“Daniel, Daniel—you’re finally back.”

“Why didn’t you see me? Why didn’t you answer my calls or reply to my messages?”

“Do you even know what these four years have been like for me?”

Daniel’s hand lifted into the air, then paused midair.

After a moment, he finally rested it on the girl’s back, patting her as if to comfort her.

I had no intention of indulging their melodrama, but after his repeated provocations earlier, I couldn’t restrain myself any longer.

I walked forward, holding my handbag in front of my stomach so the baby wouldn’t “see” me hit someone.

Then I raised my hand and slapped Daniel hard across the face.

The air fell silent for a heartbeat.

Chloe Miller looked up through tears, spotting the bright handprint on Daniel’s cheek, and glared at me in outrage.

“Sophia Evans, what gives you the right to hit him?”

“Because he disrupted my engagement party. Because he insulted me. Because he dared show his face in front of me again!”

The cold fury in my eyes made Chloe’s shoulders tremble.

She had seen my ruthlessness before.

Six years ago, Daniel and I were still lovers.

Because of her interference, our relationship collapsed.

Relying on his favor, she had provoked me directly, and I slapped her across the face.

In retaliation, Daniel had his men corner me in an alley and slap me ninety-nine times.

That day, I lost my first child with him.

I didn’t call the police, and I certainly didn’t forgive.

The first thing I did after leaving the hospital was beat Chloe so badly she bled.

Daniel shoved her behind him now, pressing his tongue to the inside of his cheek.

“That’s it?”

“Sophia, should I say you’ve changed… or that you just can’t let me go?”

I loathe people with no boundaries and even less self-awareness.

I arched a brow and raised my hand again.

He gave a low laugh, bending at the waist.

“Go on. You’d better make it count—or I’ll dig up your grandmother’s ashes and play with them again.”

My fingers froze in the air.

A slap was far too cheap for him.

I twisted the special ring on my hand, and a small, razor-sharp blade slid out.

With a sharp motion, I slashed it across his face.

He groaned, chest heaving, and after a long moment tried to lift his hand to wipe the blood.

I sneered. “Well? Was that strong enough for you?”

His expression darkened as he saw his palm covered in blood. He reached out to grip my throat.

“Sophia, believe it or not, I could kill you right now.”

I didn’t believe him. My knee shot upward, slamming into his groin.

He released me instantly, doubling over and clutching himself.

“Sophia, how could you be so shameless?”

Chloe rushed forward to defend her little lover’s honor.

I grabbed her by the hair and flung her aside.

She crashed onto the concrete floor, hitting something hard, and didn’t get up for a long time.

I ignored her and kicked Daniel down, grinding the heel of my shoe into his thigh.

“Still think I can’t let you go, Mr. Carter?”

Sweat poured down his forehead, veins bulging in his arms, yet he still forced himself to act tough.

“Trying so hard to prove you don’t care… isn’t that a little too defensive, Sophia?”

“Why would I need to prove anything to garbage? Only cowards go out of their way to hide what they are.”

I pressed down harder with my heel, satisfied only when I saw his body begin to shake.

Chloe, bleeding from her scraped knee, crawled over and clutched my leg.

“Sophia, please, let Daniel go, okay?”

“Didn’t nearly killing him four years ago satisfy you? I’m begging you, stop torturing him!”

“Let go.”

Her shaking made my body unsteady, and my expression turned to ice.

The bodyguards on the side rushed forward at my command, prying Chloe Miller’s hands off me.

Daniel Carter grabbed my ankle, gasping for breath.

“Sophia Evans, what’s between us is our business. Don’t take it out on her.”

“Really? Then tell me—what did my grandmother have to do with our business?”

Daniel knew exactly how much my grandmother meant to me.

As a child, my parents were too busy managing the Evans Group to care for me.

And when they did, it was with stern lectures more than affection.

But Grandma was different. She was gentle, always reasoning with me kindly.

She had a weak heart, yet she was the one who spent the most time with me.

She comforted me when I was sad, braided my hair into pretty plaits, and made sweet milk pudding for me.

She never handed my needs off to servants.

She was the very first person in my life who showed me what real love felt like.

And yet this precious woman died of a sudden heart attack, triggered by “accidental” words Chloe let slip.

I’d long wanted to destroy Chloe, but Daniel insisted, “Come after me instead.”

So I cut his brake lines and nearly cost him his life.

I had told them: never show yourselves before me again.

But Daniel couldn’t resist. Four years later, he strutted back into my path.

I didn’t know who called the police.

When my blade cut Chloe’s cheek, red-and-blue lights flashed so brightly I had to close my eyes.

Someone tried to take Daniel to the hospital, but he refused, trailing after me step by step.

Inside the wide police station, officers questioned him about why he disrupted my engagement party.

He ignored them, turning his head toward me instead.

“Sophia, just admit you were wrong and we’ll stop fighting, okay?”

I smirked and grabbed the ashtray off the officer’s desk, smashing it down on his head.

Me, admit defeat to him? He wasn’t worthy.

Blood poured down his forehead, staining what little was left of his white shirt crimson.

The officers rushed in to separate us, dragging me into an interrogation room.

Out of sight of his face, my mood calmed considerably.

After giving our statements, the incident was logged as mutual assault, with neither side pressing charges.

When I left the room, Daniel was sitting on the station steps, waiting.

Beside him stood his familiar friend, Michael Harris.

Michael kept urging him to get his wounds treated.

He only hung his head, silent.

The moment I appeared, he staggered to his feet.

“Well? Feel better now? If not, take another shot.”

I didn’t even glance at him, walking straight down the steps.

“Sophia.”

He looked ready to follow, but Michael held him back with exasperation.

“Enough. You stay here—I’ll talk to her for you.”

Michael blocked my way just as I heard a heavy thud behind us.

Daniel had fallen down the steps.

I turned back to see him clutching desperately at the same leg I had stomped earlier.

Blood soaked through, and the limb looked stiff, unnatural.

“What’s wrong with his leg?” I asked flatly.

Michael’s eyes flicked past me to Daniel, full of pity.

“It never fully healed. He can barely manage short walks.”

“He was working hard at rehab, but when he heard you were getting engaged, he rushed back without thinking.”

“Oh.”

I responded with indifference, then reached for my car door.

Michael frowned and pressed his hand against the door.

“Sophia, are you really going to watch him die right here on the steps of a police station?”

“Wouldn’t that just be what he deserves?”