"How is that possible? Someone like William Lucia—why would he ever be interested in you?"

"Exactly. The women chasing after him could line up from Canhatte to Rooklyn. Sophia? Does she even measure up?"

Jennifer didn't say a word, but her expression had already settled back into calm.

She looked me up and down.

"Sophia, you didn't just find some random guy to pretend to be William and try to fool us, did you?"

I looked at her face—so certain she had everything figured out—and suddenly found it amusing.

"Sure. Believe whatever you want."

I had no interest in wasting another word on her. I turned and headed downstairs.

Outside the apartment building, William was leaning against a black sportscar. When he saw me, he lifted a hand in greeting.

The afternoon sunlight spilled over him—tailored suit, platinum cufflinks catching the light. He was undeniably handsome. No wonder Jennifer had chased him for over half a year.

And that was exactly why I had agreed to date him.

"Have you been waiting long?"

"Just got here. Get in."

William opened the car door for me.

As I slid into the seat, I glanced up. On the apartment balcony, three faces twisted with jealousy stared down at us.

I almost laughed out loud.

William took me to a private shooting club. It was on Muller Island—members only, entry by family referral.

He stood behind me, guiding my hands as he showed me how to hold the gun properly.

My phone rang. It was Jennifer.

"Sophia, are you at a shooting range?"

I frowned slightly. She really was impossible to shake.

"What do you want?"

Jennifer put on a pitiful tone.

"Why are you talking to me like that? I'm just worried about you. I don't want you getting tricked again."

"William isn't going to trick me. And don't call me again."

My voice turned cold as I hung up.

William handed me a towel and gently wiped the sweat from my forehead.

"What's wrong? Did your friend upset you?"

I took the towel from him.

"Yeah. Someone's jealous I found such a handsome fiancé."

He let out a soft chuckle and ruffled my hair.

The next second, a bullet suddenly veered off course and struck the wall beside us with a sharp, jarring crack.

William frowned and turned.

Jennifer came running over, flustered and apologetic.

"I'm so sorry—I lost control. Really, I'm sorry."

She bent down to pick something up. The neckline of her blouse dipped low, her chest swaying conspicuously with the movement.

William raised an eyebrow. His gaze passed over her face without lingering, his expression indifferent.

"It's fine."

He slipped an arm around my waist, ready to leave.

Jennifer grabbed his sleeve.

"I really feel terrible about this. Why don't we exchange contact information? If I've ruined your clothes, I'll replace them."

William lowered his gaze, a flicker of distaste crossing his eyes.

"That won't be necessary. I don't save strangers' contact information."

He turned to me, his features softening.

"Sorry that spoiled your mood, baby. Let's go. I'll buy you a new necklace to make up for it."

I smiled, casting a triumphant glance at Jennifer.

She stood frozen in place, her face dark with fury.

My previous fiancés had all turned Jennifer down in front of me, too. But the heat in their eyes was impossible to hide. And afterward, they would always find a way to contact her in secret.

She thought all men were the same.

Unfortunately for her, this time, she had run into William, a man who couldn't even be bothered to give her a second glance.

I was very satisfied with William—so satisfied that, for a moment, I thought he might be the exception. But sometimes, reality has a way of striking back far too quickly.

On the day of the family ball rehearsal, I went to the Colombo estate on Craten Island to find him. He was standing close beside Jennifer, lifting a glass of whiskey to his lips for a sip.

Then Jennifer lowered her head and pressed her lips against the very rim he had just touched.

After she drank, William picked up the glass again, as if to take another sip—but he frowned. Instead of drinking, he set it aside and told a nearby attendant, "Bring me a fresh glass."

I stood at the doorway, watching everything unfold.

When William looked up and saw me, he paused for a moment.

"Sophia, you're here."

He walked over, his expression unchanged.

"Jennifer's blood sugar dropped a bit. She fainted a few times earlier. I want to finish the rehearsal quickly so we don't hold everyone up."

He glanced back at her.

"Finish your drink and get back to rehearsal."

Jennifer held the glass he had set down, leisurely taking another sip.

Then she smiled at me.

"Your new fiancé really is a block of wood. No matter how much I try to tease him, he doesn't react at all. This time, it looks like you've finally chosen the right one."

She walked off in her heels, her back as brazen as ever.

I stood there, my heart pounding. That look in her eyes—the one that said she was determined to win—I knew it all too well.

Sensing something was off, William pulled me into his arms.

"Baby, don't overthink it. The person who was handling this got into a car accident a few days ago. Jennifer stepped in temporarily to help. I owe her this favor."

I nodded, resting my head against his shoulder.

"You know… Jennifer seems to like stealing my fiancés. She's taken every one of them before you. I'm afraid you might…"

He tightened his embrace.

"Don't worry. You're the only one worthy of being my wife."

The moment he finished speaking, his phone rang. I glanced at the screen—it was a message from Jennifer.

He checked it, then let go of me.

"I need to take care of something. I'll come find you later."

I watched his retreating figure, my heart sinking little by little.

I thought William would be different. But in less than a week… he had already been keeping in touch with her.

Over the next few days, William clearly noticed my low mood. To cheer me up, he said he'd take me out on his yacht and introduce me to some of his family members.

I decided to give him one more chance.

The yacht was enormous, with champagne and delicate pastries laid out across the deck. William introduced me to the group.

"This is my fiancée, Sophia Colombo."

Several men greeted me with easy smiles, and the atmosphere was fairly relaxed.

After a few exchanges, the conversation shifted to a recent project of the Lucia family.

"How's the shipping route for that batch of goods coming along?"

William frowned.

"There's a critical bottleneck we can't seem to break through. If we could get in touch with Old Tony from the Eastern line, that would solve it. Otherwise, if this drags on, all our initial investment will go to waste."

Before he could say more, a familiar voice cut in.

"Old Tony?" Jennifer walked over with a bright smile. "I know him. My uncle used to do business with him—we've had dinner together several times. If you want to meet him, I can arrange it."

William looked up, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

Standing beside them, I felt my fingers slowly tighten.

All of William's attention had shifted to Jennifer.

While they were deep in conversation, I quietly took out my phone and sent a message to a number without a name.

The fish is about to take the bait. Proceed as planned.