Dominic’s pov ;The family doctor came over, giving Sophie a brief physical examination and checked her temperature. “Don’t worry, sir. She is fine. She just needs to take some antipyretic medicine and get plenty of rest.”I nodded. “Alright. I’ll ask my assistant to inform the finance department about your bonus.”The doctor waved his hands, flustered, “Oh no, no, that won’t be necessary. You’ve always been too generous, sir.”I ignored his protests. “You’ve been loyal to my family for years. And we reward loyalty.”“Thank you so much,” The doctor bowed slightly before excusing himself.Once the door clicked shut, I turned back to the girl lying on the couch. I had every intention of leaving her care to the nannies, but then she did something unexpected—her hand weakly reached for my sleeve.“Sir…don’t go,” she murmured, barely conscious, her eyes fluttering open for just a second.I paused, irritated. Does she think I’m here to coddle her?“Take the medicine,” I said curtly, pouring
Dominic’s pov ;"By the way, the boy from the Carpenter family came to visit today. He said a lot of kind things about us. I felt sorry for them, especially after losing their daughter, so I gave him a heads up."I clenched my jaw, feeling a wave of irritation rise up. Grandma’s soft heart had always been both a blessing and a curse for me. I understood where she was coming from—having a daughter herself, she couldn’t help but feel pity for the Carpenter family.But sympathy couldn’t erase the fact that the Carpenters had played their part in conspiring against us. No amount of apologies or sweet words would change that.“Grandma, I know you're kind-hearted. But don’t forget, they were willing to plot against you to get to our family.”She hesitated for a moment, clearly not wanting to antagonise me. “Dominic, it was the adopted daughter of the Carpenter family who acted on her own. There’s no need to blame the entire family for her actions.”I could hear the caution in her voice, but
Sophie’s pov ;After recovering, I decided to tell Dominic I wanted to go back to school."I'm afraid if I delay too long, I won't be able to keep up with the course," I explained, feeling a bit nervous.The University of Finance and Economics isn't just any university—it’s one of the top schools in the country, and its courses are known for being intense. Missing too many classes could mean failing, and I didn’t want to fall behind.He gave me a long look. "Are you sure you can go to class? I just heard you coughing."My throat was itching like crazy, but I resisted the urge to cough to show him I was fine. "I can take care of myself now, so I should have no problem going to school and attending classes."He seemed to consider my words for a moment before nodding. “Alright."Relief washed over me, but then I hesitated. "Should I go back to the dormitory?"He raised an eyebrow and smirked slightly. "Mrs. Williams, you want me to come back and stay alone in the empty house every day?"
Dominic’s pov ;I was buried in work, dealing with the endless responsibilities that came with running the Williams Group, when I heard a faint sound coming from Sophie’s room.At first, I thought it was nothing, but then I heard it again—a soft moan, followed by what sounded like murmurs. I stood up, walked to her door, and knocked.“Sophie?”There was no response, only more incoherent words. A strange feeling crept over me. I pushed the door open and saw her twisting in her bed, drenched in sweat, her face pale, as if she was trapped in a nightmare.“No, I won’t go…This is not my home.” She cried out in a hushed voice.I rushed over and grabbed her shoulders, shaking her gently.“Hey, wake up” But she remained locked in her dream. Her forehead was burning, far too hot. Damn it, why was she having another fever?Her body was still recovering from the cold, and now this. It was late—too late to call the doctor again.Though it's fine. I had enough knowledge to manage on my own, at lea
Sophie’s pov ;Sitting quietly in my seat, I could feel the warmth of the sunlight through the window.Despite the warmth outside, the atmosphere in the classroom felt frigid. I could hear the murmurs."Yesterday I thought she was just some ugly girl, but I didn’t expect her to be so pretty.”Another scoffed, "Pretty? If she’s such a beauty, why’s she wearing sunglasses? Of course to show off! Does she think she's a celebrity or something?”I could feel their eyes on me, judging. They weren’t whispering anymore—they wanted me to hear."She’s not a celebrity or even rich. How do I know? I saw her file. She applied as a poor student—three siblings, struggling family. No way she’s some rich kid with connections.""Then how’s she still here, getting all these special treatments? Must be that face, right?"Their insinuations hit me like a punch to the gut. I wasn’t naive. I knew exactly what they were implying."It’s obvious," another one chimed in, "She must’ve gotten close to some big sh
Sophie’s pov ;I fastened my seatbelt. "Where are we going?" I asked, a bit nervously.“I'm taking you to the old house to meet the elders," Sir replied casually.My heart jumped. "Ah!" I hadn’t expected that. "But I haven’t prepared anything." This was my first time meeting his family, and I didn’t even have a gift. I came straight from class, with no time to even mentally prepare myself."There’s no need to prepare, just show up," he said, and somehow his words eased my worry. If Sir said it was fine, I should believe him, right?The car moved smoothly, and soon we arrived at what Sir called the Williams Family’s old house. It was unlike anything I’d imagined—so grand, it didn’t even seem real. The lake was enormous, like something you’d see in a royal palace, with pavilions and towers dotting the landscape. Was this really someone’s home?"Sophie is here," a familiar voice called out as we stepped out. It was Old Grandma. I smiled, recognizing her kind tone instantly."Grandma, are
