Chapter 301

"Go!"

Nathan Carter hesitated. "Is that your wife?"

Ethan Blackwood's voice turned icy. "Don't disturb her. Some people don’t deserve kindness."

Nathan immediately straightened. "Understood, Mr. Blackwood!"

Ethan’s command was absolute. Nathan had no choice but to follow Sophia Montgomery discreetly, watching as she hailed a taxi and made her way to Victoria Blackwood’s grave. From a distance, he couldn’t hear her words, but the sight of her trembling shoulders spoke volumes.

Stepping further back, Nathan dialed Ethan’s number. "Sir, she’s at the cemetery. She’s crying… hard. She mentioned something about bringing Lily to visit soon."

His voice wavered with sympathy.

Ethan’s response was curt. "I see."

Nathan hesitated. "Sir… should I—"

"Keep following her." The order was sharp.

"Yes, sir." Ending the call, Nathan retreated into the shadows, his gaze never leaving Sophia.

Kneeling before the tombstone, Sophia whispered words too soft for anyone else to hear. "Mother… at least you and William shared love. But Ethan and I? Nothing. He despises me. If not for Lily, he might have already destroyed me."

Her fingers traced the engraved letters.

"Tell me… how do I survive this? I need to find work, save enough to visit my own mother’s grave. I don’t even know how she died."

A bitter laugh escaped her.

"Give me strength, Mother. Please."

She stayed until noon, then left, her legs stiff from kneeling.

At a nearby fast-food joint, she picked at her meal, her mind elsewhere. Afterward, she settled on a park bench, scrolling through job listings on her phone.

Architecture was her only skill.

But without a degree or corporate experience, her options were slim. She’d spent five years on small-town construction sites—hardly impressive to city firms.

An hour later, she’d sent applications to five companies.

The responses were swift—and brutal.

"Education?" the first recruiter snapped.

Sophia’s stomach dropped. "I—"

"Do you think design is child’s play? Don’t waste our time!" The line went dead.

The others were no better.

No one cared about her experience.

Frustrated, she decided to draft a proper resume at an internet café. Maybe then, someone would look past her lack of credentials.

She approached passersby. "Excuse me, is there an internet café nearby?"

Blank stares.

Finally, a janitor pointed across the street. "Try that building. The gamers hang out there."

"Thank you."

The building was a maze of shops and offices. Following the directory, she found the café on the upper floors and pressed the elevator button.

The doors slid open—and a woman stepped out, eyes widening.

"Sophia Montgomery! What are you doing here?"

Sophia didn’t glance up. "I don’t know you."

Charlotte Kensington scoffed. "Are you blind? Look at me!"

Sophia had no patience for this. Since returning to Harborview, she’d been dragged back into Ethan’s world, making enemies at every turn. What was one more?

She met Charlotte’s glare. "You’re the one making a scene. Move. I need the elevator."

Charlotte’s face flushed. "You—!"

Then she spotted Liam Sterling lurking behind her. "Liam! Tell her who I am!"

Liam stepped forward awkwardly. "Sophia… are you all right? Ethan hasn’t… hurt you, has he?"

Charlotte exploded. "You’re consoling her? In front of me? Your fiancée?"

She whirled on Sophia. "Everyone knows Ethan dragged you back to pay his debts. What, is Liam next in line?"

Sophia’s hand shot out—slap!

Charlotte staggered.

Sophia’s voice was eerily calm. "If you know I’ve got nothing left to lose, why provoke me? I’ll hit you. Your fiancé will still talk to me. Can you stop it?"

Silence.

Charlotte and Liam gaped.

Sophia hadn’t changed. Six years later, she still wore that same detached expression—unreadable, untouchable.

But Liam knew better.

Behind that mask was a woman drowning in loneliness.