If she hadn’t been so naive, she wouldn’t have lost the most precious person in her life. Yet, life’s losses can turn someone as foolish as her into someone strong and fearless.

Sophie was used to suffering; the life of an orphan would never be easy. However, she never expected that her only chance at a little happiness would turn into so much pain.

Sophie was dragged by her hair to a place she didn’t know. Her mind was clouded, her vision blurred. She didn’t understand what was happening.

Her mission was to recover a stolen item for a client. But just as she was ready to complete her role, someone forced something into her mouth and she blacked out momentarily.

She woke up to kicks in her stomach. They tore her clothes, leaving whip marks on her back.

The ringing in her ears was deafening, moving was difficult because the pain was unbearable. Sophie never thought she would be glad to hear that she was “too ugly” to be abused. But at least that hadn’t happened.

The men dragged her body across the floor. “You stole our client’s sacred object. Mr. Lewis is disappointed in you. How disgusting, for the person closest to him to betray him like this.”

“I swear I didn’t steal it.” She tried to speak, but her voice came out weak and tired. “I didn’t even touch it.”

Her blood dripped onto the floor as men dressed like those from Los Angeles laughed at her. One of them, with deep, threatening blue eyes, pulled her brown hair and gave her a sinister smile. Even through the mask, she could hear him clearly.

“People like you deserve to be killed, but our leader is merciful and decided you can live,” he said, slamming her head against the ground, causing a wound to open there.

“Please, I didn’t do anything, I swear.” She begged. “If I could speak to Mr. Lewis, I would explain that it was a misunderstanding.” Tears streamed down her face, but the men’s eyes showed no pity.

Her blood pooled on the ground; she couldn’t think of anything but trying to survive.

“Please.” She tried again, begging for mercy. But such a thing didn’t exist there.

Her weak voice was heard again when one of them stepped on her hand. Sophie screamed and kept screaming; she could hear her bones breaking, blood dripping from her fingers as they were crushed.

“No! Please. Please!”

And she kept screaming until she nearly lost consciousness from the pain.

One of them pulled her hair again, forcing her to look at him one last time.

“Get out of here, orphan girl. You’re no longer welcome in our country.”

When she woke up in that filthy warehouse, she was alone. Her vision had returned to normal, the drug’s effect had worn off.

Sophie managed to escape that day, even though her broken right hand would never heal.

________________________________________

Five months later, Sophie had moved to the neighboring city. Life was good, mainly because she was no longer alone. On the night before her false accusation, a night with her boss, Mr. Lewis, had given rise to the child in her womb.

Despite the hatred she felt for Edward, even though something deep in her chest told her there was more she didn’t know, the child was not to blame. Sophie knew how much an orphan child could suffer, and she didn’t want that for her baby.

But it seemed that all the pain she had endured wasn’t enough for the universe. As if cursed for giving herself to a night of passion with that man.

Sophie entered her hotel room and drank some water from the fridge. Minutes later, she felt blood running down her legs.

Even though she received care in time, she lost her baby. Sophie was devastated, feeling lost, as if a part of herself had been violently ripped away. She cried endlessly, with only Hanna there to comfort her.

But everything changed when the hospital doctor called her into his office and gave her the worst news any mother could hear.

“Miss Smith, you did not miscarry naturally.”

Sophie looked at him wide-eyed, her hands trembling with tension.

“What do you mean? What are you saying?”

The doctor gave her a solemn look, as if pitying her.

“Your baby was murdered. The bottle you were holding contained an abortive substance. And I believe it wasn’t you who put it there.”

The world seemed to stop for a moment. Sophie couldn’t hear anyone or pay attention to anything. Her mind was focused on trying to understand why someone hated her so much. What had she done so wrong?

She lowered her head, distraught. Her tears fell, staining her clothes and the clinic floor. Her fingers clenched furiously.

Sophie had allowed herself to be humiliated, trampled, and attacked. She had been expelled and falsely accused. But for some, that wasn’t enough. Someone had to watch her suffer.

The old Sophie would never have had the courage to stand up for herself or go against anyone. She did nothing when they hurt her. But now, they had attacked an innocent child—her son. And for the first time, she would fight back. She would take her revenge.

Even if she died in the process, she would make them all pay for what they had done. No matter who it was, even if it was Edward Lewis himself, she would get her revenge. Even if it meant going to hell along with them.

Sophie removed her clothes, revealing the scars on her pale back. She sank into the bathtub until her brown hair was submerged and briefly thought about the past.

The green eyes of the man she once loved still appeared in her thoughts, tempting her to fall in love again. If indeed she had truly lost that love.

