Where is it?

Sophia’s pulse raced. God, does he know?

She forced a smile, voice steady. “Mr. Kane, I’m not sure what you mean.”

Her lashes lowered demurely, posture composed, but inside she was in chaos. Her fingers fidgeted unconsciously — a tell she’d once had in the past.

Alexander’s eyes narrowed. That gesture, that tone — it was identical to how she used to lie to him.

Ethan noticed too. His gaze sharpened, trying to pierce through her facade. Who exactly is she?

Sophia, realizing she had to sell the act, tugged her pocket outward — nothing there but fabric. Alexander’s jaw tightened.

“You’d better not be hiding anything from me, Miss Reed.” His tone dropped dangerously low. “Or you’ll regret it.”

He didn’t need to say more. The sharp slice of his hand across his throat made the message clear.

Sophia smiled sweetly, calm on the surface — and that infuriated him even more.

Once Alexander was gone, teaching Ethan became almost easy. The boy grumbled, but he did his work. When he got lazy, Sophia simply doubled his assignments.

“Come on, Ethan,” she teased. “Be a good kid.”

“Don’t call me that,” he snapped. “That nickname isn’t yours to use.”

Sophia arched a brow. “Why not? It’s just a name.”

But in her mind, a memory flickered — years ago, she’d told Alexander she wanted to name their future child something with ‘boat’ in it, as a symbol of finally finding safe harbor.

And now his son’s nickname was “Little Boat.”

Of course it was.

Annoyed, she tossed him another set of problems.

Days passed. Alexander didn’t appear again, and Sophia’s life at the Kane Estate slipped into monotony — teaching, reading, daydreaming of freedom.

One morning, standing at the massive front door, she sighed dramatically.

“Oh, blue skies — when will I ever be free?”

“Miss Cole?” came a voice behind her.

She jumped — Mr. Howard again, silent as ever. But this time, he brought good news.

“Mr. Kane said you’re permitted to go out once a week.”

Her eyes lit up. “Really?”

After confirming it twice, she raced upstairs to grab her wallet — only for her phone to ring. Seeing the name on the screen, her blood ran cold.

“Brother…” she murmured.

Nathan’s voice blasted through. “You useless brat! Still haven’t done it? Do you even have a brain?”

Sophia flinched, pulling the phone away until his rage subsided.

“Café Verona. This afternoon,” he said darkly.

“…Got it.”

Her brief moment of freedom was already tainted. But she had no choice — she needed to learn more about Vanessa’s supposed “family.”

That afternoon, she sat at Café Verona for nearly thirty minutes before Nathan finally arrived. His delay was deliberate — intimidation through inconvenience.

When he saw her sipping tea calmly by the window, his jaw tightened with rage.

“Plenty of people watching,” she said smoothly before he could speak. “If you’ve got business, say it.”

“Bitch,” he hissed under his breath.

Sophia lowered her gaze, voice trembling just enough. “Brother, I can’t stay out too long.”

He blinked, momentarily thrown, then sneered. Sitting beside her, he grabbed her hand and pressed something into it.

“What’s this?” she asked.

“Just a few pretty outfits.”

She peeked inside the small paper bag — fishnet stockings, pink lace, and something that looked like a black hook. Her face flamed.

Pretty, right.

Nathan leaned closer, his tone turning cold. “Do the job this time. Or you’ll never see your family again. And remember — take photos as proof.”

He left without another word.

Sophia sat there, gripping the bag tightly.

If she wanted any chance of finding Vanessa’s family, she’d have to play along — just enough to survive.

When she returned to the Kane Manor, both Alexander and Ethan were at the dinner table, waiting.

She froze mid-step.

Ethan smirked. “What’s the matter? You look guilty. Think we’re dead or something?”

Sophia Reed stood perfectly straight, flipping her hair deliberately. Just when Ethan Kane thought she was about to argue again, she merely smiled.

“Of course not. I just didn’t want to interrupt your dinner.”

Her gaze drifted to the half-eaten meal on the table.

“Have you eaten?”

Alexander Kane suddenly asked. Sophia’s smile froze for a moment before she exhaled lightly and kept her composure.

“I already had dinner with a friend outside. Please, carry on.”

With that, she turned and went back to her room.

She paced for a while, thinking hard until finally an idea sparked. Glancing at the clock, she knew Alexander would be in his study by now—just like every night.

In the kitchen, she prepared a cup of pour-over coffee, steadied her breath, and gently knocked on the study door.

