"Mom, I've decided. I'm going home in seven days to marry Charles Shaw."

"What's wrong, daughter? Is Ethan Young treating you badly? Do you need your mother to help? The kid from the Shaw family has always been thinking about you. If he knows you've been wronged, he will definitely overthrow the Young family."

Sophia shook her head, hung up the phone, hid in the bathroom and frantically scratched her throat, trying to vomit out the wine mixed with medicine that she had just drunk.

Sophia hadn't heard those words with her own ears and hadn't felt her body's reaction, she wouldn't have believed that the man she had loved for five years would actually do such a thing to her .

——

Half an hour ago.

"Sophia, where's Ethan? Today is your 25th birthday, why is he leaving you here alone?" Her best friend Lucy came over, her tone filled with dissatisfaction, "When I was pursuing you, he was always clinging to you, but now, he's even late for your birthday."

At the birthday party, Sophia's fingers, clutching the champagne glass, turned slightly white.

and burning sensation in her body made her a little anxious and dizzy. She now eagerly wanted to find Ethan and remove the medicine that had taken her life.

That’s right, she took medicine.

Sophia forced a smile, her fingertips brushing against the warmth of the cup wall, but she felt inexplicably uneasy in her heart.

She remembered the glass of red wine that Ethan handed her, and said with a smile, "Baby,have a glass of red wine first, I'll go get the cake."

She didn't eat anything in the evening and only drank that glass of wine. Even now she was unwilling to doubt Ethan. She just felt that something was wrong, or that it was Ethan's new interest.

"I went upstairs to check, and he said the cake was in the lounge."

Sophia put down her wine glass and involuntarily walked to the second floor. The door of the private room at the end of the corridor was ajar, and the laughter from inside was like a needle, piercing her ears unexpectedly.

It was Ethan's voice, with a coldness she had never heard before: "Why are you in such a hurry? She still has some money left , enough for me to open a studio for Lillian and fill the company's holes. Once I get the money, I can ruin her reputation and kill two birds with one stone."

Sophia's footsteps suddenly stopped, and her blood seemed to freeze instantly.

"Ethan, you're awesome! Five years! You've acted so convincingly, I almost believe you really like Sophia." Another male voice sounded playfully, "Those private photos are so many . That waist, those legs, those poses . If we show them at the engagement party , won't she go crazy?"

"It's better if she goes crazy." Ethan sneered, his voice full of disdain. "Love at first sight was just an act. She foolishly came to me. If I don't use her, who else can I use? Once the video is released, she will be too embarrassed to face people. Wouldn't it be easy for her to hand over the money obediently? Then I can be with Lillian openly."

"Is that drug reliable? Let her drink it tonight, get a few men over, and then take a video. Release it on the day of the engagement . The effect will definitely be even more explosive. Let's see if she still has the nerve to pester Ethan."

" Ask Mr. Smith to come over too. He's been coveting Sophia for a long time. As long as we serve Mr. Smith well, we'll definitely get Lillian's project. Once Lillian's studio opens , won't Ethan immediately gain both fame and fortune and marry her?"

"Don't worry, the medicine David gave her will definitely make her unconscious ... "

" Congratulations in advance to Ethan and Lillian... "

Lillian, Ethan's adopted , actually has this kind of relationship with him in private?

Then came a cute female voice and a man's ambiguous voice.

Sophia couldn't hear the rest of the words clearly. The tinnitus in her ears surged like a tide, and she held onto the cold wall, barely able to keep from falling.

Five years ago, she escaped a marriage arranged by her family, concealed her identity as a little princess of the Beijing circle, and ran away from home to Hai City to relax. She was robbed at knifepoint by kidnappers, but it was Ethan who happened to save her. This clichéd hero-saving-beauty plot made Sophia fall in love with him, and the two of them naturally got together. So, was even their acquaintance planned?

The love she thought was all fake.

The money in her hands, her feelings, her five years of youth, and even the private photos he coaxed her into taking, all became his bargaining chips to pave the way for Lillian.

felt dizzy and suddenly remembered the glass of red wine .

