She had been captivated.
But reality had quickly followed.
She was two years older than Alexander.
Without anyone saying it directly, she had long been placed into the category of "older sister."
Even when coworkers joked carelessly about office romance, no one had ever paired her name with his.
As though everyone instinctively understood they were unsuited.
Age felt like an invisible wall she could never cross.
Sophia knew a man like Alexander—young, powerful, accomplished—would naturally choose someone younger.
Someone softer.
Someone easier to place beside him.
So she had quietly excluded herself from his world before anyone else could do it for her.
Afraid of ridicule, she buried her feelings deep inside and publicly claimed she already had a boyfriend.
From then on, she could only watch him from a distance.
Silently.
Year after year.
That was why, from the very beginning, Sophia had noticed the subtle tension between Alexander and Alicia.
