The Billionaire Replaced Me With My Assistant のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 221 - チャプター 230

Sophia's POVThe sound of the waves was the only sound that existed.A constant, soothing rhythm, erasing the echo of the car engine, the sweet, suffocating smell, from moments ago.Michael didn't ask. He just held on. His arms were the harbor after the storm, and I sank into them, letting his familiar scent – soap, clean cotton, and something that was just him – wash away the rest."He let me go," I whispered against his chest, my words muffled by the fabric of his shirt.I felt his chin rest on the top of my head. "I know. I saw.""How?""When you didn't show up… I knew. Only one person would do something like that. I ran outside, asked the guards. One saw a car heading towards the old beach road. I followed my instinct."He pulled me back just enough to look into my eyes. His hands framed my face, gentle, reverent. "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?""No. Just… scared."He examined my face, my eyes, searching for any lie, any damage. Then, his lips found my forehead in a kiss that was

Alexander's POV Upon seeing Richard free and accompanied, heading towards the wedding, my mind went blank. Instinct screamed at me to shout, to do anything. But reason, cold and clear, held me back. I hated myself at that moment. I hated my powerlessness. But I hated even more the idea that, even though Sophia would never be mine again, I couldn't bear to live in a world where she didn't exist. So, I did the only thing left to me. I slid behind the parked cars and began descending a different path, steeper and more hidden, keeping them always in my field of vision. My heart hammered in my ears, but my movements were as calm and discreet as possible. They reached the edge of the sand. Richard stopped, observing the couple. I saw his shoulders rise and fall with a deep breath. His hand with the gun tightened. He was going to do something. Now. But then, the woman touched his arm, pointing to something further left, along the tree line by the beach. A group of children from the w

Sophia's POVI was still holding the lamp. A heavy, ridiculous object in my hands, nothing compared to the power Richard had with that gun pointed directly at me.He looked at Alexander, but the aim didn't waver from my chest."Alexander, you're a waste," Richard said, his voice too calm for a cornered man."You know, this story could have had a very different ending. You would have been someone important in this country, alongside my daughter. We would all be happy. But no."He spat out the next words. "You and this unfortunate habit of screwing everything up, choosing to chase after a skirt.""Richard, I won't repeat myself," Alexander replied, his voice icy, the gun still aimed. "Drop it. Now."Richard laughed. A dry sound. "And you know what's funniest? She traded you for your best friend. The worst part is that you're here, risking your life, for someone who never truly loved you."He paused, his eyes gleaming. "Learn from this, Alexander. Once a Morgan, always a Morgan. This fam

Sophia's POVThe man I had loved almost to death was on the other side of the desk, leaning on a cane, and the autumn in New York seemed colder simply because I was there.Seven months. Seven months since I saw his blood seep between my fingers. Seven months since I climbed into an ambulance not knowing if he would make it to the hospital alive. Now Alexander Reed was there, alive, and I was back at the Reed Group by my own choice.The revolving doors of the glass and steel skyscraper reminded me of the day I last left here as an employee. The day he announced his engagement to Victoria and I crossed this same lobby with my head held high, even with my heart in pieces. Today I was returning for a business meeting.The security guard in the lobby recognized me. Nodded with a discreet smile. I nodded back, my heels echoing on the polished marble as I crossed the hall.Everything seemed the same, yet different. People walked faster, their eyes more alert. Richard Pierce's shadow still hu

Sophia's POVEleanor's car was parked on a side street, away from curious eyes. The windows were dark, impenetrable. Outside, Eleanor's assistant stood next to the driver, her back to us, like a sentinel.I was sitting in the back seat, as far away from my grandmother as possible. Alexander's dossier still pressed against my chest. Michael stayed in our car, two blocks away, waiting. I said it would be five minutes. Ten had already passed."Sophia," Eleanor began, her voice trembling. "My daughter…"She reached out her hand to touch my face.I turned my head away."How did you have the courage?" My voice came out cold, cutting. "To come near me? To pretend you cared?"Eleanor withdrew her hand. Tears were already shining in her eyes."I can tell you everything," she said, hurried, desperate. "Richard… he lied. About your mother, about the car, about everything. I would never have ordered your mother's death. She was my daughter. My only daughter."I looked at the car's ceiling. Swallo