Chapter 165

"That woman is trouble!"

"She's practically begging to be exposed! If my son ever falls for someone like her, I'd lose my mind."

"Thank goodness she threw away her phone. Hopefully, she’ll leave Harborview City and stop stirring up trouble here."

"Honestly, who does she think she is? A nobody trying to claw her way into high society? If she doesn’t back off, we’ll tear her apart!"

"A woman like her deserves to be crushed. Never let her rise again!"

"Disgusting!"

Most of them had expected Sophia to grovel, to bow her head and beg for forgiveness.

Wasn’t that how it always went in dramas?

A scheming woman should kneel and crawl, humbly apologizing—that was the image they had of Sophia. But she refused. She’d rather die than submit.

Her defiance only fueled their rage.

Though Sophia walked away without yielding, her phone was gone. She couldn’t contact anyone now.

Not even Ethan.

Because she had no number to reach him.

Yet, in the eyes of Harborview’s elite, her reputation remained tarnished. To them, she was still the gold-digging seductress, the wicked temptress corrupting their world.

"If she dares show her face here again, I’ll break her arms!"

"I’ll snap her legs!"

"If she causes more trouble, I’ll make sure she never sees daylight again!"

As the threats echoed, another figure stormed into the hall.

William Thornton spotted him first. "Alexander! What are you doing here? Who let you out?"

Alexander Kensington glared at his grandfather, fury burning in his eyes. "Grandfather, have you lost your mind? You—"

He nearly blurted out the truth but stopped himself. This was Thornton family business. Not here. Not now.

Still, he couldn’t stay silent.

"That woman never wanted anything to do with me. She ignored me every time I approached her. Yet you sit here, demanding she apologize to you? Grandfather, this is too much!"

William Thornton’s face darkened. He turned to the crowd. "See? Even now, this fool defends her! That proves she’s dangerous. If she ever steps foot in Harborview again, the Thorntons will be the first to punish her!"

"Grandfather!" Alexander nearly choked on his anger. He knew arguing here was pointless.

He had come for Sophia, but she wasn’t here.

Without another word, he turned and left.

"Come back, you ungrateful brat!" William’s furious voice followed him.

Alexander didn’t look back.

He had to find Sophia. Now.

Sophia left the Blackwood estate and drove straight to her rented apartment.

Everything was packed. Her ticket was for the day after tomorrow. She had a day and a half left, but she didn’t want to stay here.

Not when she could still be harassed.

Snakeskin bag in hand, she headed for the door—only to find Alexander blocking her path.

Her tone was icy. "Mr. Kensington. What do you want?"

"Sophia…" He struggled for words.

"Excuse me, but are we close? Do we even know each other?" She laughed bitterly. "Yes, I asked to borrow money from you once. That was my mistake. I already apologized. What more do you want?"

Her voice cracked. "What else could you possibly want from me?"

"Just because I asked for your help once, you’ve hounded me ever since. You let your sister humiliate me. You let your grandfather publicly shame me. Alexander, what did I ever do to deserve this? Did I dig up your family graves?"

"Sophia, please. Just listen to me."

"Fine. Talk." She crossed her arms, seething.

"I have an aunt," he began.

"Bullsh*t!"

"When she was young, she fought with my grandparents and ran away. Thirty years ago. We’ve searched everywhere. No one’s found her. We don’t even know if she’s alive." His voice was heavy with grief.

"Your family lost someone thirty years ago, and that’s my fault? I’m a woman, Alexander. I seduce men, not kidnap women. Now move. Get out of my way!"

"You look just like her."

"Lies!" she spat. "If I resembled anyone in your family, I’d slash my own face!"

Alexander fell silent.

Her defiance only convinced him further. She had to be connected to his aunt.

Before he was born, his aunt had fled after his grandmother screamed at her: "You’re just like your mother—a lowborn tramp! You’ll never be a true Thornton!"

His aunt had retorted, "I never wanted to be one!" Then she vanished.

His grandparents regretted it every day.

And his aunt’s mother—his grandfather’s mistress—had died of heartbreak, whispering a horrifying secret with her last breath.

She confessed to the real Mrs. Thornton: "The child you thought was stillborn? She lived. I switched her with my own dead baby. The girl you called a disgrace… is your real daughter."

The Thorntons were shattered.

For thirty years, they searched.

Was she alive?

Or had she starved on the streets, refusing to return to the family that scorned her?