Sophia let out a long sigh of relief when he left. And then her heart almost stopped when she remembered what he had said.

He was planning to come the next day too.

“If he comes to know that Marissa was the one who often visited me and Valerie never came to my office, I’ll be in trouble. He might go after my friend and grill her about the babies’ father.”

She didn’t want to destroy Marissa’s secret.

Rafael’s mother and Valerie would be after the kids and Rafael would never trust or believe Marissa against Valerie or his mom.

She needed to come up with a proper plan.

***Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

“Where were you?” for some reason, he felt irritated when heard Valerie’s voice upon entering the bedroom, “Doctor asked you to at least spend six months indoors, Rafael. I don’t know why you are not following his instructions.”

By the end of it, her voice had turned teary, and Rafael felt guilt making its way into his heart, “I’m sorry, love. It’s just… I am getting tired of staying back home. I am not even allowed to read my office files, how am I going to spend six damn months.”

Valerie quickly leaned her face against his chest, “Well. I have a few ideas in mind if you agree.” She started playing with his collar button. There was a sly smile playing on her lips when she offered them to him by raising her face temptingly.

Rafael thanked in his heart for the shift of her focus and started sucking her lips. The same ones that tasted… that tasted like …

He pulled back with a frown. Valerie who was about to let out a loud moan at the kiss looked into his eyes with a dreamy look on her face, “Are you alright, love?”

He nodded and pinched her chin, bumping his nose with her, “Do you know what your lips taste like?”

He was expecting her to answer him as she always used to do.

“Strawberry!” 

But she didn’t. Instead, she tightened the grip of her arms around his neck and kissed his chin,

“Umm hmm. I don’t know. Tell me.” She urged a little seductively.

“Why? Don’t you know how they taste?” he started tickling her belly playfully enjoying her giggles.

And then something crossed his mind and he looked at her laughing face, “Oranges. It’s always been oranges. That sweetness mixed with tanginess.”

He waited for her to argue that it was always strawberries and never oranges. She kept teasing his lips with hers without any comment.

There was something extremely wrong. But what was it? Valerie was always there with him. Two years ago, when he met the accident, she used to stay at the hospital twenty-four-seven.

She had kissed him hard when their parents suggested the wedding in the hospital room. Her hand remained intertwined through his fingers during the wedding ceremony.

After the wedding when he feared that she was chained to home due to his lack of social life, she never complained and accepted the change.

Then why little Greene was telling him, it was not Valerie but her?

He came out of his thoughts when Valerie kept teasing him with her lips. That night he made love to Valerie, and she responded to him with the same passion.

By the end of it when she went to sleep, he kept thinking hard in the dark.

“No. As a husband, he was supposed to trust his wife. He couldn’t let a third person say any rubbish against Valerie. Tomorrow when he would go back to Dr. Sophia James, a higher official from the court and a senior lawyer would accompany him.

Once when Valerie’s tongue slipped, she told him that Dr. Sophia was not only her gynecologist but also a very good friend of hers.

He picked up his phone and sent a message to his friend Joseph, “Can you meet me tomorrow in my office?”

Joseph’s reply came instantly, “Rafael, my friend. How are you? Are you even allowed to use your phone? Your wife and mom didn’t let me meet you for two years. They are too protective of you.”

Joseph and Rafael only interacted with each other on the phone. The only explanation offered by Nina was, “Once you’re healthy, you are free to go wherever you want.”

Rafael closed his eyes with a smile. His mother would never break his trust. For some reason, she never liked Marissa and he never doubted her instincts.

Was Marissa always this selfish and this greedy?

Well. There were some unanswered questions that he needed to know from Sophia James.

***

“Where are you going?” Valerie asked him in a sleepy voice when she didn’t find him on the bed beside her. He was wearing a tie, standing before the mirror.

He felt strange seeing himself wearing a suit after two years.

“Rafael, you shouldn’t …” her husband didn’t let her speak,

“Don’t worry about me, Valerie. My assistants will be there to do the job. I promise I’ll be careful.”

He planted a quick kiss on her lips and left the room.

On his way outside, he asked the servants not to disturb Valerie in her sleep. Like last evening, the driver took him to Sophia’s clinic.

His lawyer friend and a higher official man were already waiting for him in the parking lot. He greeted them and walked inside.

The same receptionist greeted them and then her face got pale when she remembered that he was the same man who barged in Sophia’s clinic without an appointment.

He seemed like an influential man.

“Inform Ms. Sophia James that we are here,” Rafael told the assistant impatiently. He knew once he would look at the CCTV footage he could get peaceful sleep at night.

“I trust my wife and this little investigation is for the peace of my heart.” He tried explaining himself.

“Sir. Dr Sophia hasn’t arrived yet.”

His forehead wrinkled into several lines.

“Haven’t arrived yet? Is she usually this late or …” he trailed off when the assistant started shaking her head.

“No, sir. She is usually on time but today she asked me to cancel all her appointments as she is sick. Can I arrange your meeting with another gynecologist who is an expert in…” Rafael had already turned on his heels.

The higher official showed his badge to the assistant, “Sophia James address. Quick!” the assistant hurriedly grabbed a paper and pen and jotted down the address.

“Are we going to her place?” Rafael asked the man impatiently once they were outside.

“No. I’m sending my men there. Just wait for five minutes.” He spoke to someone on the phone and Rafael started pacing around impatiently.

After a few minutes, the man’s phone started ringing, “Yes! … Speak … what?”

Rafael’s eyes traveled to the man’s shocked face.

“What happened?” he inquired.

“Dr. Sophia. Last night she gave urgent notice to her landlord on call that she is moving out of town. She collected her important stuff with her rider’s help and left.”

“What are you saying!” Rafael snarled walking up to him, “There must be a way to find out where she has gone.”

The man swallowed hard and shook his head, “My men tried to find out. She didn’t leave any trail behind.

We can’t find her destination unless we get help from someone who knows the system. Maybe someone from the security in charge or airport staff.”

Rafael clutched his hands tightly into fists.

No. He wasn’t giving up that easily. He vowed to find out Marissa and Sophia… and the father of Marissa’s kids.

Something was not adding up here.