“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.”

“I—”

Her fake-sweet tone left me speechless with rage. Just then, Ryan walked over.

I shouted at him,

“Ryan, what the hell is going on with those photos? You promised me they’d never leave your phone!”

Ryan blinked in confusion.

“Huh? What photos? Sophia, what kind of crazy tantrum are you throwing first thing in the morning?”

Even now, he dared to play dumb. Fury boiled in me as I shoved my phone in his face, showing the trending topic.

His eyes widened in shock.

“That’s impossible! Those photos were—”

He didn’t finish, because Emily suddenly dropped a glass.

Her face was pale, stricken.

“What do you mean, Ryan? Those photos of Sophia… you took them? What exactly is your relationship with her?”

Instantly, I was forgotten. Ryan clutched Emily’s hand, panicked.

“No way! Sophia and I have nothing at all! Those photos—she must’ve taken them herself, being reckless. Don’t be upset, Emily!”

She frowned, suspicious.

“Really?”

“Of course! Sophia’s always been wild, playing around. That’s why I hate being associated with her!”

“Emily, you’re the only one in my heart. These past seven years while you were away, I never even dated anyone else. Isn’t that proof enough of how I feel about you?”

Emily finally softened, but I stood there stunned, as if struck by lightning.

Reckless?

Self-taken?

Promiscuous?

I never imagined such words would come out of Ryan’s mouth.

My eyes burned red as I glared at him.

“Ryan, say it again. Are you really claiming I took those pictures myself?”

Of course, he didn’t dare.

He looked away, trying to sound firm.

“Enough, Sophia. Stop dragging this out. It’s getting pathetic.”

Pathetic?

I staggered back, then laughed bitterly. Like a madwoman, I grabbed his collar, demanding he admit the truth.

In the struggle, Emily suddenly shrieked and fell to the floor.

“Sophia, why did you push me?”

“When did I—”

Before I could finish, a burning pain struck my face.

Ryan had slapped me.

“Enough! Sophia, will you ever stop?!”

I froze.

So did Ryan, staring at his own hand as if in shock.

“Sophia, I didn’t mean to—”

But he stopped short. Because I had ripped off the family heirloom pendant from my neck—the birthday gift he gave me ten years ago—and hurled it to the floor.

I had treasured it, never once taking it off.

Now it lay shattered in two.

“Ryan, I’m done. This ends here.”

I turned and walked away, my face drained of all strength.

Faintly, I heard Emily asking if he wanted to chase after me.

Ryan said no.

“It’s her fault. She’ll come back begging soon enough. No point wasting time on someone who doesn’t matter.”

But Ryan was wrong.

This time, I would never return.

When I got home, my parents called.

They asked about the photos online, and I had no choice but to tell them everything about the past seven years with Ryan.

My father was furious, ready to storm to the Carter family to demand justice, but I stopped him.