เข้าสู่ระบบChapter 47: (Sophia’s POV)After the brutal exchange, the studio door remained closed, sealing Damien inside with his pride and his ghosts. I stood outside in the hallway, the leather suitcase—my only luggage—at my feet.My face felt stiff, the remnants of tears dried by the ferocity of my resolve. I had claimed the separation; I had chosen the heartbreak. The shame of letting him near me, only to be tossed aside as a "mistake" and accused of corporate treachery, was a wound deeper than any abandonment .The tears dried by the force of my decision. I wasn’t ending the contract—not legally. His signature was still beside mine. But I was stepping away from him, from the intensity, from the hurt. For now.I needed distance before I drowned.I pulled out my phone. I wasn't leaving New York yet, not with the truth about his mother waiting to be uncovered.The screen lit up with Lila’s name. She answered on the second ring, her voice tight with concern.“Soph? What happened? I saw the car
Chapter 45: Sophia's POV The ride back from Paris was a blur of silence and city lights. I was operating on fumes, my body exhausted from the impulsive cross-continental flight, but my mind was sharp, galvanized by the cold certainty of my mission. I had walked away from Ethan Blake’s offer, rejecting the easy path, and now I was home to face the Ice King. I needed to tell him I had refused Blake. I needed to stand my ground on my design integrity. Most of all, I needed to know the truth behind that terrifying, archaic letter that had shattered him and sent him running from me like a ghost. I stepped into the vast, silent penthouse. The air was cool, smelling faintly of the expensive, sharp cologne he favored. I dropped my bag near the entrance and saw him instantly. Damien stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, backlit by the unforgiving New York afternoon light, his back to me. He was in his usual armor—a dark suit, immaculate and heavy. He looked like the CEO who had just f
Chapter 45(Sophia’s POV)I met Ethan for the final time that afternoon in a secluded courtyard of the Grand Palais, away from the constant buzz of the conference. The air was cool, the sunlight muted by the high, stone walls.I had spent the last two days wrestling with the contract. The legal terms were sound, offering me creative control and a massive salary. But Damien’s furious warning—*“He is using you to get to me”—*played on repeat.“I can’t do this, Ethan,” I said finally, placing the folder back on the wrought-iron table.He didn't look surprised. He simply nodded, his expression softening with understanding. “It’s Damien, isn't it? He pulled the non-compete clause.”“He pulled the Ice King,” I corrected, my voice bitter. “He is terrified of the corporate blowback. He sees this as an attack on the Lancaster Group, and he thinks I’m a pawn you’re using to destabilize him.”Ethan leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. He looked genuinely hurt. “And what do you think?
Chapter 44: (Sophia’s POV) The crystal glass of the window felt cool against my forehead. I was standing in the opulent Paris suite, staring out at the rain-slicked cobblestones, clutching Ethan Blake’s contract folder like a lifeline. Damien's voice still echoed in my ears—“He is using you to get to me. Do not sign anything. That is an order.” The possessiveness, the thinly veiled jealousy, was undeniable. The Ice King was furious not because his wife was pursuing her career, but because she was pursuing it with his rival. It proved he cared. But it also proved his fear was greater than his love. Ethan’s proposal offered a clean break, a way out of the suffocating coldness Damien had forced upon me. It was a chance to stand on my own two feet, free of the Lancaster scandal and the crushing weight of Damien’s emotional trauma. I opened the folder, pulling out the design brief for the "structured resilience" capsule. Reading his concise, inspired vision, I felt a familiar, elect
Chapter 43 Chapter 43: (Damien’s POV) The walls of the penthouse study felt like they were closing in. Three days had passed since I had ordered Sophia away, and the air was thin, cold, and utterly silent. The only sound was the incessant tapping of my pen against the desk as I stared, unseeing, at the legal brief detailing my father’s vast, complicated estate. I hadn't contacted Sophia. I wouldn't. I was too busy dissecting the note, hunting for the ghost that had returned to haunt me. The search was slow, maddening, and fruitless. The trauma of my past was an intricate knot, and every attempt to pull it apart only tightened the chokehold on my sanity. Then, the private line on my desk buzzed. It was Marcus. “Sir, I’m sorry to interrupt your lockdown, but this is unavoidable.” Marcus sounded tense, his professional facade strained. “It’s in the Paris trade papers. And on the international wire.” I leaned back, already anticipating the worst. “What is it? Did Clara manage ano
Chapter 42: (Sophia’s POV) The handshake lingered, and I felt the familiar, easy current of energy that always flowed between Ethan and me. It wasn't the scorching, possessive heat of Damien; it was the comfortable warmth of companionship. A promise of shared laughter and understanding. He eventually released my hand, but his gaze remained fixed on mine, ignoring the curious whispers of the press gathering nearby. “This atmosphere is hardly conducive to catching up,” Ethan said, gesturing around the busy hall. “I’m on the third floor in the VIP lounge. Ten minutes. I insist.” I knew I shouldn’t. Meeting with Damien’s most prominent rival immediately after he had banished me to Paris was a spectacular way to break his fragile trust. But the word trust felt hollow after his actions this morning. He wanted distance and control; I craved validation and independence. “Ten minutes,” I agreed, pushing down a rising sense of recklessness. “I need to secure my display first.” Five min