—----------Dominic’s pov—---------I didn't feel sorry for her for being rude. Not in the slightest.The only reason I’d been a little nicer to her tonight was because she did well in front of the elders. That's all this marriage was ever about—keeping them happy. I married her to satisfy their expectations, and now that she’s playing her part, I can say it wasn’t a complete waste of time.The vibration of my phone pulled me away from my thoughts. I walked over to the French windows, placing the phone against my ear as I answered."Mr. Williams, we’ve completed the investigation into Miss Sophie’s recent movements. There's no indication she’s connected to the adopted daughter of the Williams family. It seems she just passed by the school that day by coincidence, nothing planned in advance."Good. I don’t trust coincidences, and even though Sophie’s my wife only in name, I need to know if she has any hidden motives. If she did, I wouldn’t hesitate to deal with her accordingly."Hmm," I
Sophie's pov ;His eyes were darker than usual, his pupils dilated. I knew he wasn't doing it on purpose, but his expression made my heartbeat quicken and my breathing shallow. He was staring at me, and for the first time in a long while, I felt so shy under his gaze.He pulled me closer, and I felt his breath on my face, warm and intoxicating. My body trembled under his touch. His hands were so large, his fingers rough and calloused. He held my face with a gentleness that seemed out of place for him.His lips met mine in a tender kiss, his tongue grazing my lower lip, his hands moving to the back of my head and tangling in my hair. He was surprisingly gentle, and I could feel the longing behind his movements. It was as if he was holding back, afraid of losing control."Hmmm...sir!" I let out a small whimper, unable to resist him, and his grip on me tightened. He kissed me harder, his hands sliding down my back and pulling me onto his lap."Don't call me that," he said, his voice husk
Brandon’s pov ;I stood in front of my father’s desk, clutching a stack of papers so tightly my knuckles turned white. My throat was dry, and my lips trembled as I tried to gather my words. I hadn’t slept in over twenty-four hours, but that wasn’t the reason for the exhaustion weighing me down. It was the discovery I’d made—one that turned my entire world upside down.“Dad,” I finally said, my voice hoarse as I handed him the documents. “You need to see this.”My father, Jason Carpenter, had been scolding me just moments ago for being absent during critical company decisions. Normally, I would’ve explained myself, but this time I didn’t care about the business. Not when something far more important had come to light.He frowned, clearly irritated by my silence, but he took the papers from me anyway. “What is this?” he asked, flipping through the pages.I didn’t answer immediately. Instead, I watched him closely as his expression shifted from confusion to shock the moment his eyes land
Brandon’s pov ;I stood in front of my father’s desk, clutching a stack of papers so tightly my knuckles turned white. My throat was dry, and my lips trembled as I tried to gather my words. I hadn’t slept in over twenty-four hours, but that wasn’t the reason for the exhaustion weighing me down. It was the discovery I’d made—one that turned my entire world upside down.“Dad,” I finally said, my voice hoarse as I handed him the documents. “You need to see this.”My father, Jason Carpenter, had been scolding me just moments ago for being absent during critical company decisions. Normally, I would’ve explained myself, but this time I didn’t care about the business. Not when something far more important had come to light.He frowned, clearly irritated by my silence, but he took the papers from me anyway. “What is this?” he asked, flipping through the pages.I didn’t answer immediately. Instead, I watched him closely as his expression shifted from confusion to shock the moment his eyes land
Brandon’s pov ;I could feel the weight of the conversation with Ava pressing down on me as I walked away.My mind was racing, each new piece of information about Sophie sending my thoughts spiraling. The way Ava described her—her difficult family, the fact that she worked to make ends meet—it painted a picture I hadn’t fully realized until now.Sophie was struggling, yet she still managed to smile, to hold herself with such strength. It made me think back to everything I’d seen in her, every quiet moment she shared, every piece of her story that didn’t seem to quite fit.Her family didn’t treat her well, Ava had said. That sentence kept echoing in my mind. It was a painful reminder of the life Bella had left behind, the life she’d fought so hard to escape.And now, Sophie was in front of me, so similar to her in more ways than one, yet so different in others. She didn’t know who she truly was, didn’t know the depth of the blood running through her veins, and I couldn’t help but wonde
Edwin’s pov ;I stared at myself in the mirror, adjusting my collar for the fifth time. Everything had to be perfect today. I’d been planning this for weeks—no more doubts, no more second-guessing.Today, I was going to confess to Sophie. I had everything ready. The flowers, the chocolates, the carefully chosen outfit.I wanted to look charming, rustic, just the right amount of down-to-earth. Nothing too fancy, nothing too flashy. Sophie wasn’t like that. She liked simplicity.I’d checked my appearance over and over again. Hair neat, shirt slightly wrinkled just enough to seem like I wasn’t trying too hard. Perfect. I gave myself a quick nod of approval and took a deep breath. This was it.Grandma had called earlier, reminding me to bring a girlfriend back with me. I could almost hear her voice: “When you’re free, come and see Grandma. It would be best if you could bring a girlfriend back.”
