Chapter 4

"Ethan, thank you for standing up for me. I was so scared just now."

He clicked his tongue and pinched her face affectionately. "What compensation do you want?"

Sophia smiled and snatched the ring from his hand, tossing it into the trash.

Seeing his expression change, she immediately teared up guiltily. "Is it that important?"

She made as if to dig through the trash. "Then I'll find it for you. After all, it's ten years of history. Even though she hurt me, I don't want to make things difficult for you."

Ethan pulled her back by the waist, his heart melting completely. "How could it be more important than you? Don't dirty your hands. Here's my black card—buy whatever you want."

Sophia huffed indignantly and refused. "I don't want your money. I only love you as a person."

"Yes, yes, yes. I want to spend money on my wife. If you don't spend it, I'll feel terrible."

Only then did she reluctantly accept it.

Three days later, I was brought out of solitary confinement in a daze.

I was escorted directly to a private room in a club.

Pushing open the door, Ethan and Sophia were sharing a grape on the center sofa.

The grape dropped, and they took the opportunity to kiss deeply.

The cheering from the surrounding men and women nearly blew the roof off.

I don't know how long passed before Ethan noticed me standing at the door.

He stared at my gaunt, pale face, his expression immediately darkening. "What happened? Did someone bully you inside?"

Before I could speak, Sophia giggled.

"Miss Reed really knows how to manipulate men. With your relationship with Ethan, who would dare bully you? You must have spent a lot of time on this sickly makeup—it looks so realistic."

Ethan's movement to stand up fell back down because of her words.

He knocked out a cigarette, lighting it with the flame Sophia offered.

Smoke blurred his features. Only those eyes looking at me showed suppressed impatience.

"Since you've reflected, come apologize to Sophia."

Sophia wore all white, sitting obediently in Ethan's arms, swirling a glass of alcohol with unknown proof.

"Actually, I don't want to make things difficult for you."

"But you insulted my parents. Anyone would be upset, right?"

She paused, as if remembering something, making a strange exclamation. "I forgot—your parents abandoned you as a child. You're a pitiful creature nobody wanted."

I said nothing.

She placed the drink on the coffee table and smiled. "Apologize."

I lowered my head. "I'm sorry."

Sophia shook her head. "Just words aren't sincere enough. This drink is sixty proof. Drink it."

I stared at the glass of bubbling green liquid, instinctively looking at Ethan.

During those years building his empire with him, I'd drunk myself into a perforated stomach at countless business dinners.

I'd been in the ICU several times.

Ethan had been terrified. He never let me touch alcohol again.

He knew better than anyone how close I'd come to dying on the operating table.

But now the man before me only exhaled a smoke ring indifferently, as if casually commenting on nice weather.

"Peyton, it's just one glass. Your tolerance isn't that low."

I'd stopped expecting anything long ago, yet my heart still clenched uncontrollably.

I picked it up and swallowed it down.

The burning pain seared from my throat straight into my stomach. My lower abdomen cramped. I staggered back two steps in pain.

"Miss Reed has such a good tolerance. Then drink these few glasses too."

Sophia pointed at a row of colorful drinks on the table.

My face turned cold.

Sophia looked at Ethan pitifully. "Ethan, she called me a mistress and threatened to kill my parents. My spirit has been so badly hurt. I'm only asking for this tiny bit of compensation. Is that too much?"

"Of course not." Ethan held her, stubbing out his cigarette in the ashtray, saying matter-of-factly, "Peyton, I want to help you too, but what you did was too much. Listen to Sophia. Once she's appeased, you can atone."

I nodded calmly.

Clutching my knife-twisted abdomen, I picked up the decanter on the table. "A few glasses aren't enough to atone. I'll chug the bottle."

When the bottle hit the floor, I couldn't help spitting blood everywhere, collapsing weakly to the ground.

Sophia stepped back several paces in disgust. "Miss Reed, it's just one bottle. Did you really need to use blood packs?"

Ethan was also convinced by this explanation, frowning impatiently. "Enough. How long are you going to keep up this act? Sophia has been merciful enough to you. Still not embarrassed enough? Get up."

I didn't speak, just looked up at him.

The woman closest to me suddenly screamed.

"Blood—her pants are covered in blood. This is... she's having a miscarriage..."

Meeting Ethan's face instantly drained of color, I showed my first genuinely sincere smile of the day. "I've paid her back with your child too. Is that enough?"