“Respect isn’t meant to be a mask for shame,” I said coolly.
“If you want to pave the way for someone already condemned by the industry, then do it openly with the Miller Family’s resources—not under the guise of ‘doing it for my own good,’ forcing her into my team.”
No sooner had my words fallen than the sound of hesitant footsteps came from the doorway.
A timid figure peeked in.
It was Chloe Davis.
She wore a plain white blouse, head bowed, clutching the contract tightly in her hands. Her eyes flickered nervously.
“Sophia… I—I didn’t mean anything else. I just want a fresh start.
I know what happened back then hurt you, but I was young and foolish. It was a mistake…”
I let out a sharp, humorless laugh.
“A mistake? You call stealing my work, submitting it to a competition, and pretending it was flawless—just a mistake?
Chloe, the moment you were expelled from the architectural world, you should have understood: there was no path back.”
Her lips trembled, but no words came. Tears welled in her eyes, making her look pitiful.
Ethan immediately stepped forward, shielding her behind him, his tone laced with defense.
“Sophia, that’s enough! Chloe did wrong, yes—but she has already paid the price. Why must you keep hounding her?”
I tilted my chin upward, my gaze cold and sharp.
“Paid the price? With your family’s protection, she’s standing here, shedding tears like some delicate flower—this is what you call a price?
Ethan, let me remind you: I am your fiancée. Not her.”
The atmosphere grew tense.
Ethan’s eyes flicked between me and Chloe, irritation spreading across his brow.
“Sophia, this sharpness of yours only makes the world think you’re petty.
You’re a world-renowned architect. Shouldn’t you be gracious, above such trivial matters?”
I smiled faintly, though the chill in it was unmistakable.
“Trivial matters?
My hard-earned work being stolen—trivial?
My team being infiltrated by an outsider at your whim—trivial?
Ethan, when you urge me to be ‘gracious,’ do you mean you want me to be soft-hearted—or to submit?”
His face darkened, jaw tight.
“Sophia, don’t push me.”
I met his fierce gaze, each word deliberate.
“It’s not me pushing you. It’s you pushing me.”
As the standoff sharpened, Chloe suddenly collapsed to her knees with a thud.
Her shoulders shook as she sobbed, voice broken.
“Sophia, it’s me who wronged you. But I truly have nowhere else to go…
Years ago, my parents gave up everything to save Mr. Miller. On their deathbeds, their only wish was that I wouldn’t starve.”
“If you hate someone, hate me. Don’t take it out on Ethan…”
Her tears spattered against the cold marble floor, a portrait of helplessness.
Ethan’s eyes softened with pity as he bent quickly to lift her up.
“Sophia Carter!”
He snapped his head up, fury flashing in his voice, laced with accusation.
“How can you be so cold-blooded to a girl with nowhere to go? Her parents once saved my father’s life. That debt, the Miller Family will never forget!”
I stood unmoved, looking down on the scene like an outsider, my face expressionless.
“Ethan, if your family wants to remember that debt forever, so be it. But tell me—what does that have to do with me?”
His lips parted, but no sound came. His face burned red with shame and frustration.
Finally, he spat out the words, his voice raw:
“Sophia, someone as cruel as you is unworthy to ever set foot in the Miller Family!”
