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.

“You don’t like me? Well, that’s fine—because I like you.”

Sophia Reed wrapped Ethan Kane in her arms and let out a soft laugh.

At her words, Ethan’s nose stung, and he instinctively shrank under the blanket.

From childhood until now, apart from his father, no one had ever shown him genuine affection.

Whenever he saw other kids being hugged or comforted by their mothers, he would quietly stand aside, full of envy.

He had never known what a mother’s warmth felt like—yet secretly longed for it.

In that moment, pressed against Sophia’s chest, he felt a kind of tenderness he didn’t want to let go of.

After taking his fever medicine, his temperature began to drop under Sophia’s careful care.

She tucked the blanket around him and gently replaced the cooling patch on his forehead.

Once he had fallen asleep, she noticed he hadn’t eaten anything all morning. Quietly, she went to the kitchen to make some oatmeal porridge for him.

While things were improving for Ethan, his father, Alexander Kane, was facing a storm of his own.

At Café Verona, Alexander sat waiting in a private booth. Soon, Nathan Cole arrived with a briefcase and a smug grin.

He looked like a man who believed he finally had leverage over someone powerful.

“Mr. Kane! Sorry to keep you waiting,” Nathan said with mock politeness. “Traffic was awful.”

Alexander didn’t even lift his gaze. He stirred his coffee with slow precision, expression cold.

“What do you want, Mr. Cole?” His tone was clipped, impatient.

Nathan chuckled awkwardly. “Mr. Kane, you’re a busy man. I wouldn’t bother you unless it was important.”

He pulled out a small stack of printed photographs and laid them neatly on the table.

“I wanted to discuss your relationship with my sister, Vanessa,” Nathan said, his voice oily and suggestive. “You and she have… already crossed that line. In a sense, we’re practically family now.”

Alexander’s jaw tightened. His eyes flicked to the photos—shots of him and Vanessa in various compromising angles.

So the woman who had drugged him that night had planned to use the photos to blackmail him?

The thought made his stomach churn. His hand clenched around his cup until the porcelain creaked.

He despised losing control—and more than that, he despised being manipulated.

“My relationship with your sister?” He gave a short, humorless laugh.

“You’re mistaken. I don’t take interest in women who throw themselves at me.”

Nathan’s face went from red to pale in an instant. Alexander’s voice sliced through the air, cold and deliberate:

“Whatever your sister thought she could gain—it’s over. And if you think you can use her to threaten me, your little scheme is already dead.”

“You—!” Nathan started, but one glance from Alexander’s icy eyes made the words die in his throat.

He forced out a weak, “She’s my sister—you took advantage of her, you should take responsibility!”

Alexander’s smirk deepened, though it didn’t reach his eyes.

“Responsibility? What will you do if I don’t?” he said quietly. The low rumble of his voice carried more danger than a shout. “No one in this world has ever succeeded in threatening me, Mr. Cole. You? Least of all.”

Nathan’s hands shook. He grabbed his briefcase and fled the café without another word, muttering curses under his breath.

“Useless woman,” he spat once outside. “Got herself slept with and couldn’t even bring back a profit.”

Alexander sat alone in the booth for a long time, his expression unreadable.

Vanessa Cole—so this was your true face?

The thought of her pretending to be innocent while plotting against him left a bitter taste in his mouth. And worse, she was still under the same roof as his son.

That thought made his steps quicken.

Ten minutes later, at Kane Manor, Ethan was sitting at the dining table, sipping the oatmeal Sophia had made for him.

Alexander entered the house, his face unreadable. The housekeeper, Mr. Howard, immediately came forward to report what had happened—Ethan’s fever, and how Vanessa had cared for him all day.

“Little Boat, are you feeling better?” Alexander asked, his tone softening just slightly when he looked at his son.

“I’m fine now, Dad. Miss Cole took care of me,” Ethan said quietly, glancing at Sophia with a trace of awkward gratitude.

It was the first time he had called her “Miss Cole” instead of “hey” or worse.

Sophia’s heart softened at that. The boy wasn’t truly rude—he just didn’t trust easily.

“That’s her job,” Alexander said coldly. “The Kane family doesn’t keep people around for free.”

Sophia’s smile froze. Ethan looked down, silent.

Alexander’s dislike was palpable. Ever since learning about the photos and her connection to Nathan Cole, his patience for this woman had vanished entirely.

In his mind, Vanessa was just another schemer his rival had planted in his home.

“Little Boat, go rest,” Alexander said curtly. He gave his son’s shoulder a pat, then turned his wary, hard gaze on Sophia.

The message was clear: You’re not welcome here.