James hesitated, his posture betraying a brief uncertainty. It was rare to see him unsettled, even for a moment, but the shift in his stance, the slight pause before he spoke, made it undeniably clear. “Sophia is remarkable,” he said, sounding as cautious as Sophia had when Genevieve had questioned her about James.
“I admire her intelligence and warmth. She sees things with clarity, and she carries herself with a quiet strength that is rare, even in the face of Gabriel’s brusque demeanor.”
Genevieve noted the depth in his words, the way they were chosen carefully but spoke volumes despite their precision. She had suspected James’s growing admiration for Sophia but hearing him voice it created an unexpected moment of shared vulnerability between them. She understood cautiously growing feelings for someone, and at last, she felt that she could relate to him.
She nodded, offering him the same space he had given her.
“She sees the best in you,” she said. “And I can understand why she does.
James released a slow breath, the quiet between them shifting, settling into something more reflective.
"I must take pains to determine the soundness of her claim,” he said with a small smile.
***
Sophia had never been one to sit in passive silence when the people she cared about were suffering. Seeing Genevieve forced into enduring Gabriel’s cold distance, watching the quiet pain written across her face, was unbearable. She had spent hours witnessing the strain between them, watching the way Genevieve steeled herself, pretending not to feel the ache of his avoidance. The pattern was unmistakable, familiar in ways that irritated Sophia beyond measure. She refused to allow it to continue to go unchecked.
With purposeful strides, she reached Gabriel’s study, finding the door slightly ajar. Inside, he sat behind his desk, barricaded behind ledgers and estate reports, his focus rigid as he worked. His posture was tense, his movements sharp, and each turn of the page carrying the weight of control he sought to impose over his thoughts. Sophia recognized the retreat for exactly what it was.
Without hesitation, she stepped inside and firmly closed the door behind her.
“You are doing it again,” she said.
Gabriel did not look up immediately, his jaw tightening as he forced his attention back to the figures before him.
“I am handling necessary matters,” he said. “You need not sound so scolding.”
Sophia crossed her arms, unwilling to let him evade her purpose.
“You are hiding,” she said. “You are forcing order upon paper when the real chaos exists outside this room. And more importantly, you are hurting Genevieve.”
Gabriel exhaled sharply through his nose, irritation flitting across his features.
“It is necessary,” he said. “She is safer if my enemies believe she means little.”
Sophia’s frustration ignited instantly.
“Do you truly believe that creating distance will prevent harm?” she asked. “Do you believe withdrawing emotionally offers some kind of protection?”
Gabriel finally looked up, his dark blue eyes sharp.
“It has worked before,” he said.
Sophia shook her head, unwilling to accept his flawed reasoning.
“Emotional withdrawal offers no protection against bullets or poison,” she said. “The danger is real whether you hold her at arm’s length or not. And your calculated detachment does not shield her. It isolates her.” She paused, narrowingher eyes at her brother, a sudden new suspicion forming. “And if you ever take her as husbands take their wives, your coldness could wound her terribly, and perhaps forever.”
Gabriel leaned back slightly, his fingers pressing against the edge of the desk. He did not react, but nor did he refute her argument.
“You are forcing her into unnecessary suffering,” she said. “Genevieve is strong, but that does not mean she should have to endure your self-imposed distance. You are making her vulnerable in a way far worse than any external threat.”
A charged silence filled the space, with neither willing to yield. Sophia saw the flicker of uncertainty in his expression, the brief hesitation as her words settled in his mind. She could only hope that her brother made the right decision.
***
Gabriel listened to his sister, his posture rigid, his expression carved from stone. He prepared his argument with practiced efficiency, intending to insist that she understood nothing of the responsibility he bore, the weight of protecting others, or the sacrifices required to ensure their safety. No matter how he felt and no matter how deeply Genevieve had embedded herself into his thoughts, he could not allow personal attachment to interfere with the greater demands of his duty.
Sophia’s gaze did not waver, her shoulders squared as she met his unspoken rebuttal head-on.