No wonder her body started to heat up soon after drinking it, and her hands and feet gradually lost strength. She stumbled to the bathroom, the cold tiles against her palms. She held onto the toilet, her fingers digging into her throat, desperately trying to spit out the glass of drugged wine.

Stomach acid burned her throat, and tears mixed with the smell of vomit fell down. She looked at herself in the mirror with a pale face and empty eyes, and suddenly felt ridiculous .

She actually loved such a man for five years and was foolishly waiting for his "surprise proposal".

The effect of the medicine became stronger and stronger, the heat in the body wrapped around it like a vine, and consciousness began to blur.

She vaguely heard someone calling her name. Was it the man arranged by Ethan who came to arrest him?

Sophia tried to stand up by holding onto the sink, but her legs gave way and she fell heavily to the ground.

Just when she thought she was about to lose control completely, the bathroom door was flung open and a familiar figure rushed in, bending down and picking her up sideways.

The familiar scent of cedar enveloped her. Sophia raised her head in a daze and met a pair of anxious eyes.

It’s Charles.

, who had protected her since she was a child and whose mother said "always thought about her" , was also the husband she was about to marry .

Her tense nerves suddenly relaxed, Sophia buried her head in his arms, and finally couldn't hold back her tears and burst out.

The morning light filtered through the gaps in the hotel curtains, casting tiny spots of light on the bed sheets.

When Sophia woke up, there was a warm hand on her waist. Charles's breath gently fell on the back of her neck, with the familiar scent of cedar. This scent brought her back from the edge of losing control last night, but now it made her whole body tense.

She carefully moved Charles's hand away and stood up very quietly, but still woke him up.

Charles rubbed his eyes and sat up, his Adam's apple rolling as he spoke in a low, hoarse voice: "Don't you want to sleep a little longer?" He reached out to pull her, but just as his fingertips touched her sleeves, Sophia avoided them calmly.

"Hasn't your overseas project been completed yet?" Sophia lowered her head to straighten her messy collar, not daring to look him in the eye. "Yesterday was just an accident. You should go back and don't delay your work."

Charles paused, the sleepiness in his eyes instantly faded, and he looked more curious: "Sophia, are you hiding from me?" He remembered her crying and shaking in his arms last night, and the glass of drugged red wine on her. "Did Ethan do something to you? Tell me, I..."

"No!" Sophia suddenly raised her head and interrupted him, her voice trembling. "It's nothing, I just feel unwell. You should go back quickly. Didn't they say they are waiting for your signature?"

She deliberately brought up his work to change the subject.

She couldn't tell Charles that Ethan still had those private photos that could ruin her reputation, and she couldn't bring herself to involve him in this mess.

There are still seven days until the engagement party, and she needs to take care of everything and destroy those photos and videos in these seven days.

Charles stared at her red eyes, was silent for a few seconds, and finally did not ask any more questions.

He got up from the bed, dug out a thermos box and handed it to her: "It contains your favorite millet porridge. I asked the hotel to make it. I will finish my overseas affairs as soon as possible and will be back in a week at most. If you have any questions, feel free to call me. Don't carry it all by yourself."

Sophia took the insulated box, and her fingertips touched his hand, burning it so much that she quickly pulled it back. She lowered her head and hummed, not daring to raise it until she heard the hotel door close. Although the marriage had already been decided, she was still a little unsure how to face Charles when this happened suddenly.

When I returned to the house I shared with Ethan, the light in the entrance hall was still on, the same as when I left it yesterday. Ethan had not come back all night.

Sophia pushed open the door, and in the empty living room, only the ticking of the clock could be heard.

The phone lit up, it was a message from Lillian.

——"Sophia, Ethan slept at my place last night. He knew I was in a bad mood and brought me a gift to comfort me. I really envy you for having such a good boyfriend like Ethan."

The accompanying picture is a blue heart of the ocean gemstone necklace.

It was her birthday, but she only received a ring made of a can pull ring, while her adopted received a necklace worth tens of millions.

I used to think they just had a good relationship as siblings, and I was also nice to my , but it turns out they had been together for a long time.

I am so ridiculous.

