“You don’t like me? Well, that’s fine—because I like you.”

Sophia Reed wrapped Ethan Kane in her arms and let out a soft laugh.

At her words, Ethan’s nose stung, and he instinctively shrank under the blanket.

From childhood until now, apart from his father, no one had ever shown him genuine affection.

Whenever he saw other kids being hugged or comforted by their mothers, he would quietly stand aside, full of envy.

He had never known what a mother’s warmth felt like—yet secretly longed for it.

In that moment, pressed against Sophia’s chest, he felt a kind of tenderness he didn’t want to let go of.

After taking his fever medicine, his temperature began to drop under Sophia’s careful care.

She tucked the blanket around him and gently replaced the cooling patch on his forehead.

Once he had fallen asleep, she noticed he hadn’t eaten anything all morning. Quietly, she went to the kitchen to make some oatmeal porridge for him.

While things were improving for Ethan, his father, Alexander Kane, was facing a storm of his own.

At Café Verona, Alexander sat waiting in a private booth. Soon, Nathan Cole arrived with a briefcase and a smug grin.

He looked like a man who believed he finally had leverage over someone powerful.

“Mr. Kane! Sorry to keep you waiting,” Nathan said with mock politeness. “Traffic was awful.”

Alexander didn’t even lift his gaze. He stirred his coffee with slow precision, expression cold.

“What do you want, Mr. Cole?” His tone was clipped, impatient.

Nathan chuckled awkwardly. “Mr. Kane, you’re a busy man. I wouldn’t bother you unless it was important.”

He pulled out a small stack of printed photographs and laid them neatly on the table.

“I wanted to discuss your relationship with my sister, Vanessa,” Nathan said, his voice oily and suggestive. “You and she have… already crossed that line. In a sense, we’re practically family now.”

Alexander’s jaw tightened. His eyes flicked to the photos—shots of him and Vanessa in various compromising angles.

So the woman who had drugged him that night had planned to use the photos to blackmail him?

The thought made his stomach churn. His hand clenched around his cup until the porcelain creaked.

He despised losing control—and more than that, he despised being manipulated.

“My relationship with your sister?” He gave a short, humorless laugh.

“You’re mistaken. I don’t take interest in women who throw themselves at me.”

Nathan’s face went from red to pale in an instant. Alexander’s voice sliced through the air, cold and deliberate:

“Whatever your sister thought she could gain—it’s over. And if you think you can use her to threaten me, your little scheme is already dead.”

“You—!” Nathan started, but one glance from Alexander’s icy eyes made the words die in his throat.

He forced out a weak, “She’s my sister—you took advantage of her, you should take responsibility!”

Alexander’s smirk deepened, though it didn’t reach his eyes.

“Responsibility? What will you do if I don’t?” he said quietly. The low rumble of his voice carried more danger than a shout. “No one in this world has ever succeeded in threatening me, Mr. Cole. You? Least of all.”

Nathan’s hands shook. He grabbed his briefcase and fled the café without another word, muttering curses under his breath.

“Useless woman,” he spat once outside. “Got herself slept with and couldn’t even bring back a profit.”

Alexander sat alone in the booth for a long time, his expression unreadable.

Vanessa Cole—so this was your true face?

The thought of her pretending to be innocent while plotting against him left a bitter taste in his mouth. And worse, she was still under the same roof as his son.

That thought made his steps quicken.

Ten minutes later, at Kane Manor, Ethan was sitting at the dining table, sipping the oatmeal Sophia had made for him.

Alexander entered the house, his face unreadable. The housekeeper, Mr. Howard, immediately came forward to report what had happened—Ethan’s fever, and how Vanessa had cared for him all day.

“Little Boat, are you feeling better?” Alexander asked, his tone softening just slightly when he looked at his son.

“I’m fine now, Dad. Miss Cole took care of me,” Ethan said quietly, glancing at Sophia with a trace of awkward gratitude.

It was the first time he had called her “Miss Cole” instead of “hey” or worse.

Sophia’s heart softened at that. The boy wasn’t truly rude—he just didn’t trust easily.

“That’s her job,” Alexander said coldly. “The Kane family doesn’t keep people around for free.”

Sophia’s smile froze. Ethan looked down, silent.

Alexander’s dislike was palpable. Ever since learning about the photos and her connection to Nathan Cole, his patience for this woman had vanished entirely.

In his mind, Vanessa was just another schemer his rival had planted in his home.