A cold, emotionless voice came from within, as always. She took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

The study was spacious but dim; only the desk lamp cast a warm halo across the room. The sight softened Alexander’s sharp profile, making him look almost… human. That eased Sophia’s nerves. She inhaled subtly, then put on her practiced, calm smile.

“Mr. Kane,” she said softly, “I brought you some milk—and I thought I’d give you an update on Little Boat’s recent progress.”

She set the cup on his desk.

Alexander finally lifted his deep, unreadable eyes. Seeing her conservative outfit and the way she stood awkwardly with her fingers twisting together, his brows furrowed slightly.

That gesture—it was just like her, the one who had died. Every time that woman had been nervous, her eyes would dart away, and her fingers would fidget uncontrollably. She’d thought she was hiding her feelings, but every move had betrayed her.

Trying to sound casual, Sophia continued, “Warm milk helps you sleep better—it’s good for the nerves. You’ve seemed tired lately, Mr. Kane. Maybe you should try some?”

She smiled brightly as she nudged the cup closer to him, though inside she was tense.

Nathan Cole had warned her this stuff was strong. One wrong move and she would be the one in trouble.

All she needed was the photo—just enough to keep that bastard in line—and then she’d disappear.

Alexander’s frown deepened. Irritated, he picked up the cup and took a sip.

A second later, his piercing eyes locked onto hers, suddenly burning with intensity.

Sophia stiffened. Oh, hell no. Don’t tell me it’s working already? She’d barely used a drop! But that look—too familiar. No one knew better than her what Alexander Kane looked like when desire hit.

As his expression darkened, Sophia felt the pressure in the room build.

“I’ll head back now,” she muttered, turning to leave.

But before she could take two steps, his hand clamped around her wrist. Without a word, he dragged her into the bedroom. The door slammed shut behind them.

For a split second, memories from that other life—their nights together in that distant Hamptons villa—flashed through her mind.

Her face went pale. She stumbled backward until her knees hit the bed frame. Alexander moved toward her suddenly, pressing her down.

“Ah—wait!”

Her small gasp filled the room. She pushed at him with trembling hands—only to find, when she finally managed to free herself, that he’d gone completely still.

Asleep.

Sophia clutched her pounding chest, half in relief, half in disbelief. Then, seeing him soundly asleep, she couldn’t resist studying him up close.

Even in slumber, the man was unfairly beautiful.

“Mr. Kane? …Mr. Kane?” she whispered, waving a hand in front of his face. Nothing.

“Well,” she murmured smugly, “told you my little ‘sleep aid’ works wonders. You’ve had a long week—rest up, boss.”

She carefully guided him to the bed. Up close, she had to admit—Alexander Kane was infuriatingly perfect. The sculpted abs, the chiseled lines—sin made flesh.

Her cheeks heated. God, pull it together, Sophia.

This wasn’t the time to get distracted. Heaven had given her a second chance at life—not so she could fall for the same man again.

Pushing the thought away, she pulled out her phone, leaned in close, and snapped several intimate-looking photos—her arms draped around him, his shirt half open. Then she sent them straight to Nathan Cole.

A few minutes later, his reply came:

[Good work.]

[That’s just step one. Don’t stop there—you need to make him yours, Sophia. Become Mrs. Kane.]

Sophia snorted under her breath. Mrs. Kane? Not a chance. All she wanted was her family back—nothing more.

As her phone slipped from her grasp, her heart clenched. She turned to the sleeping man once more, eyes full of complicated emotions. Years had passed, yet Alexander hadn’t changed—if anything, he’d only become more composed, more dangerous.

He was a man she could never afford to desire again.

She took one last look and slipped quietly out of the room.

But the moment the door clicked shut, Alexander’s eyes opened. Confusion flickered in the dim light.

What on earth was that woman playing at?

He sat up slowly, gaze narrowing. Ever since she’d brought that milk, something about her actions had seemed off. But this was the Kane Manor. Whatever game she was running—how bad could it really be?

That was why he’d drunk it anyway.

And when he noticed the harmless, staged photos later, he couldn’t decide whether she was cunning or just plain foolish. In an age of deepfakes and AI edits, even if those photos spread, one call from the Kane Corporation’s legal team would bury every rumor.

Still, when she had fallen into his arms—he had hesitated.

But what was I expecting?

Upstairs, Sophia was still trying to calm her nerves when Nathan Cole’s name flashed on her phone.

“Well, well, you little tramp…”

She held the phone away from her ear. Typical. Nothing good ever came out of his filthy mouth.

When he finally ran out of insults, Sophia took a slow breath. “Now will you tell me? My family—where are they?”