Sophia glanced up at the couple's cup on the coffee table. It was a birthday gift from Ethan last year, with a photo of the two of them printed on it. She reached out and picked it up, throwing it straight into the trash can, along with the pillow on the sofa embroidered with their names. As her fingertips brushed against the soft fabric of the pillow, she paused for a second.

She had to find those photos before the engagement party in seven days.

The sound of the door lock turning startled Sophia awake. She sat up from the sofa and saw Ethan walk in. His black suit was stained with an unfamiliar perfume. It was not the gardenia scent she usually wore, but a sweeter rose scent.

"Sophia, why did you come back alone last night?" Ethan walked over and reached out to touch her face, but there was no worry in his eyes, only a subtle scrutiny. "I've been looking for you for a long time, thinking something had happened to you. Aren't these things your most precious? Why did you throw them all away?"

Sophia turned her head away from his hand and said in a calm voice, "If you don't like it, just throw it away. I felt a little uncomfortable last night, so I came back first." She gripped the sofa cover tightly with her fingers, waiting for his next words. She knew he would definitely ask about the wine last night.

Sure enough, Ethan sat down next to her and casually asked, "You didn't finish that glass of red wine last night, did you? Didn't it suit your taste? I wouldn't have poured it for you if I had known." His eyes swept over her face, as if to confirm something, "You didn't feel unwell again afterwards, did you?"

Sophia lowered her eyes, pretending not to hear his probing: "No, maybe I drank too fast, I'll be fine once I calm down."

Ethan stared at her for a few seconds, without asking any more questions, but a hint of an ambiguous smile appeared on the corner of his mouth: "I'm glad you're okay. By the way, you didn't have a good birthday party. When I'm done with this, we can make up for it and open a few more bottles of red wine to celebrate properly."

The word "celebration" pierced Sophia's heart like a needle. She knew he was planning his next attack—he hadn't found any evidence of her cheating and wanted to try again.

Sophia clenched her palms, her nails digging into her flesh, but she forced a stiff smile on her face: "Okay, we'll talk about it later."

Ethan nodded with satisfaction, stood up and walked into the bedroom, leaving Sophia sitting alone on the sofa. Looking at the sky gradually brightening outside the window, he felt cold all over.

Seven days, she had to act. If she didn’t find that USB drive holding her photos, then once the engagement banquet arrived, she would be ruined.

That evening, Ethan was unusually attentive. He cooked her favorite pasta, poured her a glass of wine, and even put on her favorite record.

“Sophia, once we’re engaged, let’s go abroad for a while,” he said with that familiar warm smile. “We’ve been so busy these past years, you deserve a good vacation. Italy, maybe? Venice, Rome…”

His voice was honeyed, his gaze affectionate. If she hadn’t overheard that conversation at her birthday party, she might have melted into his words, imagining herself walking hand in hand with him across Europe.

But now, every sentence he spoke felt like a carefully rehearsed line, meant only to keep her blind and compliant.

Sophia forced herself to smile. “That sounds wonderful.”

Inside, her heart twisted painfully.

Later that night, when Ethan went to take a call on the balcony, Sophia moved quickly.

She padded into his study, her hands trembling as she walked to the heavy oak desk. In the corner sat a black safe. Her heart pounded. This had to be it.

Her fingers hovered over the keypad. She recalled the numbers she had seen him enter a few nights ago—3, 6, 0, 1… but the last two digits had been blocked from view.

She tried a guess. 360123.

Error.

1.

Error.

She bit her lip hard enough to taste blood. One more try—360199.

The red light flashed again, and the safe locked her out. A loud beep echoed through the quiet room.

“Beep—beep—beep—”

Her blood ran cold.

Footsteps sounded in the hallway.

“Sophia?” Ethan’s voice carried in.

She snapped out of her panic, slammed the drawer shut, and quickly grabbed a random magazine from the shelf. By the time he pushed the door open, she was sitting in the chair, pretending to flip through glossy pages.

Ethan’s brows drew together. “What are you doing here?”

“I couldn’t sleep,” Sophia replied evenly, keeping her tone casual. “I thought I’d read something to tire my eyes out.”

