Sophia was speechless.
After everything she’d done that morning—making tea, tending to the boy’s fever, staying by his side—Alexander’s cold hostility hit her like ice water.
She could see it in his eyes: disgust, suspicion, contempt.
For what? What had she done to deserve it?
So much for the fragile peace between them—it shattered instantly.
Fine, she thought. She wasn’t going to argue with this arrogant bastard. Once she found out what had happened to her family, she’d leave the Kane Estate for good.
Sophia went back to her room. Alexander led Ethan upstairs.
“Dad, what’s wrong?” Ethan asked hesitantly. “Miss Cole really did take good care of me today—she even—”
“Little Boat,” Alexander cut him off sharply. “Don’t trust that woman.”
He told Ethan about his meeting with Nathan Cole and the so-called evidence.
“What?” Ethan’s face went pale. “She… she really did that?”
The warmth he’d felt earlier curdled into anger and betrayal.
“She’s a bad woman, Dad. Make her leave the house!”
“Enough,” Alexander said flatly. “Don’t talk about this to anyone. Focus on school—and stay away from her. I’ll handle the rest.”
His dark eyes narrowed slightly. There was something about that woman that didn’t add up.
After that day, Ethan’s attitude toward Sophia turned cold again.
That afternoon, Sophia went to Private Prep Academy as usual to pick him up. But when she called out to him, Ethan ignored her completely and ran off.
“Little Boat! Wait!” she shouted, chasing after him.
He darted around a corner, made a face at her, and disappeared into an alley.
A moment later, Sophia heard shouting—and then Ethan’s terrified cry.
“Help! Somebody help me!”
Her stomach dropped. She sprinted forward and saw three teenage punks surrounding Ethan, their expressions malicious.
“Hey, kid,” sneered the tall, bald one. “We’re broke. Be a good boy and hand over your cash.”
“I—I don’t have any!” Ethan stammered, trembling.
“No money?” the bald one laughed. “Then crawl between our legs and maybe we’ll let you go.”
Ethan’s face went white. “Help! Help me!”
Before one of them could grab him, Sophia’s voice rang out like a whip.
“Let him go!”
She charged forward, shoving one of them aside and planting herself in front of Ethan.
“Well, look what we’ve got—another one with a death wish,” one of them jeered.
Sophia’s eyes narrowed. “Death wish? Sweetheart, I’ve already died once. You’re welcome to try.”
Before the thugs could react, she kicked the leader square in the chest, sending him sprawling. Two more lunged at her—three quick blows later, both were on the ground groaning.
“Get lost,” she snapped.
The punks scrambled away.
Sophia turned back to Ethan, who was crouched in the corner, shaking.
“Get up. We’re going home.” She grabbed him by the arm like a misbehaving puppy and marched him back toward the car.
“Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?” she scolded once they were home. “You could’ve been hurt—or worse! What were you thinking?”
“I didn’t need your help!” Ethan shouted, tears of humiliation stinging his eyes. “Mind your own business!”
“You little—if I hadn’t shown up, you’d be in a hospital bed right now!”
Before she could finish, a cold voice cut through the air:
“Enough.”
Alexander stood at the doorway, his expression dark.
“No one disciplines my son without my permission.”
Ethan immediately ran to his side. “See, Dad? She’s awful! She yelled at me!”
Alexander’s anger deepened. After the morning’s confrontation with Nathan, any remaining goodwill toward Sophia was gone.
Sophia just stared at the two of them—father and son united against her.
She’d saved the boy, and somehow she was the villain?
For a moment, her chest tightened painfully. The memories of her previous life flickered back—how she’d once been the “trophy mistress” of a man who never chose her, how she’d lost herself trying to please him.
Not again. Not this time.
She took a breath, forcing down the anger. Her voice softened, though her eyes glistened.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Kane. I was just worried about him. He was in danger, and I— I overreacted. It won’t happen again.”
Tears shimmered in her lashes as she looked down, twisting the hem of her shirt nervously.
Then, almost imperceptibly, she gave a bitter smile.
“Don’t worry, Mr. Kane. From now on, I won’t interfere with your son’s life.”
Her voice trembled, but her words were steady. “You can hire another tutor. I quit.”
She turned away before anyone could see the pain flickering behind her calm façade.
Alexander watched her go, his eyes narrowing.
That woman again. What was she playing at this time?