Three years ago, Sophie had been an innocent young woman, in love with the one who taught her to become the best spy. Even though there were only a few years between them, Edward had taught her everything he knew. And she was deeply grateful.

However, that gratitude turned into love. And that should never have happened. The hotel room she was in now was very similar to the one from that day, even if the alcohol had blurred her memory a little.

She placed her hand on her belly, remembering when her baby was still there. Sophie wondered what the child would have been like. Would the baby have brown hair like hers? Or the father’s red hair? Would the eyes be brown, or green and deep like those that haunted her thoughts?

After putting on a white dress, the woman looked out the window at the city below her. The city she had returned to only for revenge. Now coldness inhabited her gaze, and her gentle smile could no longer be seen. After all, just by existing, some people were already hated.

Sophie clutched the crystal that had been set as a pendant on a simple chain. The only clue the killer had left was a small shiny object made from Miami’s sand. And that was why her feet were here today.

She went down to the lobby in the elevator, her hair tied in a high ponytail. Sunglasses hid her eyes. But still, few recognized her. The benefits of not being famous.

On the city streets, Edward’s image was plastered on posters and television screens. He was older now, just like her. But he was still handsome. Even though her heart still carried resentment, she couldn’t deny her attraction.

Her hair swayed as she walked toward the jewelry store. The jeweler, with already graying hair, greeted her with a smile.

“Good morning, sir.” Sophie greeted him.

The store was beautiful and well-lit, with large windows and filled with chandeliers and jewels displayed in glass-topped cases.

She was the only one in the store.

“Could you check this stone for me, please?” she asked, handing the necklace to the man.

“Hmm.” The man examined the crystal carefully under a light and said, “How curious. This is a unique crystal from here, made with Miami’s sands. Only the richest man in the city would have such a stone at his disposal.”

The richest—meaning Edward. Sophie took a step back, unsettled. She wasn’t surprised, since she already suspected him. But hearing that information shook her.

She tried to hide her discomfort. She needed to think clearly at this moment. Edward himself would never personally kill her child. He could only have sent someone.

Still, there was a gap—every leader needed an heir. It was no coincidence that Sophie had heard he had adopted a child.

Besides, if they were the same people from the past, why hadn’t Sophie been beaten instead of poisoned?

Her mind was clouded; there were so many pieces, but she knew they were connected somehow. She just had to figure out how.

“Sir, could this stone be part of a piece of jewelry? It seems too small to be given to someone on its own.”

“Oh yes,” the jeweler replied, looking at the stone again. “Certainly, this piece once belonged to something larger, perhaps a brooch or bracelet,” he stated.

“So, it was a gift then,” Sophie thought. After all, Edward himself didn’t usually wear jewelry.

But there were still pieces missing from the puzzle. Could it have been a woman? Deep inside, a pang of jealousy stirred in her chest. However, she couldn’t allow herself to be overtaken by such feelings.

Still, even if it was, if Sophie was already out of the way, why follow her to another country? To eliminate a future rival?

She sighed deeply as her hand trembled. Who was responsible for this? Who hated her enough to pursue her?

Sophie needed answers, and anger took hold of her when she didn’t find them immediately.

“Thank you, sir.” She thanked him and left.

Sophie thought she would find answers by returning to her homeland. But it seemed that the questions only kept piling up, and she would never find a solution to them.

Now the street was usually bustling. She took a step, but something stopped her feet from moving. A familiar scent she had once smelled back then. Even though it had been mixed with blood, that odor could never be forgotten.

Her brown eyes searched for the owner of that peculiar scent. She saw someone in black clothing with a dark hat crossing the street. Her mind locked onto discovering one of her tormentors.

Sophie took two steps to follow the unknown figure and didn’t hear the car horn. By the time her attention was drawn to the vehicle, the headlights were already too close.

There was no way to escape at that moment. But then she felt something on her arm—a grip pulling her away from the vehicle. The driver cursed, angry at someone standing in the street with the light green.

Sophie felt her heart racing and her breath quick from the scare. She looked up at her savior and held her breath when she saw those green eyes again, so close to her.

Her heart sped up, but the look of anger was also there. A mixture of emotions overwhelmed her, leaving her unsure of what to do.

Edward had his hands on her waist and a smile on his face. A smile he rarely gave to anyone.

His eyes could still paralyze her. But his spell wouldn’t last long. He helped her stand up and looked her in the eyes.

However, Sophie didn’t do the same. She greeted him, bowing slightly before him and saying: “Thank you, sir. I’m sorry for taking your time.” Her voice trembled as she tried not to be impolite.

