Chapter 364

The night wind cut through Sophia as she stood trembling beneath her apartment building, her fingertips numb with cold.

She glanced down at her disheveled coat, the collar torn open to reveal a glaring red mark on her collarbone.

The elevator doors reflected her pale face.

Ethan Roscente's words echoed in her ears—"She's just a friend's sister." She had almost believed him.

The elevator dinged open.

Vivian Ashcroft was lounging on the couch with a face mask on. At the sound of the door, she turned so abruptly the mask slipped off with a plop.

"Holy shit!" She sprang up like a fish leaping from water. "Did Ethan Roscente pull another stunt?"

Sophia tossed her bag by the entryway and collapsed onto the sofa.

"That girl at the bar..." Her voice was hoarse. "He said she was his friend's sister."

Vivian snorted, stabbing a piece of apple from the fruit bowl.

"When men say 'sister,' nine times out of ten, it's code for backup option." She crunched loudly. "The tenth? That's the one they're actively chasing."

Sophia clenched the throw pillow.

She remembered how Ethan had bent his head to listen to that girl under the bar lights. He had never shown her that kind of patience.

"He even mentioned marriage..." Sophia's throat tightened.

Vivian suddenly leaned in, lowering her voice conspiratorially. "You know what the emperor says to his concubines in my new drama? 'You're my favorite'—to thirty-eight different women."

Sophia shot to her feet.

Under the scalding shower, she scrubbed furiously at the mark on her neck. The burning pain didn't dull the ache in her chest.

The fogged-up mirror reflected her red-rimmed eyes.

"Liar," she whispered to her reflection.