Chapter 14
I ran into Ethan again at a major bidding event.
I sat on the judges‘ panel; he sat among the hopeful bidders.
For a man who had once looked down on me, the humiliation was written all over his face.
Our eyes met across the room. His gaze flickered with bitterness before he quickly looked away.
During the break, I went to wash my hands.
Lily appeared behind me like a ghost in the mirror.
“We need to talk.”
I didn’t reply, just wiped my hands and stepped toward the lounge. She followed, her heels clicking sharply against the floor.
“You remember everything, don’t you?” she hissed the moment the door closed.
I turned, my expression cool. “What does it change?”
Her voice rose. “Ethan threw you away. He chose me. Doesn’t that bother you at all?”
I studied her face, calm. “Not in the way you think.”
Her laugh was bitter. “Oh, I see. Now you’re the Smiths‘ darling. They treat you like gold. You’ve got Adrian protecting you. Of course you act like you don’t care.”
“Respect is a two–way street,” I said quietly. “People treat you as you treat them.”
Her eyes blazed. “You’ve always had that holier–than–thou attitude. Do you know how much I hate it? Why does everything always go your way? Why do you get to have it all?”
Her words tumbled into a rant, wild and breathless. “In our past life, you had the Walkers‘ love, you had Ethan, you had everything! This time, you should’ve been in hell with the Smiths. But somehow, you still ended up winning! You still stole his gaze away from me!”
I blinked slowly. “You’re mistaken. Ethan loves you.”
Her laugh was cracked, hysterical. “Does he? He only ever wanted what he couldn’t have. Back then, it was me. Now, it’s you. He doesn’t love either of us–he just loves the idea of chasing
something out of reach.”
Chapter 14
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The necklace around her throat glittered as she clutched it. With a snarl, she yanked it off, holding it up like evidence.
“Remember that day at orphanage? You were the one who pulled that boy from the water. He promised he’d come back for you. But when his family showed up, I stepped forward. I lied and said I was you. I took this pendant. He said he’d return someday… and I thought he’d come for me.”
Her eyes were wild, her laughter unhinged. “But he didn’t. He came for you. Always you.”
The lounge door creaked.
Ethan stood there, his face pale, shock frozen across his features.
“Lily…” His voice was low, shaking.
She whirled on him, still clutching the necklace. “Yes! I lied to you. I stole her chance. You chose me
because of that lie!”
Ethan’s chest heaved, his hands clenched. “You tricked me? You-”
His voice cracked, fury lacing every word.
The storm was about to break.
I slipped past them silently, leaving them to tear each other apart.
And at the end of the hallway, waiting under the light, was Adrian.
Calm. Steady. Patient.
He held out his hand.
“Let’s go, Sophia.”
And just like that, the chaos behind me no longer mattered.
