Chapter 137

The drug took effect more violently than expected.

Sophia felt her blood boiling, every inch of her skin screaming with desire. She bit her lower lip hard, using the pain to cling to consciousness.

"Don't touch me..."

Her resistance was feeble. The moment her fingertips brushed Ethan's chest, her strength dissolved.

In the cramped confines of the car, Ethan effortlessly pinned her beneath him. He tore open her collar, his scorching lips branding her collarbone.

"Who else would you go to?" His voice dripped with icy danger. "Sebastian?"

The words stabbed like a knife.

Sophia's eyes reddened instantly, tears trembling on her lashes. "Ethan, you're always like this..." Her voice cracked. "Forcing me two years ago, and now—"

"Forcing?" He chuckled darkly, his heated breath searing her ear. "Your body says otherwise."

She raised a hand to strike, but he caught her wrist and pressed it into the seat.

"Feeling bold?" His eyes narrowed as his thumb traced slow circles on her palm. "Who was it that threw herself into my arms at the gala last night?"

Waves of heat crashed through her.

Sophia clenched her teeth, but a soft moan escaped her throat. Her rationality crumbled as she realized—her body was betraying her will.

"No..."

Her final protest dissolved into a whimper.

At last, she broke. Her arms wound around his neck, trembling as she offered her lips. The gesture ignited Ethan's fury and desire in equal measure.

"Sophia," he murmured against her flushed ear, his voice rough beyond recognition. "You never learn to be honest."

Night swallowed the last shreds of reason.

In a fleeting moment of clarity, Sophia clutched her abdomen, tears streaming as she pleaded, "Gently... It hurts..."

Ethan stilled.

Noticing how she'd been shielding her stomach, he assumed the drugs had upset her digestion. Uncharacteristically tender, he eased his movements. "Alright," he whispered, kissing away her tears. "Anything for you."

Sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains at three in the afternoon when Sophia awoke.

She found herself in the master bedroom of Bayview Residences. Fresh sheets, clean pajamas, even the scent of shampoo in her hair.

She flung back the covers.

No blood. No expected discomfort. Against all odds, Ethan had honored her plea with surprising gentleness.

The realization made her heart tremble.

Her phone lay silent on the nightstand—no work calls on a weekend. Wincing, she sat up, fingers absently tracing her flat stomach.

She needed a medical checkup.

Last night's alcohol, drugs, and rough intimacy could have harmed the life inside her. The thought jolted her awake, and she hurried to dress.

The mirror reflected a woman with a throat littered in marks.

Sophia closed her eyes, tightening her scarf. As she left the bedroom, she noticed a thermal lunchbox on the dining table beside familiar handwriting:

"Reheat before eating."

No signature. But she knew.