“Little Boat, go rest,” Alexander said curtly. He gave his son’s shoulder a pat, then turned his wary, hard gaze on Sophia.

The message was clear: You’re not welcome here.

Sophia was speechless.

After everything she’d done that morning—making tea, tending to the boy’s fever, staying by his side—Alexander’s cold hostility hit her like ice water.

She could see it in his eyes: disgust, suspicion, contempt.

For what? What had she done to deserve it?

So much for the fragile peace between them—it shattered instantly.

Fine, she thought. She wasn’t going to argue with this arrogant bastard. Once she found out what had happened to her family, she’d leave the Kane Estate for good.

Sophia went back to her room. Alexander led Ethan upstairs.

“Dad, what’s wrong?” Ethan asked hesitantly. “Miss Cole really did take good care of me today—she even—”

“Little Boat,” Alexander cut him off sharply. “Don’t trust that woman.”

He told Ethan about his meeting with Nathan Cole and the so-called evidence.

“What?” Ethan’s face went pale. “She… she really did that?”

The warmth he’d felt earlier curdled into anger and betrayal.

“She’s a bad woman, Dad. Make her leave the house!”

“Enough,” Alexander said flatly. “Don’t talk about this to anyone. Focus on school—and stay away from her. I’ll handle the rest.”

His dark eyes narrowed slightly. There was something about that woman that didn’t add up.

After that day, Ethan’s attitude toward Sophia turned cold again.

That afternoon, Sophia went to Private Prep Academy as usual to pick him up. But when she called out to him, Ethan ignored her completely and ran off.

“Little Boat! Wait!” she shouted, chasing after him.

He darted around a corner, made a face at her, and disappeared into an alley.

A moment later, Sophia heard shouting—and then Ethan’s terrified cry.

“Help! Somebody help me!”

Her stomach dropped. She sprinted forward and saw three teenage punks surrounding Ethan, their expressions malicious.

“Hey, kid,” sneered the tall, bald one. “We’re broke. Be a good boy and hand over your cash.”

“I—I don’t have any!” Ethan stammered, trembling.

“No money?” the bald one laughed. “Then crawl between our legs and maybe we’ll let you go.”

Ethan’s face went white. “Help! Help me!”

Before one of them could grab him, Sophia’s voice rang out like a whip.

“Let him go!”

She charged forward, shoving one of them aside and planting herself in front of Ethan.

“Well, look what we’ve got—another one with a death wish,” one of them jeered.

Sophia’s eyes narrowed. “Death wish? Sweetheart, I’ve already died once. You’re welcome to try.”

Before the thugs could react, she kicked the leader square in the chest, sending him sprawling. Two more lunged at her—three quick blows later, both were on the ground groaning.

“Get lost,” she snapped.

The punks scrambled away.

Sophia turned back to Ethan, who was crouched in the corner, shaking.

“Get up. We’re going home.” She grabbed him by the arm like a misbehaving puppy and marched him back toward the car.

“Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?” she scolded once they were home. “You could’ve been hurt—or worse! What were you thinking?”

“I didn’t need your help!” Ethan shouted, tears of humiliation stinging his eyes. “Mind your own business!”

“You little—if I hadn’t shown up, you’d be in a hospital bed right now!”

Before she could finish, a cold voice cut through the air:

“Enough.”

Alexander stood at the doorway, his expression dark.

“No one disciplines my son without my permission.”

Ethan immediately ran to his side. “See, Dad? She’s awful! She yelled at me!”

Alexander’s anger deepened. After the morning’s confrontation with Nathan, any remaining goodwill toward Sophia was gone.

Sophia just stared at the two of them—father and son united against her.

She’d saved the boy, and somehow she was the villain?

For a moment, her chest tightened painfully. The memories of her previous life flickered back—how she’d once been the “trophy mistress” of a man who never chose her, how she’d lost herself trying to please him.

Not again. Not this time.

She took a breath, forcing down the anger. Her voice softened, though her eyes glistened.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Kane. I was just worried about him. He was in danger, and I— I overreacted. It won’t happen again.”

Tears shimmered in her lashes as she looked down, twisting the hem of her shirt nervously.

Then, almost imperceptibly, she gave a bitter smile.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Kane. From now on, I won’t interfere with your son’s life.”

Her voice trembled, but her words were steady. “You can hire another tutor. I quit.”

She turned away before anyone could see the pain flickering behind her calm façade.

Alexander watched her go, his eyes narrowing.

That woman again. What was she playing at this time?