's office. It was time to end this.
Sofía was sitting at her desk when Alejandro entered, her back to the door. She didn't look up, but the faintest smile curved her lips as she heard him approach.
"Alejandro," she said, her voice light, almost playful. "I was wondering when you'd come to see me. I thought you'd be busy dealing with the company's little PR mess."
He didn't respond immediately. Instead, he walked toward her, stopping just short of her desk. The smile she had on her face faltered slightly when she noticed the look in his eyes. It wasn't the warm gaze she was used to—it was hard, determined, filled with something she couldn't quite place.
"Sofía," he began, his voice steady but tinged with something sharper. "We need to talk."
Her heart skipped a beat. She'd known this moment was coming. Alejandro wasn't a man prone to confrontation, but the distance between them had been growing wider, and he had finally reached his breaking point.
She stood up, smoothing out the front of her dress as she did. "Of course. What's on your mind?"
Alejandro didn't waste any time. "Why did you come back? Was it really because of me, or was it something else?"
The question hung in the air, thick with tension. Sofía blinked, her usual air of confidence faltering for a brief moment. She had always been able to charm her way out of situations, but Alejandro's piercing gaze made it clear he wasn't going to be fooled this time.
She swallowed, then let out a soft, humorless laugh. "You're not an idiot, Alejandro. You know why I came back."
Alejandro's jaw tightened. "Then why pretend? Why go through the motions as if you cared about me? About us?"
Sofía crossed her arms over her chest, her expression unreadable. "Because it was easier that way. I didn't want to deal with the truth, but now… now that things are falling apart for you, I suppose it's time to be honest."
The words hit him harder than he expected. His chest tightened as the illusion he had held on to for so long began to crack. "So, what? You came back for convenience? For what I could give you?"
"Exactly," Sofía admitted, her eyes narrowing slightly. "I knew I could get something from you. And, yes, I won't lie—I'm here because I need it. I need the power, the stability, the influence you bring."
Alejandro's heart sank, the weight of her words pushing him further into a pit of confusion and disbelief. All this time, he had believed that Sofía's return was some kind of redemption, some kind of second chance at a life he had always wanted. He had idealized her, built her up in his mind, convinced himself that this was the love he had been waiting for. But now, hearing her speak so bluntly, all the fantasy he had woven around her crumbled like dust.
"So, it was all a lie," he said softly, the words tasting bitter on his tongue.
"Not a lie," Sofía replied, her voice slightly more defensive. "It was a business arrangement. I came back because I thought we could make it work. But things aren't as simple as they seem, are they?"
Alejandro couldn't help the frustration that bubbled up inside him. "You used me. You took advantage of my feelings—of my vulnerability."
Sofía shook her head, her eyes narrowing with a hint of annoyance. "I never took advantage of you. You're the one who let your feelings cloud your judgment. You didn't see the truth because you didn't want to. You were so desperate to hold on to something that didn't exist anymore."
The sting of her words was almost too much to bear. She was right in some ways—he had allowed himself to believe in an illusion, a dream that was never going to come true. But the truth felt like a betrayal, one that he wasn't sure he could recover from.
"So what now?" he asked, his voice quiet, resigned. "You get what you want, and then what? You walk away again?"
Sofía didn't answer immediately. Instead, she took a step toward him, her eyes softening just slightly. "I don't want to hurt you, Alejandro. But you have to understand—this isn't about love. It never was. It's about survival. I came back because I needed a way back into your world. And I thought, with your help, I could secure a place for myself. But I can't keep pretending it's something else."
Her words echoed in Alejandro's mind, a sharp, painful reminder of everything he had been blind to. He had believed in the image of her that he had created in his mind, but now it felt like she had shattered it all.
"I see," he said quietly, his voice thick with emotion. He turned away from her, walking toward the window. The city sprawled below him, indifferent and unchanging. It was a stark contrast to the whirlwind of emotions inside him.
Sofía's voice followed him. "You're angry, but you shouldn't be. I never asked for your love. I just needed you. There's a difference."
Alejandro's chest tightened. He had wanted her love, had wanted the connection they once had. But now it felt like a dream he had never been awake enough to realize wasn't real.
Later that day, Alejandro stood outside Lía's office, his mind in turmoil. He had spent so much time chasing after the illusion of love with Sofía that he hadn't noticed what was right in front of him. He had ignored Lía, the one person who had always been there for him, the one who had proven time and time again that she was more than just an employee or a fleeting part of his world.
He raised his hand to knock on the door, but just before he did, he hesitated. His heart pounded in his chest, unsure of what he would find on the other side of the door. What if she didn't want him anymore? What if it was too late?
He knocked, and when Lía's voice called out, he stepped inside.
She was sitting at her desk, her gaze flicking up to meet his with surprise. There was something different in her eyes now, something distant that hadn't been there before. The warmth she had once offered was now just a cold distance.
"Lía," Alejandro began, his voice trembling slightly. "I—"
Before he could finish, Lía stood up, cutting him off with a small shake of her head. "No, Alejandro," she said, her voice steady. "You've made your choices. You had your chance, but you didn't see what was important until now."
Her words felt like a dagger to his heart. He had tried to find her, to make things right, but she was already beyond his reach.
"I'm sorry," he said, his voice breaking. "I—"
"You don't need to apologize," Lía interrupted, her voice firm. "You don't get to come in here and expect everything to just fall into place. You had me when it mattered, and now… now it's too late."
She turned away from him, her back to him as she returned to her work. Alejandro stood there, frozen, unable to find the words to undo the damage he had caused.
As he turned to leave, his heart shattered, he realized—he had lost her, just as he had lost everything else he had ever taken for granted.