He studied her for a long moment, as if weighing her words. Then he relaxed and smiled.

“You should’ve called me. I’d read to you.” He stepped forward, bending down to kiss her hair. The movement made her stomach churn, but she forced herself to stay still.

“Come on,” he said gently. “It’s late. Let’s go to bed.”

Sophia followed him out of the study, her palms damp with sweat. She had almost been caught.

The next day, Sophia was on her way home when she received a message. Unknown number.

“Meet me. Now. Café on 6th Avenue.”

She hesitated. Then another text came.

“Or would you rather Ethan know what you were doing last night?”

Her breath caught. She hurried to the café.

Seated by the window, dressed in a flowing pale-pink dress, was Lillian Reed. She looked up with a sweet smile as Sophia approached, her tone gentle but cutting.

“Sophia. You’ve lost weight. Has Ethan not been taking good care of you?”

Sophia sat opposite her, expression calm. “What do you want?”

Lillian stirred her coffee lazily, eyes glinting. “Nothing, really. Just thought you should know—Ethan belongs to me. Always has.”

Sophia’s chest tightened, but her face remained expressionless. “If that were true, you wouldn’t be sitting here telling me. You’d be with him.”

A flicker of annoyance crossed Lillian’s perfect face. She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. “You’re running out of time. Do yourself a favor—walk away. Or I promise, you’ll regret it.”

Sophia met her gaze, unflinching. Her voice was steady. “We’ll see who regrets it.”

evening.

The box was noisy. Ethan's friends were playing finger-guessing games around the table, and the smell of cigarettes and alcohol filled the air.

Sophia sat in the corner, her eyes quietly sweeping across the inner pocket of Ethan's suit, which was resting on the back of the chair, and then across his friend's phone on the table . She had to find those photos and videos, even if it was just a clue.

"Sophia, why don't you drink? Are you feeling unwell?" Ethan came over with a glass of red wine, and gently touched her forehead with his fingers. The "concern" in his tone was so sweet that it sounded fake. "I warmed this glass for you. It's not cold. Drink some to warm yourself up."

Sophia looked at the wine swaying in the glass, and her throat tightened as she recalled what she had heard yesterday .

Her fingertips touched the bottom of the cup, but she didn't take it. Instead, she smiled and said, "I just took stomach medicine. I'm afraid it will conflict with the wine."

Ethan's face darkened, but he quickly smiled and handed the wine glass to her: "Just take a sip, it's okay, everyone is watching, don't spoil the fun."

The friends around also started to make a fuss. Sophia knew she couldn't escape it, so she pretended to accidentally loosen her fingers .

With a "crash", the glass fell to the ground, the red wine spilled on the carpet, and the fragments splashed on her ankles.

"Oh, Sophia, why are you so careless?" Lillian suddenly came over, her tone full of hypocritical concern, but her hand pushed Sophia hard from behind.

Sophia's body lunged forward uncontrollably, slamming hard into the long table filled with high-heeled glasses. With a loud crash, the glasses shattered all over the floor. She fell heavily to the ground, her palms pressing on the broken glass, and a sharp pain instantly shot up to her heart.

"Sophia!" Ethan walked over quickly and reached out to help her .

Lillian suddenly cried out in pain.

The wine splashed onto her skirt. Ethan nervously put his suit jacket on Lillian and carried her away, fearing that others would see her slender white legs. He completely ignored Sophia, who was soaked by the wine and scratched by the glass.

Didn't even ask "Are you okay?"

Sophia lost his support and fell heavily on the broken glass again. The back of his hand was scraped and blood oozed out from the palm of his hand, mixed with wine stains and glass shards. He looked so miserable that he looked like a joke.

The whispers around her drifted into her ears—"Ethan is too nervous about Miss Lillian," "Sophia is so miserable, he didn't even care after she fell like this," "If you ask me, Ethan doesn't love her at all, and I don't know why she's clinging to him ." Sophia lay on the ground, digging her fingers into the carpet, tears finally welling up in her eyes, not because of the pain, but because the sincerity of five years had only resulted in a complete betrayal.