“Vanessa…?” Sophia whispered, her heart twisting painfully.

Her fingers clenched around the stethoscope — hard enough that her knuckles went white.

So it was true. Alexander and Vanessa were together.

“Just so you know,” sneered Clara Kane, “Vanessa never actually left my brother. The inheritance trust from Grandma has already been transferred. You’re worthless to the Kane family now.”

She scrolled lazily through her phone. “Leave. Don’t waste my time.”

Clara was twenty-eight, twice divorced, notorious for her affairs and indolence.

To her, Sophia was nothing more than a gold digger — the woman who had bewitched the Kane grandmother into forcing Alexander’s marriage for inheritance rights.

Her disdain turned venomous.

“Still dreaming of your fairytale? Without the Kane family, you’re nothing.”

A trophy wife?

Sophia almost laughed.

After placing her instruments back in the box, she rose and followed Clara inside.

Clara had just started another mobile game when Sophia suddenly snatched the phone from her hand.

Smack!

The device hit the floor, screen cracked.

“You bitch! Are you out of your mind?” Clara screamed, lunging forward.

She wasn’t strong — multiple miscarriages had left her frail — and within seconds, Sophia had pinned her down.

Slap!

“If it weren’t for me, your brother would’ve been dead a hundred times over! Who’s the ungrateful one here?”

“You dare hit me?” Clara shrieked.

Another slap.

“I cooked for you, cleaned for you, treated your illnesses — and you call me a trophy wife? Your family is the real parasite!”

“You— you lunatic!”

Clara’s scream turned into a sob. She hadn’t expected the gentle Sophia to snap.

“Siri, call my brother! Now!”

By the time Alexander rushed back, the room was chaos.

Both women were disheveled, bruised, and furious.

“Look at her!” Clara wailed. “Is that how your wife behaves? Like some gutter woman!”

“Sophia,” Alexander’s voice was low and seething. “Apologize to my sister.”

Sophia gave a bitter laugh.

“Apologize? To them?”

She looked at the man she once loved, her heart hollow.

“I must’ve been blind.”

“Apologize. Now.”

Tears burned her eyes, but she held them back.

Instead, she straightened, took out a few folded pages, and spoke quietly — almost peacefully.

“Alexander Kane — let’s divorce.”

“And remember — it’s me, Sophia Reed, who doesn’t want you.”

“From this day on, we’re strangers.”

She flung the divorce papers into his face, grabbed her suitcase, and walked out.

Alexander stood frozen. When he finally reacted, she was already gone.

Bang!

His fist slammed into the wall.

“That damn woman.”

Outside the Kane Mansion, a sleek Alfa Romeo was parked at the gate.

Sophia recognized the plate, smiled faintly, and got in.

“Welcome back, Sophia.”

The deep male voice carried a note of warmth she hadn’t heard in years.

Sophia let out a soft laugh and threw herself into the man’s arms.

“Ethan, I missed you.”

Her second brother, Ethan Reed, chuckled, ruffling her hair affectionately.

“Do you need me to teach that jerk a lesson?”

“No need.”

Sophia’s voice trembled. She sniffled, forcing back her tears.

“From now on, the eldest daughter of the Reed family is back. There’s no more Mrs. Kane.”

“That’s my girl,” Ethan said softly. “You’re the jewel of this family. You don’t need to suffer for anyone.”

“Dad and everyone are waiting at home.”

He wiped the tears from her eyes.

As the car pulled away, Sophia glanced back at the Cole Villa, her expression firm and cold.

Meanwhile, at the Kane Mansion, Alexander sat in silence.

The image of Sophia’s tear-streaked face haunted him.

He rubbed his temples — he must have lost his mind to still be thinking about that “vicious” woman.

The phone rang.

“Speak.”

“Mr. Kane, Miss Cole’s having another bleeding episode—”

Without hesitation, Alexander grabbed his coat and left.

Moments later, he arrived at the VIP suite of a Manhattan hospital.

Vanessa lay pale and weak on the bed.

“What happened?”

“Mr. Kane,” said his assistant James Quinn, bowing slightly, “Miss Cole heard about what happened at the mansion and insisted on finding you. Miss Carter tried to stop her, but she fainted from stress. The doctor’s checked her — the pregnancy isn’t stable. He suggested calling the Ghost Doctor, but… she’s been missing for over three years.”

James’s voice trailed off. The air around Alexander turned frigid.

“From now on, I want updates on Vanessa immediately.”

James nodded but hesitated again.

“There’s… something else. About Mrs. Kane.”

Alexander’s brows furrowed.

“Say it.”

“All traces of her — her photos, her records — they’re gone. It’s as if she never existed.”

Alexander’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

“Find her.”

So the woman had found someone else already?

Back in New York City, at the Reed Estate, Ethan and Sophia stepped inside.

An elderly man with silver hair hurried toward them, voice trembling.

“Why… why didn’t you come home sooner? My child…”

He studied her face, tears glimmering in his eyes.

