Chapter 465

"Mommy, I know her! She's Grace's mom from my class." Lily chirped excitedly.

Sophia blinked. So this was the infamous group leader she'd heard about.

Ethan's piercing gaze locked onto her. "Seems like you're making quite the impression everywhere."

Sophia remained silent, turning her face toward the window.

His frown deepened.

Something was off today.

Usually, she was quiet but present—soft as a dove, curling into him at night, her arms winding around his neck with trusting ease. But now?

She might as well have been a ghost.

Ethan reached out, pressing the back of his hand to her forehead. "Are you ill?"

Sophia flinched, then murmured, "No... I'm fine."

No fever. No telltale signs of discomfort. Just this... hollow distance.

He switched tactics. "You've been practicing driving with me all week. Think you're ready to handle the car alone?"

She nodded mechanically. "Yes, I can manage."

"Good. I'll be in Kingsbury for a few days. Take the car if you want, or I'll assign Nathan to drive you and Lily."

Sophia's fingers twisted in her lap. "I'll drive myself."

A beat. Then, softly: "Kingsbury... Are you visiting the Thorntons?"

Ethan's head snapped toward her. "How did you—?"

A wisp of a smile touched her lips. "You introduced me to Julian Montgomery once. He mentioned you were... close."

"Clever girl," Ethan drawled, though his eyes darkened. "But don't concern yourself with Cassandra."

The name landed like a guillotine.

Sophia's chest constricted, but her face betrayed nothing. She became a statue again—back straight, gaze distant, as if carved from ice.

Ethan hated it.

He hooked an arm around her waist, tugging her against him. To his surprise, she didn't resist, melting into his side like a weary kitten.

The unspoken message was clear: Cassandra is none of your business.

And Sophia understood.

The Thorntons were his world. A stolen woman like her had no right to ask questions. Maybe this trip was even an escape—from her, from the mess she represented.

The thought carved through her like a blade.

Silence swallowed the car. Lily, sensing her mother's detachment, patted Sophia's knee and announced, "Daddy, when I grow up, I'll spoil Mommy! She works so hard."

Ethan arched a brow. "Not me?"

Lily huffed. "If you don't treat her right, I'll find her a hotter boyfriend! Tons of guys want her!"

Up front, Nathan choked back a laugh. The kid was loyal—even after Sophia's recent aloofness, Lily remained her fiercest defender.

Ethan's mouth quirked. "Let them try," he purred, fingers tightening possessively around Sophia's waist. "See how far they get."

The words should have warmed her. Instead, they crystallized the truth:

She was a prisoner in gilded chains.

And the key?

Lay in Kingsbury.

With her.