What one cannot obtain in youth often becomes a lifelong obsession.

Even after seven years, Ryan had never forgotten his unattainable crush, Emily.

The moment she returned, he rushed to cast me aside.

He even emphasized again that I was merely his brother.

“Heh…”

The tears I had been holding back finally streamed down my face. Hastily pulling on my clothes, I turned and slapped Ryan hard!

“Ryan, my seven years of devotion were wasted on a dog. From now on, chase your goddess all you want—don’t ever bother me again!”

“Sophia, are you crazy? You—”

His angry voice chased after me, but I refused to look back, slamming the door behind me.

Back home, I wept until the sun was high in the sky. Only then did I calm down.

Without hesitation, I called my mother.

“Mom, I agree to the marriage alliance with the Lawson family. Set the wedding date as soon as possible. I’ve already bought a ticket to leave in seven days.”

But the next second, my door burst open.

Ryan’s darkened face appeared.

“Sophia, what marriage alliance?”

I hung up the call and made up an excuse, hoping to brush him off. Fortunately, he didn’t think much of it, pretending not to care.

Expressionless, I asked,

“What do you want in my house?”

Ryan lounged on the sofa, crossing his legs.

“Well, I want to throw a welcome party for Emily. She loves the ocean, and this beachfront mansion of yours is perfect. Let me borrow it for a day, yeah?”

He said it with such entitlement, even nudging my elbow.

“We’re buddies, right? You wouldn’t refuse to help me pursue my goddess, would you?”

Buddy. Always that word.

Ryan never missed a chance to remind me, warning me not to have feelings I shouldn’t.

But he was overthinking.

I was leaving soon anyway.

“Fine. Do whatever you want.”

Too tired to argue, I turned and went upstairs.

Behind me, I caught the flicker of surprise in Ryan’s eyes.

The next morning, I awoke to find the house overflowing with flowers, as though I’d stepped into a fantasy world.

Ryan said he was planning to confess to Emily that day, so he had decorated carefully.

But I couldn’t help recalling a saying:

Love begins with a single bouquet of flowers.

I once hinted to Ryan that I wanted that kind of gesture—flowers.

But he scoffed,

“Sophia, how old are you? We’ve slept together countless times. What do you need flowers for? Isn’t that childish?”

Now, with the overwhelming fragrance filling my nose, I finally understood.

It wasn’t that he lacked a sense of romance.

It was simply the difference between love—and the absence of it.

Two hours later, the welcome party began.

Ryan’s and my mutual friends, along with Emily, all arrived.

After seven years, she was still as graceful and charming as ever.

Ryan’s gaze was glued to her, endlessly seeking conversation.

At last, someone couldn’t help but ask,

“Ryan, haven’t you been with Sophia all this time?”

His face darkened, and he barked,

“What nonsense! Sophia and I are just friends—best bros! Don’t spread rumors!”

“Besides, I like girls like Emily—soft, delicate, sweet. Sophia has this long, ugly scar on her right side, looks like a centipede. Disgusting! How could I ever like her?”

My breath caught, my nails digging painfully into my palms.

Five years ago, Ryan got drunk missing Emily and tangled with a group of thugs.

At the critical moment, I stepped in front of him and took a knife for him.

That scar on my right side has remained ever since.

Back then, Ryan’s eyes were bloodshot, swearing to the heavens that his life now belonged to me.

He promised to protect me with everything he had, never letting me suffer again.

But now, just to distance himself from me in front of Emily, he publicly exposed my scar.

“Ryan, how can you say that about Sophia? She’s just a young woman,” Emily said softly, breaking the tense silence.

Ryan clicked his tongue.

“Sophia, a young woman? Please. She’s tougher than all of us men here. Don’t worry, Emily, I’ve known her for years. I know her better than anyone.”

“Right, Sophia?”

He pinched my thigh in a hidden corner, signaling me to play along.

Disgust churned in me. I shoved his hand away.

“Ryan, are you joking? Seven years ago you were dumped like a dog. Now she’s back and you’re already groveling again?”

“So quick to forget how desperate you once were. If anyone has strong mental endurance, it’s you.”

The room fell into stunned silence.

Ryan’s face darkened like charcoal, his knuckles cracking as he clenched his fist. Then he suddenly smashed a bottle on the floor.

“Sophia!”

I glared back without flinching.

Friends quickly tried to defuse the situation, suggesting a game of truth or dare.

But it felt more like Ryan’s way of retaliating against me.

