Chapter 167

If it was the latter, then Sophia didn’t just resemble Alexander’s late aunt—she embodied her spirit.

Hearing Alexander recount the tragic tale of the Thornton family’s youngest daughter, Sophia felt a pang of sorrow twist in her chest.

Life was cruel.

Victoria Blackwood had suffered.

Alexander’s aunt had suffered.

And Sophia? She was no stranger to pain.

Her voice softened, though her resolve remained unshaken. “I’m sorry, Alexander. Your aunt’s story is heartbreaking, but it has nothing to do with me. I’m only twenty. I can’t possibly be her. You might argue I’m her daughter, but that’s impossible.”

She lifted her chin. “My mother was a simple woman from the countryside. She died recently. Even if she was your aunt, she’s gone now. And even if I am a Thornton by blood, I will never acknowledge a family like yours.”

She stepped back, gripping the doorframe. “So please, Alexander. Don’t come looking for me again. I’m leaving Harborview soon.”

His eyes darkened. “I know you’re leaving. But where will you go? You have no money, no connections, and you’re carrying a child. What then?”

Sophia stiffened. “How do you know so much about me?”

“Noah told me.” Alexander exhaled sharply. “He planned to take you away himself—with a hefty sum of money. But his parents froze his accounts before he could leave. Desperate, he came to me, asking for five million.”

A bitter laugh escaped Sophia’s lips.

Noah Whitmore.

Of all people.

“He wanted to take you far from here,” Alexander continued. “He couldn’t stand seeing you suffer anymore. Sophia, compared to Liam Sterling, Noah is a good man.”

His gaze bore into hers. “If you are my cousin, then as family, I’d want you with someone reliable. Noah is sincere. If you insist on leaving, I won’t stop you. But at least let me help. I’ll give him ten million. Take it. Start over.”

Sophia’s fingers trembled.

She hadn’t expected this.

Noah’s loyalty.

Alexander’s persistence.

She bit her lip until it hurt. “I don’t have a phone. I smashed mine. Tell Noah… I appreciate his kindness, but I won’t rely on anyone. Not him. Not you. No one.”

She stepped back abruptly. “Goodbye, Alexander.”

The door slammed shut.

For two hours, Alexander remained outside, pleading, knocking, until silence swallowed his efforts. Only then did Sophia peek through the curtains.

He was gone.

Night fell, and with it, exhaustion weighed her down. She needed to eat. To sleep. To leave.

But fate had other plans.

The door creaked open—and there stood Isabella Thornton, smirking like a cat who’d cornered a mouse.

“Leaving so soon?” Isabella purred. “Before you go, there’s something you should know.”

Sophia’s stomach churned.

Isabella—pregnant, polished, and poisonous—looked far too pleased.

“Aren’t you tired?” Sophia snapped. “At the Blackwoods’ this morning, you were clutching your stomach in pain. Now you’re here, gloating?”

Isabella merely smiled.

Because this morning, she’d seen Sophia shatter her phone.

She’d seen Sophia defy Ethan Blackwood.

And most importantly—she’d seen Ethan’s fury.

Cold. Unforgiving.

Perfect.

“Sophia,” Isabella cooed, “I came because I admire you. You’ve ensnared Liam Sterling. You’ve charmed Noah Whitmore. And now?” Her eyes gleamed. “Alexander Kensington was at your door. Impressive.”

Sophia’s patience frayed. “Isabella, I’m done with Harborview. Done with all of you. Say what you want and leave.”

But Isabella wasn’t finished.

“What if I told you…” She leaned in, voice dripping with malice. “…the father of your child isn’t dead?”

Sophia froze.

“He’s alive,” Isabella whispered. “Young. Powerful. And right here in this city.”

A lie.

It had to be.

That man—whoever he was—had died that night.

Sophia’s nails dug into her palms. “I don’t care.”

“Don’t you?” Isabella tilted her head. “Think of your child. Don’t they deserve to know their father?”

Sophia’s breath hitched.

Memories flashed—her loveless childhood. Ethan’s coldness. Victoria’s suffering. Alexander’s tragic aunt.

A family.

A real family.

Was it possible?

Isabella’s smile widened. “Oh, Sophia. The truth is far more twisted than you know.”