“You don’t like me? Well, that’s fine—because I like you.”
Sophia Reed wrapped Ethan Kane in her arms and let out a soft laugh.
At her words, Ethan’s nose stung, and he instinctively shrank under the blanket.
From childhood until now, apart from his father, no one had ever shown him genuine affection.
Whenever he saw other kids being hugged or comforted by their mothers, he would quietly stand aside, full of envy.
He had never known what a mother’s warmth felt like—yet secretly longed for it.
In that moment, pressed against Sophia’s chest, he felt a kind of tenderness he didn’t want to let go of.
After taking his fever medicine, his temperature began to drop under Sophia’s careful care.
She tucked the blanket around him and gently replaced the cooling patch on his forehead.
Once he had fallen asleep, she noticed he hadn’t eaten anything all morning. Quietly, she went to the kitchen to make some oatmeal porridge for him.
While things were improving for Ethan, his father, Alexander Kane, was facing a storm of his own.
At Café Verona, Alexander sat waiting in a private booth. Soon, Nathan Cole arrived with a briefcase and a smug grin.
He looked like a man who believed he finally had leverage over someone powerful.
“Mr. Kane! Sorry to keep you waiting,” Nathan said with mock politeness. “Traffic was awful.”
Alexander didn’t even lift his gaze. He stirred his coffee with slow precision, expression cold.
“What do you want, Mr. Cole?” His tone was clipped, impatient.
Nathan chuckled awkwardly. “Mr. Kane, you’re a busy man. I wouldn’t bother you unless it was important.”
He pulled out a small stack of printed photographs and laid them neatly on the table.
“I wanted to discuss your relationship with my sister, Vanessa,” Nathan said, his voice oily and suggestive. “You and she have… already crossed that line. In a sense, we’re practically family now.”
Alexander’s jaw tightened. His eyes flicked to the photos—shots of him and Vanessa in various compromising angles.
So the woman who had drugged him that night had planned to use the photos to blackmail him?
The thought made his stomach churn. His hand clenched around his cup until the porcelain creaked.
He despised losing control—and more than that, he despised being manipulated.
“My relationship with your sister?” He gave a short, humorless laugh.
“You’re mistaken. I don’t take interest in women who throw themselves at me.”
Nathan’s face went from red to pale in an instant. Alexander’s voice sliced through the air, cold and deliberate:
“Whatever your sister thought she could gain—it’s over. And if you think you can use her to threaten me, your little scheme is already dead.”
“You—!” Nathan started, but one glance from Alexander’s icy eyes made the words die in his throat.
He forced out a weak, “She’s my sister—you took advantage of her, you should take responsibility!”
Alexander’s smirk deepened, though it didn’t reach his eyes.
“Responsibility? What will you do if I don’t?” he said quietly. The low rumble of his voice carried more danger than a shout. “No one in this world has ever succeeded in threatening me, Mr. Cole. You? Least of all.”
Nathan’s hands shook. He grabbed his briefcase and fled the café without another word, muttering curses under his breath.
“Useless woman,” he spat once outside. “Got herself slept with and couldn’t even bring back a profit.”
Alexander sat alone in the booth for a long time, his expression unreadable.
Vanessa Cole—so this was your true face?
The thought of her pretending to be innocent while plotting against him left a bitter taste in his mouth. And worse, she was still under the same roof as his son.
That thought made his steps quicken.
Ten minutes later, at Kane Manor, Ethan was sitting at the dining table, sipping the oatmeal Sophia had made for him.
Alexander entered the house, his face unreadable. The housekeeper, Mr. Howard, immediately came forward to report what had happened—Ethan’s fever, and how Vanessa had cared for him all day.
“Little Boat, are you feeling better?” Alexander asked, his tone softening just slightly when he looked at his son.
“I’m fine now, Dad. Miss Cole took care of me,” Ethan said quietly, glancing at Sophia with a trace of awkward gratitude.
It was the first time he had called her “Miss Cole” instead of “hey” or worse.
Sophia’s heart softened at that. The boy wasn’t truly rude—he just didn’t trust easily.
“That’s her job,” Alexander said coldly. “The Kane family doesn’t keep people around for free.”
Sophia’s smile froze. Ethan looked down, silent.
Alexander’s dislike was palpable. Ever since learning about the photos and her connection to Nathan Cole, his patience for this woman had vanished entirely.
In his mind, Vanessa was just another schemer his rival had planted in his home.
“Little Boat, go rest,” Alexander said curtly. He gave his son’s shoulder a pat, then turned his wary, hard gaze on Sophia.
The message was clear: You’re not welcome here.
