Chapter 185

Sophia felt an unexpected wave of security wash over her.

She never imagined that in just two months in Harborview City, she would cross paths with Ethan and Liam, and even borrow money from Alexander despite everything.

The only person she hadn't truly encountered was Noah.

Every time she saw Liam, Noah was always by his side, silent, offering nothing more than a faint smile in her direction.

Yet today, it was Noah who risked his life to save her.

"Thank you, Noah..." Sophia whispered silently in her heart.

Noah reassured her, "We'll be safe once we leave Harborview. We can return when the time is right."

Sophia shook her head firmly. "I'll never come back to Harborview. And I'll never look for him again. When my child is born, I'll tell them their father is dead."

Goodbye, Harborview.

Goodbye, Ethan.

Would Ethan ever want to see her again?

Right now, he was probably walking Isabella down the aisle, wasn't he?

Tears blurred her vision.

Meanwhile, Ethan was not entering the wedding hall with Isabella as Sophia had assumed.

After sending Sophia away, Isabella had approached him, clinging to his arm like a delicate songbird. "Thank you for standing by me, Ethan. Sophia was always jealous of me. I told you before, but you never believed me—until now."

Ethan's cold gaze bore into her, making her shiver.

But his icy demeanor was nothing new. Forcing a smile, she asked, "Shall we go in, Mr. Blackwood?"

Even now, on the verge of marriage, Isabella still didn’t dare call him by his first name.

She feared him.

But Sophia had always called him Ethan without hesitation. By now, that wretched girl was probably crushed beneath a truck, wasn’t she?

Heh.

Arm in arm with Ethan, Isabella walked down the red carpet, basking in the envious stares of the guests.

Her heart swelled with triumph.

She was finally Ethan Blackwood’s wife—the undisputed lady of Blackwood Enterprises. No woman in Harborview could rival her status now. Those high-society women who had once looked down on her would now have to grovel at her feet.

How satisfying.

She walked slowly, deliberately, savoring every moment of their envy.

It took them a full ten minutes to reach the altar.

Their wedding was a grand Western affair. The officiant turned to Ethan and asked loudly, "Mr. Blackwood, do you take Isabella to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, in sickness and in health—"

"I don't."

Ethan's voice cut through the hall like a blade.

Isabella's mouth fell open. Her eyes widened in shock, her carefully crafted bridal composure shattered. "E-Ethan... what... why?"

The guests gasped.

Benjamin and Elizabeth Thornton, seated in the front row, turned pale. Their pride evaporated in an instant, replaced by sheer panic.

Elizabeth couldn’t contain herself. "Ethan! How could you do this? Isabella is carrying your child—your heir!"

Even William Blackwood, Ethan’s grandfather, frowned. "Ethan, this is too far. The wedding is already underway. The Thorntons—"

But Ethan didn’t even glance at him.

He simply turned to the officiant and repeated, coldly, "I don’t want to marry her."

Then he walked away.

Not a single guest dared to speak. Some even smirked—everyone in Harborview knew the Thorntons were social climbers. Benjamin had been a nobody until he latched onto the Blackwoods through his daughter.

And now, history repeated itself.

The high-society women in attendance, who had seethed with jealousy watching Isabella cling to Ethan, now stifled laughter.

Serves her right.

"Ethan!" Isabella wailed, chasing after him. "You still can't forget Sophia, can you? She’s a deceitful, manipulative woman! She seduced you, she seduced Alexander, she even went after Noah! Everyone knows what kind of woman she is! She promised she’d never return to Harborview—yet she showed up today!"

Ethan paused mid-step.

Isabella’s breath hitched. "Ethan... have you changed your mind?"

He turned, looking down at her with utter disdain.

"You’ve stood beside me at the altar," he said coldly, "yet you still call me Mr. Blackwood. Doesn’t that tell you everything? My wife would call me by my name. But you? From the beginning, you’ve only ever seen me as a means to climb higher."

With that, he walked away again.

"No! Ethan! You can’t leave!" Isabella collapsed, sobbing, grabbing at his sleeve.

Ethan didn’t even look at her. "Christopher."

His head bodyguard stepped forward. "Yes, sir."

"Escort Miss Thornton and her family home. Replace all their household staff. Assign new servants to ensure her pregnancy is carefully monitored—until she delivers the child."

His voice was merciless.

"Nothing must go wrong."