Chapter 7 - Elena's Confession
Elena Morgan was packing her charts at the clinic when Luke walked in unannounced, locking the door behind him.
"You told Mother," Luke stated, his voice flat, devoid of emotion.
Elena looked up, guilt written plainly across her features. "She ambushed me, Luke. She came to the house, saw my missed calls from you, and pried it out. I didn't tell her the details—"
"You made Sophia feel like an animal backed into a corner," Luke said, sinking into the chair opposite her, burying his face in his large, calloused hands. "She thinks I believe she killed the baby. She thinks I hate her."
"Did she... did she go through with it?" Elena asked hesitantly.
Luke looked up, his eyes bloodshot, haunted. "I don't know. She hung up on me."
Elena sat back, letting out a long breath. "Luke, I didn't perform the procedure. When she walked out of my clinic yesterday, she still had the appointment slip in her hand, but she canceled the procedure at the front desk. The receptionist told me she was crying."
Luke’s heart hammered against his ribs. "She didn't do it?"
"I don't know if she went somewhere else, Luke," Elena said honestly. "Sophia is proud. She was terrified of bringing a baby into a loveless marriage. If she kept it, she’s going to raise it without you. And if she terminated it, it's because you failed to protect her from our mother."
Luke stood up, buttoning his coat. The despair in his eyes had transformed into something raw, fierce, and desperate.
"Where would she go?" Luke asked. "Think, Elena. You knew her before I did."
"She didn't have many friends," Elena murmured. "Just that lawyer, Maya. And her architecture firm."
Luke paused, his brow furrowing. "Her firm? She works as a freelance consultant for residential homes."
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Elena looked at her brother with genuine pity. "Luke... do you really know nothing about your own wife? Sophia owns *Aura Interior Architecture*. They just won the contract for the South Loop redevelopment. She’s not a hobbyist. She never needed your money."
Luke felt the ground slip beneath him once more. Three years of marriage, and he had been entirely blind.
