Sophia’s POV
The cool afternoon breeze brushed against my face as I stepped out of Blackwood Enterprises. My shoulders ached after hours of staring at documents and replying to endless emails, but it was the satisfying kind of exhaustion. For the first time in weeks, I felt like my life was slowly beginning to move forward on my own terms. I had earned every penny through my own hard work, not through anyone’s pity or control.
I tightened my grip on my handbag and headed toward the bus stop. The streets were busy with employees leaving nearby office buildings. Car horns echoed in the distance while people hurried home after another long workday. The normalcy of it all felt grounding.
Then—
“Sophia.”
I froze.
That voice.
I slowly turned around, my stomach already twisting.
Ethan Car
