Chapter 74
The bridge near the Jasmine Restaurant was thick with tension, the air crackling with unspoken words.
“Sophia, please come down. We need to talk about this,” Ethan Blackwood called out, his voice strained as he rushed toward her. His heart pounded when he saw her perched precariously on the edge, the river roaring violently beneath her.
Dressed in white, Sophia Kensington looked ethereal—her eyes swollen from crying, her delicate frame swaying dangerously close to the drop. The wind tugged at her dress as if urging her to let go.
“Ethan, ever since that perfume competition, I feel like you’ve lost faith in me,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “You don’t trust me anymore. You forgot about my pain like it meant nothing.”
Her face was ghostly pale, her expression fragile as a porcelain doll about to shatter.
“I never claimed to be Scarlet Snake. I won that title fairly. All I wanted was to make you proud.” Her voice cracked, thick with emotion. “Do you know how much I’ve dreamed of being her? I just wanted to stand by your side, even if only in some small way. I would have done anything for you.”
Tears spilled down her cheeks as she forced a smile. “At the restaurant, I meant what I said. If you truly love Isabella, I’ll step aside. You’re the only man I’ve ever loved, and I want you to be happy.”
With that, she leaned forward, her grip on the railing loosening.
“Sophia, no!” Ethan’s voice was raw with panic. The wind howled around them, threatening to sweep her away. Guilt crashed over him like a tidal wave.
“I don’t care about Isabella. The only reason I wanted the Everett Group deal was to prove myself to your family. Everything I do—everything—is for you. Only you.”
But Sophia’s expression remained distant, her eyes hollow. “Ethan, I’m doing this for you too. Remember five years ago? I would have died for you. I sacrificed everything—even my own beauty—for you.” Her fingers tightened on the railing, desperation twisting her features. “If you can’t believe in me now, then I’d rather die.”
The memory of that night haunted Ethan. He had been on the brink of death, unconscious and bleeding. If not for Sophia, he wouldn’t be standing here now. The scar on her back was a permanent reminder of her sacrifice—one that had bound them together.
“Please, just come down. We can talk this through,” he begged, his voice breaking.
Sophia’s gaze flickered with calculation beneath her tears. The competition had tarnished her image in Ethan’s eyes, but if she could make him remember what she had done for him—if she could remind him of the debt he owed her—then maybe, just maybe, she could reclaim his heart.
“Ethan, I love you,” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the rushing water. “And I’m so sorry. Maybe if I’m gone, Isabella will stop coming between us. Maybe then… everything can be fixed.”
Before Ethan could react, she let go.
The splash echoed like thunder.
Ethan didn’t hesitate. He tore off his jacket and dove in after her, the icy water swallowing them both.
In the last moment before darkness took her, Sophia felt strong arms wrap around her.
She had won.
Ethan would never doubt her again.
And soon, she would be Mrs. Blackwood.
