“Sophia! You’ve gone too far!”
Ethan shot to his feet, fury rising in his eyes.
“I was trying to think of you, and this is how you repay me? Mocking me? The Miller Family clearly misjudged you. How could you be so heartless as to refuse compassion for an orphaned girl?”
I calmly gathered the documents back into the folder.
“Why, Ethan? Is it fine for you to pull strings and hand out titles to outsiders, but unacceptable for me to reopen old accounts?
And tell me—why is it that you bend over backward to force someone with no real design ability into my projects? Could it be the two of you are hiding some… unspeakable secret?”
The office fell into a suffocating silence. Even the low hum of the air conditioner sounded harsh against it.
Ethan’s chest rose and fell violently, but no rebuttal left his lips. The air itself seemed to freeze solid.
After a long pause, he suddenly stepped closer, towering over me. Whatever pretense of warmth lingered in his eyes was gone, replaced by something sharp, oppressive—almost menacing.
“Sophia, you’re always so relentless. I’m your fiancé. Couldn’t you give me just a little respect?”
I lifted my gaze to meet his, my expression calm—so calm it was almost cold.
“Respect isn’t meant to be a mask for shame,” I said coolly.
“If you want to pave the way for someone already condemned by the industry, then do it openly with the Miller Family’s resources—not under the guise of ‘doing it for my own good,’ forcing her into my team.”
No sooner had my words fallen than the sound of hesitant footsteps came from the doorway.
A timid figure peeked in.
It was Chloe Davis.
She wore a plain white blouse, head bowed, clutching the contract tightly in her hands. Her eyes flickered nervously.
“Sophia… I—I didn’t mean anything else. I just want a fresh start.
I know what happened back then hurt you, but I was young and foolish. It was a mistake…”
I let out a sharp, humorless laugh.
“A mistake? You call stealing my work, submitting it to a competition, and pretending it was flawless—just a mistake?
Chloe, the moment you were expelled from the architectural world, you should have understood: there was no path back.”
Her lips trembled, but no words came. Tears welled in her eyes, making her look pitiful.
Ethan immediately stepped forward, shielding her behind him, his tone laced with defense.