Chapter 113

Ethan's face was unreadable, his bronze skin taut over sharp cheekbones, eyes dark with restrained emotion.

He wore his grief like armor—impenetrable, controlled.

Sophia couldn't decipher him.

She prided herself on being perceptive, but with Ethan, she felt laid bare.

His mother's worsening condition weighed on him, yet he didn't crumble. He stood tall, immaculate in his tailored suit, every inch the ruthless CEO.

And her?

Covered in dirt, exhausted, trapped between Isabella's schemes, Liam's indifference, and the Thornton family's scorn.

Even Charlotte Kensington had sneered at her.

And Ethan—what would he do when he finally turned his attention to her?

She was no match for him.

She never wanted to be.

All she wanted was to survive, to protect the life growing inside her.

But the elite circle of Harborview City treated her like a pawn, a joke.

That ridiculous cigarette holder she'd bought—had he received it?

What must he think of her groveling?

His voice cut through her thoughts, cold and sharp. "These tears—are they really for my mother?"

Sophia lifted her chin, meeting his gaze. "Yes."

"Then your grief isn't about the contract? Not about the money?"

She faltered.

How could she answer?

She needed that money. For her child. For the truth about her mother's death.

But admitting it felt like surrender.

"I... I didn't—"

Ethan didn't wait for her to finish. He turned and strode back into the sterile hospital room.

Inside, the city's elite surrounded Victoria's bed. Sophia lingered outside, invisible.

For weeks, she'd been the one at Victoria's side, soothing her, caring for her.

Now?

She was nothing.

Unwanted.

She pressed her forehead against the window, watching Victoria's frail form, tubes snaking around her.

Tears blurred her vision.

Work couldn't wait forever. She dragged herself to Chase Office, where the acting manager delivered the news:

"Starting tomorrow, you're reassigned to the Harborview construction site. A week."

Sophia nodded.

The site was grueling, but at least no one would watch her like a criminal.

And the cafeteria portions were generous.

But it meant no more midday visits to Victoria.

After her shift, she returned to the hospital, hoping for a quiet moment.

Instead, she found Ethan at Victoria's bedside, his hand clasping hers.

Sophia retreated.

She wasn't needed anymore.

Nathan Carter blocked her path. "Sophia. Where are you staying?"

She stiffened.

Was this it? Was Ethan finally sending someone to deal with her?

"The Express Inn. South of the hospital." Her voice was hollow. "Tell Mr. Blackwood I'll be waiting."

Nathan said nothing as she walked away, her shoulders slumped under an invisible weight.

Back at the hotel, she curled into bed, starving but unable to eat.

Memories of Victoria—her kindness, her warmth—flooded her.

Those two years in prison would have been unbearable without her.

Now, she might never see her again.

At dawn, she rushed to the hospital, only to learn Victoria had been moved to intensive care.

Defeated, Sophia boarded the bus to the Harborview construction site.

Would Victoria still be alive when she returned?

Lost in thought, she collided with someone.

She looked up.

Liam Sterling smirked down at her.