**Playing with Fire**
«Blimey,» Arthur threw his head back, choking with laughter. «You told her straight to her face? In front of everyone?»
«What else could I do?» Edward drummed his fingers nervously on the table. «Im a married man. And she wouldnt leave me alonegot bolder by the day. The whole departments been whispering.»
«Ah, you soft-hearted sod,» Arthur teased. «Most blokesd lap it up, but not youtoo honourable for your own good.»
«Weve different ideas of loyalty,» Edward retorted mildly, though weariness flickered in his eyes. «At first, it was just hints. I pretended not to noticedidnt want to seem rude or make a scene.»
«Thats where you went wrong, mate,» Arthur said, raising a knowing brow. «Your silence gave her hope.»
«What does she even want from me? Plenty of single lads about!»
«For women like her, a wedding ring isnt a barrierits a challenge,» Arthur mused. «Proof youre worth having.»
Sophie blew into their office like a sudden spring gale. She wasnt a classic beautyher features too sharp, her voice low and slightly husky. But when she smiled, the world seemed to shift. The HR manager later admitted shed been ready to turn Sophie downuntil that smile changed her mind.
At first, Edward genuinely liked her. Her energy and quick wit were a breath of fresh air in the dreary office routine. He helped her settle in, shared his experiencepure camaraderie, nothing more. A devoted family man, he saw her as a bright colleague, almost a younger sister.
But boundaries began to blur. Sophies jokes turned suggestive, her touches lingering. Edward, an introvert unused to such boldness, faltered. His moral compass, usually steady, spun wildly. He started avoiding her, skipping shared lunches. But retreat only spurred her on.
***
Edward was around thirty-five, the sort of man who kept his life meticulously ordered. Tall but slightly stooped, as if trying to appear smaller. Dark hair, neatly trimmed, with early silver at the templesheredity and responsibility. Calm eyes, though deep within lay exhaustionnot from work, but from quiet tension. He wore thin-rimmed glasses, which hed remove and rub at the bridge of his nose when agitated. His clothes were modestplain shirts, pressed trousers. No flashy details.
Edward disliked crowds. Flirting, office politicsit all felt alien, draining. His world was quiet, orderly, focused. He dreaded conflict, preferring silence over confrontation.
Yet within him stood an unshakable fortress: his love for his family. Emily and the children werent just part of his lifethey were its heart. His fidelity wasnt virtue but necessity, as natural as breathing.
Sophie fancied him from the first day. He alone ignored her charms. Seducing him wasnt about male attentionit was proof she was desirable. Conquering a married man was her ultimate validation. If such a «proper» man fell, shed matter. And experience told her no «perfect family man» was truly faithful.
Within weeks, Sophie gushed to her friend Alice about her feelings. Alice listened, uneasy.
«Another married one? Sophie, stop. Hes got two kids.»
«Oh, details! Hes trappedI can tell. His wife, that Emily… she doesnt understand him. Just keeps him comfortable while his soul yearns for freedom!»
«How dyou know? Have you even met her?»
«I dont need to! I see him. So buttoned-up, so controlled… thats not natural. Theres pain underneath. I want to help himfree the real man.»
«Soph, you sound like a cheap novel. You dont want to help him. You want him because hes off-limits. This isnt a gameits his life!»
«You dont get it, Alice. This is my life. I feel were meant to be. Hes lost. And that perfect family? Ill find the cracks. Just wait.»
***
A business trip to Manchester became Edwards trial. Who volunteered to join him? Sophie. Professional by day, but that evening, his hotel door rattled with knocks.
«My rooms freezing,» Sophie stood there, wrapped in a robeclearly little beneath.
Edwards stomach dropped. Panic clawed his throat. He pictured Emilys trusting eyes.
«WaitIll fetch you a blanket,» he muttered, turning away. «Here.»
Sophie pouted but took it.
«Youve locked yourself in a cage and lost the key,» she said, leaving. «Pity. You ought to let go sometime. Theres a different man underneath.»
Edward shut the door, leaning his forehead against it, pulse roaring. Relief mingled with a strange, heavy pityfor her, for himself, for the absurdity of it all.
Back at work, Sophie seemed to forget him. Edward began to relax. Then she asked for a lift home. Reluctantly, he refused.
«Do I disgust you?»
«Youre brilliant, Sophie,» he said. «But I love my wife. Ive a family»
«So thats it?» Her eyes sparked dangerously.
«No» He stumbled for words, but she vanished. Instantly, he regretted his hesitation.
That night, a sharp nudge woke him. Emilys furious whisper cut through the haze.
«Edward, have you lost your mind? What sort of woman sends photos like this at midnight?»
He sat up, heart hammering. On his phone: Sophie, clad in lace, posing brazenly.
«Em, its not what you think!» Voice cracking, he confessed everything.
Emily was silent, then sighed heavily.
«You daft sod,» she said, anger laced with fondness. «Fine. I believe youbecause I know youd never be that stupid. But tell her: if this happens again, Ill storm that office and give them a show theyll never forget.»
Edward nodded in the dark. The next day, he called Sophie into a meeting room. She entered, radiant, expecting surrender.
«Sophie, youve crossed a line,» he said, steadying his voice.
«Oh, dont be dramatic,» she purred, reaching for his cheek.
He recoiled. Her hand hung mid-air.
«Youre unworthy of her. Admit it.»
«Whatre you saying?»
«That your perfect lifes a lie,» she hissed. «From the outside: doting wife, lovely daughter, proud son… but your boys not yours.»
Edward went cold. He stared at her triumphant face, the last shreds of sympathy vanishing.
«I can prove it.» She slapped a paper on the table. «See? Paternity probability: 0%. Handy having connections, eh? Believe me now?»
Edward looked up, fury icy and clear.
«I tolerated your advances. But my children? Never. James isnt mine by blood. Thats between me and Emily. But since youre so keen on prying: his parentsEmilys sister and her husbanddied. Hes ours now. Happy? Satisfied?»
Sophie paled. «I didnt know»
«Nor do I know how you got this testif its even real. Before, I thought you lonely. Now I see youre dangerous. Resign by tonight, or I go to the police. And if you ever come near my kids…» His quiet voice turned lethal. «You wont need the police.»
Sophie quit that day. Edward came home early, finding eight-year-old Lily at her homework, six-year-old James piecing together a puzzle. He hugged them fiercely, breathing in their scent.
That evening, he sat across from Emily.
«We have to tell him,» Edward said softly. «Better he hears it from us.»
Emilys eyes brimmednot with sorrow, but relief.
«Im scared,» she admitted.
«Me too. But well do it together.»
A week later, they had a small celebration. After cake, Edward knelt before James.
«Son, Mummy and I need to tell you something important. About how much we love you.»
He met the boys gaze.
«Remember how we say familys what matters most? Well, families come in different ways. James… Im not your birth father. Your first mum and dad were Mummys sister and her husbandwonderful people, but theyre gone now. Mummy and I? We chose you. With all our hearts.»
James pondered this, then simply hugged them and asked for more cake. The heavy cloud lifted, leaving only crumbs and quiet talkno room for Sophie or her fantasies. Everything was as it should be.
