Chapter 241

Sophia found herself trapped in the middle of the rowdy group, their crude teasing making her cheeks burn with humiliation.

Liam Sterling stood frozen, equally mortified.

They could behave however they wanted in front of him, but seeing them treat Sophia this way felt like a personal insult. Before he could react, two burly men stepped forward, wrapping their arms around Sophia's shoulders.

"Come on, sweetheart! Standing by the door like a shy virgin? You really don’t know the rules, do you?" The man laughed, his breath reeking of alcohol. "What’s the point of pretending? Might as well come inside and have some fun with us."

Sophia stiffened.

Their grip was suffocating.

She tried to push them away, but their arms were like iron bars. Swallowing her disgust, she forced a cold smile. "Fine. But you’ll need to clear it with Mr. Blackwood first. I belong to Ethan now. If he finds out you touched me without permission… well, let’s just say he likes keeping count."

The men froze.

Ethan Blackwood’s name was enough to make even the boldest men hesitate.

Behind her, Liam suddenly roared, "Let her go! If any of you lay another finger on her, I swear I’ll make sure you regret it!"

The group fell silent, stunned.

One of them scoffed. "What’s with you, Liam? Since when do you hog all the fun for yourself?"

Sophia turned to Liam, her voice icy. "It’s fine, Mr. Sterling. Why don’t you call your cousin Ethan right now and tell him I’m entertaining his guests? Make sure to give him the exact headcount."

Her tone was detached, as if she had long since numbed herself to the pain.

Liam’s chest tightened like a thousand needles had been driven into his heart.

He shoved the two men aside and snarled, "From now on, anyone who dares to disrespect Sophia answers to me. And I don’t make empty threats."

Without another word, he grabbed Sophia’s wrist and dragged her toward the elevator.

The moment the doors closed, the stunned silence behind them erupted into murmurs.

"What the hell was that?"

"Since when does Liam act like this?"

"Wait—Sophia Montgomery? Isn’t she the one the entire upper circle wanted destroyed six years ago?"

"Damn. No wonder she’s got him wrapped around her finger."

Inside the elevator, Liam finally released her. "Where do you want to go?"

"To Ethan," Sophia answered flatly.

Liam hesitated. "He’s at the office."

"I know."

"You… want to go there?"

"Yes."

Liam exhaled sharply. "Fine. I’ll drive you."

Sophia followed him to his car without protest. As they pulled onto the road, Liam glanced at her. "How have you and Noah been these past few years?"

At the mention of Noah Whitmore, Sophia’s fingers curled into fists. She turned to Liam, her voice barely above a whisper. "Mr. Sterling, I know you’ve always enjoyed toying with me. But if you could just… tell me where my brother is. Is he alive? Where is his family now?"

Her voice cracked.

"If you help me, I’ll do anything you ask. The game you wanted to play six years ago? I’ll agree to it now. Just—just tell me they’re okay."

Liam’s grip on the steering wheel tightened until his knuckles turned white.

Her words were like poison, seeping into his veins.

His hands shook so badly he nearly swerved off the road.

When he finally stopped the car, he turned to her, guilt burning in his eyes. "Sophia, listen to me. What I did six years ago… I can never make up for it. But I never saw you as just a plaything."

He swallowed hard.

"The moment you took that knife for me, I knew I’d spend the rest of my life trying to atone. I don’t expect your forgiveness. But I want you to be free."

His voice dropped to a whisper.

"Do you want to run? I’ll help you escape. My mother is Ethan’s aunt—he won’t dare touch me. I can get you far away from here."

Sophia shook her head. "My daughter is with Ethan. He took her to the office this morning."

Liam’s shoulders slumped.

"Then take me to him," she said.

The rest of the drive passed in silence.

Just before they arrived, Sophia spoke again, her voice eerily calm. "Mr. Sterling, you don’t need to blame yourself. I never hated you. I just… don’t consider you a friend anymore."

Liam flinched.

That hurt more than her hatred ever could.

"Can we never be friends again?" he asked quietly.

Sophia turned to him, her gaze empty. "Why would you want to be? I’m just a toy to all of you. And your cousin made sure I never forget that."