Sophie’s pov ;Winning the title of campus belle of the University of Finance and Economics felt surreal. The ceremony was over, and as I stepped down from the stage, the buzz of excitement around me was overwhelming. My friends quickly surrounded me, all of them beaming with pride.Jenna was the first to congratulate me, practically jumping up and down. "Sophie, congratulations! I knew you could do it!"I couldn't help but smile, the sense of accomplishment filling me up. "Great, I got a bonus of 20,000 Pounds," I said, a little smugly. Money was real to me—it was something tangible, something I could actually use to ease the weight on my shoulders.Jenna grinned, teasing me, "You don’t care about the great honor, you only care about the bonus."I shrugged. "The money’s more important. I’ll take it over any false reputation any day."Yanran, always the proud one, added, "From today on, your name will be known throughout the university circles in London."I gave a small, indifferent s
Dominic’s pov :I sat in the private VIP suite, my eyes fixed on the stage below. The woman I had expected to be waiting for was not the one drawing all the attention—no, it was her. Sophie.I had been on my way to a meeting overseas, but something made me change my mind at the last minute.I’d canceled everything, rushing to get here, just to watch a simple student competition. I knew I was obsessed with her, but this... this was different. It felt like fate."Good thing I arrived in time," I thought, my fingers tapping restlessly on the armrest. "Otherwise, I would have missed it."She appeared later than the others, almost as if the universe itself had conspired to make sure I wouldn’t miss the moment when she walked on that stage. It was like everything was falling into place.The lights dimmed as the music began to play, and suddenly, Sophie opened her mouth. Her voice—so pure, so angelic—poured over the audience like a soft rain, filling the space. The chatter in the room ceased
Sophie’s pov ;The backstage was buzzing with nervous energy, and I could feel my heart racing. Everyone was busy running around, preparing for their moment in the spotlight. But for some reason, I couldn’t shake the tightness in my chest. Maybe it was because everything felt so out of my control.The makeup artist rushed over to me, her face filled with panic. "Every contestant is wearing heavy makeup, and all the cosmetics are used up. What should we do?" she said, her hands trembling as she looked at the empty makeup trays.I swallowed hard, not wanting to let the pressure get to me. "No need to worry. I can go on stage without makeup," I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt. I wasn’t nervous—I refused to be. But the situation was definitely not ideal.The makeup artist looked at me like I had just suggested I would walk on stage without clothes. "That’s not a good idea! The lighting on stage is harsh, and with
Rey’s pov ;I couldn’t believe my luck. Of all the things I had planned, of all the precautions I had taken, this was what I ended up walking into.Amanda had assured me everything was in place, that Sophie would be eliminated in the first round, and I couldn’t afford any slip-ups. With connections from both the Gu family and the Carpenter family among the judges, Sophie’s defeat was practically guaranteed.It was supposed to be foolproof. Sophie was nothing. A nobody. But if she managed to sneak through—if that bitch somehow advanced—everything I had worked for would crumble. The Carpenter family’s precious daughter, the one they had been obsessing over for years, would be found. And then, Sophie would be everywhere. In the media, on the news, in public—and I couldn’t let that happen.I left Amanda to take care of things, heading toward the audience. I had to get out of the back, away from all the cha
Sophie’s pov ;The contest day~~I couldn’t help but smile at the advice Jenna and Carolyn gave me. "Treat everyone as cabbages," they said.Sure, that was supposed to help me not get nervous. But I wasn’t really all that nervous to begin with. I mean, what was there to be nervous about? It was just a competition.Jenna was right, though. She was more nervous for me than I was for myself. “After all, this is your first time participating in such a big competition, so of course I am nervous for you,” she said with a soft smile.I appreciated it, but I didn’t feel the same way. The prize money was all that mattered to me; winning wasn’t some big milestone.Carolyn leaned in and whispered, “I heard that Senior Amanda is here too.”I instantly stiffened at the name. “Which Senior Amanda?” I asked, though I already knew who she meant.“It’s Amanda, Senior