Betrayed by Fiance, Embraced by Hidden Tycoon-Chapter 225: Everything Becomes Clear

James fell silent for a moment, trying to recall what had happened years ago.

"That was a long time ago, Sophie. All I remember is that I was waiting for you when my mother suddenly appeared with that woman. She was my father’s best friend’s daughter, so you saw me talking to her casually. I know her. We’ve met a few times, but we’re not close."

"But James, your mother said—" Sophie couldn’t finish. Remembering what his mother said made her heart ache.

James could see the disappointment flash in her eyes, afraid she would misunderstand him again.

"Sophie, please believe me. That day I met her, I had no idea she was being considered a candidate for my wife. If I had known, I would have left immediately. I only discovered she was the woman my parents wanted me to marry a few days after you left..."

"That’s impossible. Your mother said she’s already pregnant, and your mother said you will marry her soon. And... you agreed to it—" Sophie’s voice trembled. She felt confused about who was telling the truth: him or his mother.

"I’ve never married, Sophie..." James tried to convince her.

Once again, Sophie was shocked to hear that. Knowing this man had lied to her made her feel as though all the happiness she had when she saw him again had been stripped away. Her eyelashes trembled as she turned her gaze away from him, trying hard not to cry before him.

James was stunned to see she was about to cry again and avoid eye contact with him. "Sophie, why don’t you believe me? Huh?" he asked helplessly.

"Why? Why did you lie to me, James?" Sophie’s voice cracked as tears slowly fell from the corners of her eyes. "I heard from Abby that you have a granddaughter. Why do you keep lying to me?"

Just before Abigail left the room, she mentioned that James had a son and granddaughter.

James let out a deep sigh. "I said I never married, but I didn’t say I didn’t have a son and a granddaughter," he explained calmly. But his calmness only added to Sophie’s confusion.

"What do you mean? You have a son with another woman and are not married?" Her eyebrows raised slightly, clearly confused by his words.

"I have a son, but he is my adopted son. I agreed to adopt him to prevent my mother from finding a woman for me to marry. His name is David Philips; he is my mother’s younger sister’s grandson. David’s parents died in a car accident, so he is not my biological son."

Sophie gasped in shock at his explanation. The coldness in her heart began to melt as she learned the truth, but she remained silent, puzzled by her feelings.

She could only let him continue explaining to clarify their misunderstanding.

"David has a daughter named Serena. She is a few years older than Abigail. Just to make it clear... the woman you saw in the restaurant—I never married her. I rejected her, just like I turned down all the women my parents arranged for me to marry. I promised my parents I would only marry you, the woman I love! If it’s not you, then I will remain single until I die..."

"James..." Sophie muttered under her breath, scolding herself for having trusted Violet Parker so conveniently at that time. She was so mad at herself.

"Over the years, my mother no longer forced me to get married. She stopped after I agreed to adopt David. And, Sophie, even until today, I’ve never stopped looking for you, even though I failed..." James paused, bitterly laughing as he recalled those times.

James smiled at Sophie, gently touching her shoulder to bring her gaze toward him.

"Why did you change your name? I remember seeing your ID card; your name was Sophie Cassidy," he asked. Now he realized why he couldn’t find her; she had changed her last name. The detective he hired to follow her trail failed because he solely focused on her full name.

After hearing all his explanations and clearing up their misunderstandings, Sophie felt much more relaxed.

"Your mother threatened me, telling me never to appear before you. She also insisted that I change my name immediately. If I didn’t comply, I would be in serious trouble..."

"So, you changed it to Lewis?" James asked.

"Yes, that’s my mother’s surname."

James couldn’t help but laugh bitterly, reflecting on the past and how terrible his mother had been trying to separate them.

They continued discussing many unresolved issues from their past. Sophie asked questions, and James did, too. They spoke for nearly an hour without realizing how much time had passed.

Now that they had reunited, all the misunderstandings from the past had been cleared up.

At that moment, James had only one thing on his mind: to proceed with their plan to marry officially and live together until death separated them.

"I’m sorry, James. I’m really sorry. I feel so foolish for believing your mother!" Sophie expressed her feelings while wiping away the tears still lingering at the corners of her eyes.

James smiled at her and pulled her into his arms. The warmth he had missed so much began to enter his pores, making him reluctant to let her go. He just wanted to embrace her forever.

"We were both wrong, Sophie. There’s no need for harsh words, my love..." he whispered with a happy smile. But soon, a thought crossed his mind.

Loosening his embrace, James looked Sophie straight in the eye and said, "Sophie, there’s something I’m still confused about. If you knew you were pregnant, why didn’t you come to me? You know where to find me, right?"

Sophie’s shoulders slumped like she was bringing back something complicated from the past.

"I just found out I was pregnant a few months after I moved out of town. When I planned to find you in the capital to share this news, I read in the newspaper that you had died—"