Chapter 39
“How could Isabella be so cruel? She did this deliberately! My hair is destroyed.”
Sophia Kensington’s eyes welled with tears as she clutched the uneven strands of her once-lustrous locks, a crushing sense of devastation washing over her.
She had spent years cultivating her image—soft, delicate, the picture of innocence—only for Isabella Sinclair to strip it away in one merciless act.
“She’s trying to kill me. I know it,” Sophia sobbed, her voice trembling with genuine terror. This wasn’t just theatrics. The fear was real, clawing at her chest, convincing her that Isabella was capable of far worse.
Ethan Blackwood rubbed her back, his own pulse erratic. The memory of that knife, the cold glint of steel, sent a shiver down his spine. It had felt like death itself breathing down his neck.
“Stop overreacting. She’s not that cunning,” he murmured, though his words lacked conviction.
But Sophia wasn’t soothed. Her tears fell harder. “She attacked us without hesitation! I can handle it, but you—you didn’t deserve this. You were married once. Doesn’t she understand the sacrifices you’ve made? Humiliating you in public, ruining everything we’ve worked for! And now Mr. Kingsley might think the worst of us. What do we do now?”
Ethan’s jaw tightened, frustration simmering beneath the surface. The day’s events had left him raw, his thoughts a tangled mess.
“Enough,” he snapped, then exhaled sharply, forcing calm into his voice. “Alexander Kingsley means nothing. The Blackwood Group will survive without his backing.”
A sudden thought struck him, and his expression shifted. “The fourth International Perfumery Competition is next month—hosted by the Sterling Group. I’ll find a way to get us involved.”
He softened, brushing a thumb over Sophia’s damp cheek. “I’m sorry, Sophia. I let my anger get the best of me today. You’ve suffered enough. I’ll make it up to you.”
She leaned into his touch, nodding weakly. “It’s not me I’m worried about, Ethan. It’s you.”
He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. “Sophia, you won that perfume contest years ago, didn’t you?”
Her eyes widened. “You remember that?”
“Of course. I remember everything about you,” he murmured, lips curving into a smile. Before she could bask in the warmth of his words, he continued, “So, will you help me this time? If you reach the finals, we could secure sponsorship from the Sterling Group—maybe even meet their CEO.”
Sophia hesitated, her mind racing. She had won her title under… questionable circumstances. Years ago, she had stumbled upon the formula of the legendary champion, Scarlet Snake—an enigmatic figure who had vanished from the competition scene. With painstaking effort, she had replicated the scent, close enough to claim victory.
Scarlet Snake hadn’t been seen in years. Who would notice if she borrowed the formula again?
Ethan’s pleading gaze was impossible to resist. She swallowed hard and nodded. “I’ll do my best.”
His smile widened as he pulled her close. “I knew you wouldn’t let me down. With your talent, you’ll leave them all in the dust.”
