Chapter 3

When I woke up again, Lorenzo and Ethan were standing beside my bed.

Their faces were filled with genuine concern.

"Are you feeling better?" Lorenzo asked anxiously. "Sophia, you've had a fever all night."

My lips were too dry for me to speak.

Ethan noticed immediately and handed me a glass of water.

Lorenzo sat beside me, checked my forehead to make sure my fever had gone down, and then offered me a sandwich.

"Are you hungry? Try to eat something."

The moment Lorenzo leaned closer, I caught the scent of Chloe's perfume on him.

My stomach immediately lurched.

The next second, I threw up the sandwich.

Ethan frowned slightly and gently patted my back as I struggled through the nausea.

Lorenzo looked at me with concern.

"Are you feeling sick again?"

I calmly shook my head.

"I'm fine. I just don't have an appetite."

"If you don't have much of an appetite, I'll have a nutritionist come over and help adjust your diet," Ethan said kindly.

Before he could do anything, Lorenzo had already called and arranged for one.

He knew my condition inside out, carefully explaining all my food preferences and dietary restrictions to the nutritionist.

Watching Lorenzo and Ethan fuss over me again, I felt a complicated ache in my chest.

For a moment, I almost convinced myself that they still cared about me more than anyone else.

But then Chloe called.

"Lorenzo, help me! I think someone's following me. I'm terrified!"

Her voice trembled with tears.

Lorenzo immediately grew anxious.

"Where are you? I'm coming right now!"

Through the phone, Chloe's sobs came in broken bursts.

"I'm... I'm downstairs at the company..."

Suddenly, the call disconnected.

"Chloe! Chloe!"

Lorenzo panicked.

He grabbed his coat and rushed out without even putting it on properly.

Ethan followed close behind.

Once again, I was left alone in the hospital room.

I lay in bed, watching them disappear without a second thought.

A moment later, another wave of nausea hit me.

I rushed to the bathroom and threw up for what felt like forever.

Then my fever returned.

It lasted until the morning of the third day.

When I finally woke up, I learned that the whole thing had been a misunderstanding.

Apparently, Chloe had been frightened, and Lorenzo and Ethan had stayed by her side for three whole days to look after her.

After I recovered, Lorenzo came to pick me up from the hospital.

Despite my lingering weakness, he insisted on taking me straight to the jewelry exhibition in Italy.

And there, I ran into Chloe again.

Ethan was accompanying her, promising to buy her the most expensive piece of jewelry at the auction that evening.

Lorenzo smiled and added,

"Whatever Chloe likes, I'll do everything I can to get it for her."

I walked beside them expressionlessly, feeling like an outsider.

Suddenly, Lorenzo took my hand.

"Darling, I have a present for you, too."

He led me toward a display case containing a ten-carat pink diamond ring.

Without hesitation, he swiped his card and paid millions for it.

With everyone watching, he took the ring out and dropped to one knee in front of me.

"Sophia, will you marry me?"

I stared at the ring.

I was just about to answer when my brows furrowed.

Because Chloe, sitting behind Lorenzo, was staring intently at the diamond.

The moment she noticed me looking, her eyes turned red. She covered her face and began to cry.

Lorenzo immediately stood up.

"What's wrong? Who upset you?"

Chloe shook her head, her voice trembling.

"No one. It's just me."

"I suddenly remembered my mother. Her greatest wish when she was alive was to see me wear a wedding ring one day. But she passed away too soon. I suppose I'll never get to fulfill that wish now."

She forced a faint smile.

"It's okay. You don't have to worry about me. Today is Sophia's special day. I shouldn't have brought this up."

Lorenzo's expression softened instantly.

He looked at the ring in his hand, then turned toward Chloe.

"Do you like it?"

Chloe quickly shook her head.

"This is for Sophia. How could I possibly take it?"

"I'm asking if you like it."

Chloe bit her lip and gave a slight nod.

The next second, Lorenzo actually walked over to her with the ring.

"If you like it, take it."

Whether I accepted his proposal or not, he was still willing to give away the ring meant for me simply because Chloe had cried.

It seemed Lorenzo finally realized how wrong it was.

He looked at me guiltily.

"It's just a ring. Next time, I'll..."

"It's fine."

I cut him off.

There wouldn't be a next time.