And before there was a chance, he was abandoned. She left him behind, and before he could follow her, someone called out to him.

________________________________________

Sophie entered her hotel room, breathless. She had never run so much in her life. Leaning on her right hand on the table, she collapsed.

“Damn it,” she exclaimed. Ever since that mission that got her expelled from Miami, her fingers had been broken, and the bones hadn’t healed properly, leaving her with a weak hand.

Pressing her back against the hotel’s cream-colored wall, she sighed, trying to calm her heart. Edward could still stir something crazy in her, leaving her with a mix of indecipherable emotions that could push her into doing something wrong. And Sophie could not afford to anger the Lewis family on her very first day.

Edward left her with her heart in her throat. His gaze made her blush, his touch made her body shiver. However, the words from the night they spent together were still alive in her mind. What was his intention? To play with her again? Besides, he despised her, considered her unworthy—he had ordered her to be expelled from Miami.

Anger consumed her, and her fingers clenched in friction, punished by her own emotions. She would not be used again. The old Sophie would never return.

The morning after she became pregnant, when she woke up, her memories were still scrambled. But she remembered going upstairs to one of the rooms to look for Edward, who had probably fallen ill.

However, both of them were drunk, and well… that led to that night, the night that made her wake up in a panic, hurriedly putting her clothes back on, and slipping out the door before seeing her boss’s sleeping face.

Sophie heard footsteps and hid. It was Edward’s brother, who had just entered. She should have left, but instead, she leaned against the opposite wall to listen.

“It was a mistake, John. I cannot bring trouble to Miami. My relationships must be chosen carefully and not decided by a careless act. You know that not just anyone can be part of Miami’s Elite.”

At that moment, tears streamed down her face, making her feel used and humiliated, even though she knew it was just a foolish night.

An orphan was never suitable for someone like Edward Lewis anyway. And even knowing that, Sophie couldn’t stop sadness and shame from trying to claim her heart.

Today, she no longer cried when she remembered it. That memory only gave her strength never to be carried away by foolish feelings again. That night was a choice. Now, she would never again give herself the chance of being anyone’s plaything.

Sophie stood up and grabbed one of the unopened water bottles she had bought. After the poisoning that killed her baby, she never again had the courage to consume anything already opened. Everything she ate had to be prepared by her at the moment of consumption or come sealed and new.

As she drank, her mind began to reorganize itself. That familiar scent intrigued her. It meant that one of her attackers was still there.

Her mind filled with memories of malicious laughter and male voices. Her body remembered the sting of the whip on her back, the scratches, and the crushing weight of feet on her hand.

She hurled the bottle away in anger. Standing up, Sophie went to the bedroom and pulled out papers stored in a folder in the wardrobe.

Each one listed names of factions from Miami and neighboring countries and cities. Sophie didn’t remember the exact appearance of any of them, but their methods were certainly not those of honorable men.

Either they were corrupt agents, or they had been paid to disguise themselves. What mattered was that Sophie was getting closer to them. However, there was a problem. She needed greater access to the country’s agents. And that wasn’t easily achieved.

Still, there were ways other than asking Edward for help—that would be her last option, since he was a suspect.

Even so, the way he looked at her didn’t seem malicious. Could it really have been Edward who orchestrated the ambush that got her expelled from the country? Could he truly be so vile?

She closed her eyes and let out a long sigh. Humans were complicated. The ones you least expect are often the ones who betray you. That’s why she couldn’t trust anyone at that moment.

And besides Edward, who else had the power and the desire to harm Sophie? Perhaps the council of elders. Still, she preferred to tread carefully now.

Her phone rang, and she smiled when she saw the name on the screen.

“Hello. How are you, Hanna?” she asked softly.

A delicate but calm voice answered on the other end: “I’m fine, sis. I’m more worried about you. I know how hard it is for you to return to that place.” Hanna’s voice carried concern.

“Don’t worry. I’m fine. You know, I have some leads,” Sophie reassured her as she shared her day.

“And what did you feel? Seeing Edward again?” Hanna asked, pretending not to be curious.

Sophie sighed. “I don’t know. There’s hatred, anger, confusion—everything. It feels like my heart is a hurricane of mixed emotions. I want to hate him, but I hate the way he looks at me as if he doesn’t hate me.”

“It really is confusing,” Hanna replied, but Sophie interrupted her.

“Wait, there’s someone at the door. Tomorrow I’ll send you the object so you can do what needs to be done.”

Hanging up, Sophie rushed to open the door—and destiny seemed to be telling her she wouldn’t escape Edward so easily.

He was on the other side of the door. And well, since the universe kept bringing them together, she had to take the chance.