If he drew a romantic dare, he’d always choose Emily.

If it was truth, the subject was always me.

“Who’s the most annoying person here? Of course it’s Sophia. She’s getting older, still unmarried, no one chasing her. Thought she was nice enough, but now she seems borderline crazy!”

“What if I had to marry the person I hate most? Ha! I’d rather die. Even if I married Sophia, I’d still party every night—being stuck with someone I don’t love is torture!”

“In all these years, have I ever felt aroused by Sophia? Hell no! Who came up with that disgusting question? Sophia’s no different from a man. Forget arousal—I’m disgusted just touching her!”

I couldn’t listen anymore. I smashed a bottle myself and slipped away, excusing myself to the bathroom.

Cold water splashed over my face, and I realized I couldn’t even feel sadness anymore. Just revulsion.

When I finally calmed down and stepped out, I passed the balcony—

Only to overhear Ryan talking with another guy.

“Ryan, you were too harsh. After all, you’ve slept with Sophia so many times. Don’t you feel anything for her at all?”

Ryan lit a cigarette, irritated.

“How many times do I have to say it? I sleep with Sophia for two reasons. One, because she’s obedient, lets me do whatever I want. Two, because she’s free! Why not take advantage?”

“She’s just my bro. Nothing more. No romantic feelings whatsoever.”

My steps faltered, my already shattered heart breaking into pieces once again.

I had known the truth for a long time.

But hearing him say it outright was still agony—like being cut alive.

“Ryan.”

I suddenly spoke up as I stepped toward the balcony.

Ryan froze, clearly not expecting me to appear out of nowhere. Instinctively, he asked,

“You… you heard everything?”

I didn’t respond. The silence turned so awkward that the guy next to him quickly made an excuse and left.

Eventually, Ryan broke it himself. He smirked, snuffing out his cigarette, and walked toward me.

“What, are you mad?”

“Come on, Sophia Hayes, there’s no need. Everything I just said was the truth. What happens in bed is mutual consent—you never disagreed, and it’s not like I could’ve forced you.”

“Don’t pout like that. You’re making me look like the bad guy here.”

He grabbed my chin, leaning in as if to kiss me.

I shoved him away as if I’d been burned, then slapped him hard across the face.

“Don’t touch me! You disgust me!”

Ryan started to get angry, but when he saw my tear-filled eyes, he froze.

“Yes, Ryan,” I admitted, my voice trembling. “I like you.”

“But that doesn’t give you the right to trample on my feelings! I am not some toy for you to use whenever you want!”

“If you don’t like me, you could’ve just said it. I’m not the kind of woman who clings.”

“From now on, I wish you and Emily Scott a lifetime of happiness. But stay out of my life!”

I turned and left without looking back.

In the living room, Emily’s soft laughter floated amid the crowd’s attention.

But Ryan just stood frozen, staring after me, a strange panic rising in him—

As though he had just lost something irreplaceable.

Still, he shrugged it off, gave a cold laugh, and went back toward Emily.

After all, he knew me well. In a few days, I’d come crawling back to beg his forgiveness.

…

When the welcome party ended, I called a cleaning service to take care of the mess.

That night, exhausted, I sank into the sofa. Then Emily suddenly sent me a message and a video.

[Sophia, Ryan seems drunk…]

I opened the video. Ryan was shirtless, slurring Emily’s name over and over, begging her not to leave him.

My grip tightened on my phone. Moments later, I deleted Emily from my contacts.

She was irrelevant now.

But I never expected—

The next morning, when I woke up, my private photos had been posted online!

#Heiress Sophia Hayes’ Intimate Photos Leaked—Shocking Private Life Revealed!

Photo after photo, the ones Ryan himself had taken, were now plastered across the internet for everyone to see.

My social media was instantly flooded with filth. Strangers DM’d me, asking, “How much for a night?”

The world spun, blood rushing to my head. I nearly collapsed to the floor.

How could this happen?

Those pictures—Ryan was the only one who had ever seen them!

He had sworn again and again to keep them private. He had begged me for a month before I finally gave in.

Why… why were they online now?!

My mind burned with rage. Without thinking, I floored the gas and drove straight to Ryan’s mansion.

But when the door opened, it was Emily, in nothing but a nightgown.

She looked at me strangely, hesitating before saying,

“Sophia, I know people have their… personal tastes, but you really… hmm. You’re Ryan’s friend, after all. You should think about your reputation.”