“Dad…”

Her voice cracked.

Three years — and her father, Mr. Reed, looked so much older. Each wrinkle seemed carved by her absence.

“Come now, Reed,” said a calm male voice beside them.

Sophia turned — it was Adrian Scott, the family’s business partner and Alexander’s fiercest rival.

But she remembered meeting him once before — at a fashion event with Ethan. She had tripped on the stairs, and he had caught her.

He’d smelled faintly of cedar and cold air — like his expression, distant yet strangely familiar.

She had thanked him. He had frowned and replied flatly,

“It was nothing.”

Now, looking into his deep eyes again, Sophia felt that same inexplicable familiarity.

Her lips parted, but no words came.

“You’ve been gone for years,” Adrian said quietly. “Spend time with your family. They’ve missed you.”

Sophia’s cheeks warmed with shame. She had been too stubborn — too selfish.

“Get our guest some water,” Mr. Reed said kindly.

Sophia poured a glass and handed it to Adrian.

“Thank you for everything these years,” she said softly. “Please, have some water.”

The old Sophia Reed would never have acted like this. The new Sophia, however, seemed every bit the polite, graceful woman she had once pretended to be—the perfect wife.

Nathan Torres tightened his grip on the phone in his hand, his tone cool and distant. “No need.”

Sophia’s smile faltered slightly. She was about to politely offer him a seat when he suddenly added, in a low voice, “Thanks.”

The next second, he reached out to take the glass of water from her hand. His fingers brushed hers—accidentally, but unmistakably.

His hand froze for a moment before he snatched the glass and drank deeply.

Sophia looked up at him in surprise.

“I suddenly felt thirsty,” Nathan said, his eyes sliding away, his tone flat. “I’ll be leaving now.”

She watched his back as he walked away, dazed. There was something about him—his aura was dark, self-contained, and cold.

He was such a strange man, she thought. His moods shifted like the tide—now warm, now distant.

Mr. Reed chuckled gently, his words full of implication. “That young man isn’t bad, is he?”

Sophia lowered her gaze, her voice soft. “I’m not thinking about things like that anymore.”

Once you’ve been wrecked by love, how can you ever believe in it again?

Seeing her sadness, Ethan Reed quickly said, “Since our little sister’s back, we should throw a welcome dinner. Invite everyone from the business and political circles—give her a proper celebration.”

Mr. Reed nodded approvingly. “Good idea. But let’s wait until Sophia’s settled in first. Ask her what she wants. Daniel’s busy with his research, and Liam’s still on set. They won’t make it back right away.”

The Reeds could barely contain their excitement at having Sophia home again, but they kept it beneath the surface, treating her with comforting normalcy.

It was that natural warmth that allowed her to finally relax.

Outside, Nathan lingered at the door for a long moment, watching the family through the open window. His expression softened.

The image of Sophia in that living room lingered in his mind, stirring something unfamiliar.

A long-buried memory resurfaced—the face of a much younger girl, bright and fiery.

Back then, she hadn’t been gentle or quiet at all. She was bold, stubborn, quick to anger.

Whenever her parents scolded or punished her, she’d argue right back, her chin lifted defiantly.

It was one autumn years ago. Nathan’s parents had taken him to a small town outside New York to visit a hot spring resort while surveying a new development project.

That day, he tasted the sweetest fruit he’d ever had—given to him by a little girl in a pink sweater.

They’d quickly become friends. When he asked her name, she’d told him it was Sophia Reed.

He never knew that wasn’t her real name—that even her parents didn’t know she used it. Afterward, no matter how hard he searched, he couldn’t find her again.

By the time he finally heard news of her, she was already married. And she hadn’t recognized him—not even as an acquaintance.

The realization had left him bitter for years. He’d spent all this time regretting not finding her sooner, not telling her who he was—leaving Alexander Kane the chance to take her first.

Tonight, he had come back to the Reed Estate. He didn’t want to regret it for the rest of his life.

Later that night, a drowsy Sophia murmured, “Did we know each other before? You seem…familiar to me.”

Her smile pulled him straight back into those sunlit afternoons of their youth—and reminded him of how powerless he’d been back then.

Nathan opened his mouth but said nothing.

Finding the silence dull, Sophia finished the last sip of her water and stood. “If you’re not going to talk, I’m going to bed. Oh—my dad asked you to see him in the study. He said he’s got something for you.”

Watching her leave, Nathan cursed his own cowardice. Just as he turned toward the study, a startled cry broke out—he looked up just in time to see Sophia miss a step and tumble down the stairs.

For a heart-stopping moment, everything froze. Then Nathan lunged forward, catching her before she hit the ground.

Even as he held her safely in his arms, the suffocating fear refused to fade.

Before Sophia could even thank him, Mr. Reed emerged from the study, smiling at the sight of the two of them tangled together.

“What are you two up to now?” he said with a laugh. “I heard quite the commotion from my study.”