Dominic’s pov ;I sat at my desk in the study, staring at the message on my phone. Sophie wanted to raise a cat.A cat.I could feel the familiar twinge in my sinuses just thinking about it. Allergies were one thing, but the idea of having an unpredictable animal roaming around the house was something else entirely. I couldn't afford such chaos.My life was structured and precise—two things that Sophie often disrupted, but in a way I didn’t mind.A cat, however, was non-negotiable.When she asked me again, her large, hopeful eyes fixed on me, I said, "No."Her expression fell instantly, and I almost regretted my tone. "Why?" she asked softly, her voice tinged with disappointment."I don’t like them," I lied, keeping my face impassive.Her pout deepened, and for a moment, she looked like she might argue.But then, in a rare show of restraint, she sighed and said, "Okay, then. I won't raise one."---Later that evening, my grandmother called. She rarely reached out unless it was about S
Dominic’s pov ;The supermarket trip was a spontaneous decision.She wandered through the aisles with a kind of wonder that I couldn’t quite understand. It was just a supermarket, but for her, it seemed like something out of a storybook.I followed a step behind, watching as she examined every item carefully, her eyes lighting up when she found something she liked.“Sir, can we get this brand of cookies? I heard they taste amazing,” she asked, holding up a box.I barely glanced at it before taking the box from her hands and tossing it into the cart. “If you want it, we’ll get it.”Her lips curved into a smile, and I could tell she was trying to contain her excitement.We moved further down the aisle, and she paused in the toy section, her gaze locking onto a pink stuffed rabbit. She reached out to touch it, her fingers brushing over the soft fabric.“Sir, I want a stuffed toy. Just one, is that okay?”Her voice was soft, hesitant, as if she expected me to say no. I frowned. Why did sh
Sophie’s pov ;The moment Jenna and I stepped into the small storage room, the soft cries of the mother cat greeted us.She was curled up in the corner, surrounded by tiny, wriggling kittens who hadn’t even opened their eyes yet.“Jenna, let’s be careful,” I said, crouching down. “We don’t want to startle her.”Jenna nodded, but she seemed more excited than cautious. “I’ll help make the milk powder for her.”I smiled at her thoughtfulness. “Okay, thank you, Jenna.”She waved it off with a grin. “Between us, what’s there to thank?”The mother cat looked exhausted, but her babies were nestled comfortably against her. Jenna leaned closer, reaching out toward one of the kittens, but I quickly stopped her.“Jenna, wait. We shouldn’t touch them yet.”Her brow furrowed. “Why not?”“If we get our scent on the kittens, the mother cat might think they’re not hers. She could stop feeding them.”Jenna’s eyes widened, and she pulled back immediately, clasping her hands behind her back. “Luckily, I
Sophie’s pov ;I frowned slightly, staring at the man in front of me. “I don’t remember my number, sorry. Please let me go.”My tone was polite but firm, though I could feel the irritation bubbling just under the surface.Instead of being offended, he laughed. Not just a chuckle, but a hearty laugh like I’d just told the best joke in the world.“No way, Sophie. You’re such a great student—how could you not remember?”It was exhausting. “I’m going to eat. Please don’t disturb us.”Without waiting for his response, I grabbed Jenna’s arm and walked away, leaving Sam and his cronies behind.The cafeteria was noisy, the usual lunch chatter filling the air, but all I wanted was some quiet. I sat down, but as I stared at my plate, I realized my appetite had disappeared.Carolyn noticed immediately. “Sophie, you’re going to eat just this little and then stop? You’re not going to eat anymore?”I curled my lips in a half-smile. “I’ve lost my appetite because of that guy just now.”Jenna, always
Dominic’s pov ;"Shh, Sir, please walk lightly. The mother cat just gave birth to her cubs, and she is easily nervous now," Sophie whispered, tiptoeing ahead toward the cat's nest.Her voice was soft, almost reverent. She squatted near the cats, completely absorbed, while I stayed back, watching her. She seemed so small compared to the big world around her, yet there was a tenderness in her actions that even I couldn’t ignore.She gently set the food down and reached in to touch the mother cat’s fur. “Meow.”The mother cat rubbed against her arm, purring softly. Sophie turned to me, her face glowing with excitement."Sir, don't you want to come and stroke the cats? They’re so well-behaved and not afraid of people at all."I shook my head, staying put. "No," I said firmly.Even from a distance, I felt the itch starting in my throat—an all-too-familiar sign of my allergies.She didn’t give up. "They love to be clean, not dirty at all. Really, you can tell when you touch them. They’re ve
Dominic’s pov ;Dr. Song arrived quickly, his sharp eyes assessing me the moment he stepped into the room. His gaze lingered on the redness creeping up my neck, and I could already see the question forming in his mind."Mr. Williams, did you encounter..."I silenced him with a single look. The man had been my doctor for years—he knew better than to finish that sentence.But I could see the curiosity in his eyes. Why would I, someone highly allergic to cats, allow myself to be anywhere near one? I knew exactly what he was thinking.Has Mr. Williams developed a new hobby?Sophie, oblivious to our unspoken exchange, tugged at his sleeve, her face painted with concern. "Doctor, what’s wrong with Sir?"Dr. Song coughed, collecting himself. "It’s nothing serious. Just an allergic reaction. I’ll prescribe two medications—one for oral use to suppress the allergy and one for external application."He turned to Sophie, handing her a small tube of ointment. "You’ll need to help Mr. Williams appl
Sophie’s pov ;I tried to leave but they blocked my way.My face turned pale with anger as I stood there, facing Ronny and her followers.“I don’t even know you! What right do you have to talk nonsense here?” My voice was sharp, the frustration boiling over.The chubby girl smirked, folding her arms as she sneered. “Haha, if your private life wasn’t so dishonest, how could Master Sam be seduced by you?”I narrowed my eyes at her, retorting, “Whether he’s ‘Master Sam’ or not has nothing to do with me. If you like him so much, go find him. Don’t drag me into it!”Ronny’s group looked smug as if they had the upper hand.Another one of her friends chimed in, “Ronny has become so thin because of you. Don’t you feel sorry for her? You stole someone’s man, and one day, someone will steal yours. Let’s see if you’re still this high and mighty then!”Their twisted logic was exhausting. My head buzzed with frustration, but I refused to let them intimidate me.“I’ll say it one more time,” I said
Sophie’s pov ;I’d heard sir's voice before I saw him. “Sophie.”I quickly put away the flower rope I’d been playing with. “Carolyn, let’s play next time,” I told her.Carolyn smirked and teased, “Sophie, you value men over friendship!”I glanced at her, blinking innocently. “Carolyn, don’t bring up irrelevant things.”Carolyn raised her eyebrows at me, clearly amused.I laughed awkwardly, not bothering to argue. “Okay, see you tomorrow,” I said, waving goodbye to my friends...................................Dominic held my hand with one hand and carried my schoolbag in the other. Seeing him holding my bright yellow duck backpack was…interesting.His cold expression didn’t change as he glanced at the bag. “Why is this so heavy?”“I’ve been having a lot of classes recently,” I expla
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