A mocking laugh came through the line.

“You think I don’t know what you’re planning? Not nearly enough. Wait for my call.”

Her hand tightened around the phone. Rage burned behind her eyes, but she swallowed it down. She couldn’t risk angering him—not yet.

She was about to hang up when his voice turned low again.

“Relax. Once you’ve got Kane wrapped around your finger, I’ll let you see them.”

The line went dead.

Sophia sank onto the bed, defeated. She knew he’d never keep his word.

After a moment, she dialed another number—the one person she still trusted.

“Lily Brooks,” she whispered when her friend finally picked up, voice thick with sleep.

“Who the hell—wait. Who just called me Lily-Baby? No one calls me that except—” Her tone suddenly sharpened. “Who are you?”

Sophia’s throat tightened. “It’s me, Lily. It’s Sophia. I…I died.”

Lily’s fingers trembled on the phone. “You’re kidding me—are you a ghost?”

Sophia laughed weakly. “Not exactly. I died…and then I came back.”

Half an hour later, after Sophia had poured out everything—the betrayal, the rebirth, the plan—there was stunned silence on the other end. Then came a scream loud enough to make Sophia jerk the phone away.

“Oh my God—it really is you! Then tell me—which side of my butt has the mole?”

“Left.”

“And how old was I when I had my first sex dream?”

“Seventeen. About the school’s golden boy. You woke up saying he wasn’t that great.”

“Ahhh—stop! Don’t remind me!”

Her friend’s shrieks dissolved into laughter and tears. Sophia’s chest ached—she hadn’t realized how much she’d missed this.

When Lily finally calmed down, Sophia cut to the chase. Nathan Cole would never tell her where her family was. She needed Lily’s help to find them.

Lily agreed immediately. But before hanging up, she added softly,

“Sophia, get out of there. Stay away from Alexander Kane. If it weren’t for him, you’d still be alive in that last life.”

Sophia fell silent. Her heart twisted painfully, but she forced a promise.

“I will.”

They set a time to meet next week. Then the call ended, leaving the room dark and heavy.

Sophia lay back, eyes closed. Somehow, her new life felt even harder than the last.

The next morning, Nathan Cole held a stack of freshly printed photos and headed for the Kane Corporation. But again, a black car followed him from the moment he left the hotel.

“Damn it. Who keeps tailing me?”

His driver frowned. “Want me to handle it, boss?”

“No. Not yet,” Nathan muttered. “Stay sharp from now on.”

The man nodded, curious. “By the way, how did you get the Kane Corporation’s CEO to agree to meet?”

Nathan smirked. “Told him I wanted to discuss my sister. He couldn’t say no to that.”

Half an hour later, in a private suite downtown, Alexander Kane sat on a leather sofa, sipping his coffee with that same calm detachment.

He hadn’t wanted to meet Nathan at all—but the man had used Vanessa Cole’s name as bait. The resemblance between that woman and someone from his past had been… uncanny. Against his better judgment, he’d agreed.

He intended to find out what game the siblings were playing.

Before leaving the house, he’d even told Sophia to keep tutoring Little Boat’s homework.

What he didn’t know was that, the moment he was gone, chaos had erupted at home.

With Alexander out of the house, Sophia felt freer than ever—no cold stares, no walking on eggshells. She enjoyed a quiet breakfast, even planning to stop by Café Verona later to meet Lily.

But after finishing her meal, she realized she hadn’t seen Little Boat all morning.

“Strange,” she murmured. “Sleeping in because Daddy’s not home?”

She went upstairs and knocked on Ethan’s door. The boy was curled up under the covers, face flushed red.

“Hey, sleepyhead! Time to wake up! Homework’s waiting!”

She tugged at the blanket—and froze. His brow was furrowed, and his skin burned to the touch.

“Oh God, Little Boat, you’ve got a fever!”

“Get away from me! Don’t touch me, you awful woman!” Ethan croaked weakly, but his body trembled with exhaustion.

Sophia ignored the words. She ran for the first-aid kit, grabbing a thermometer, fever patch, and some cold medicine. Sitting on the bed, she gently lifted him into her arms, coaxing him to swallow some water and pills.

“You listen here,” he muttered between breaths, “just because you help me doesn’t mean I like you.”

Sophia smiled faintly. Stubborn brat.

He didn’t realize that this gentle care—something he’d never known from a mother—was softening his heart in ways he couldn’t name.

For the first time, Ethan Kane didn’t see Sophia Reed as a scheming woman trying to get close to his father.

Maybe—just maybe—she wasn’t as terrible as he thought.