Chapter 2
Before Sophie could speak, Elliot had already grabbed her arm with a cold expression and yanked her to her feet.
“Stop the act,” his voice was ice cold. “Phoebe fell from the fifth floor, you just tumbled down from the second floor.”
“Get up. We’re going to the hospital so you can apologize to her.”
He dragged her toward the door without mercy, completely ignoring that her forehead was still bleeding and her knee wound had reopened, each step sending shooting pain through her body.
Sophie was forced into the car and remained silent throughout the ride.
She watched the scenery blur past the window, thinking only: just endure a little longer, just a little longer, and soon she’d be free.
In the hospital room, Phoebe was propped weakly against the headboard, pale as a ghost, her wrist wrapped in bandages.
The moment she saw Sophie, she shrank back, her eyes immediately welling up with tears.
“Elliot…” her voice trembled like a frightened deer, “I… I don’t want to see her…”
Elliot immediately went to her side, gently taking her hand. “Don’t be afraid. I’m here. No one will hurt you.”
Then he turned to Sophie with a cold stare. “What are you standing there for? Apologize.”
Sophie looked exhausted but strangely calm.
She looked straight at Phoebe and asked softly, “Miss Evans, when you fell from that balcony, did I really push you?”
Phoebe’s eyelashes fluttered, and tears instantly spilled down her cheeks. “If Miss Albright doesn’t want to apologize, that’s fine. I never planned to make trouble for you anyway.”
She sobbed, her voice full of grievance. “I know Elliot has been with me these past few days, so it’s normal that you’d resent me. But you two were arranged to marry anyway, and he doesn’t love you. If it weren’t for my humble background being incompatible with his, he never would have belonged to you…”
The more she spoke, the harder she cried, and Elliot’s expression grew increasingly dark.
“Isabelle!” he snapped. “I brought you here to apologize, not to upset her! Are you going to apologize or not?”
Sophie closed her eyes.
She knew Phoebe was framing her.
But… she was leaving soon.
She couldn’t let anything jeopardize the business partnership between the families, otherwise she wouldn’t get those thirty million dollars or her freedom.
“I’m sorry,” she said quietly.
11:22
was my
was my fault.”
Stand–In Bride’s Escape: No More Chains. Only Freedom
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Chapter 2
She turned to leave.
“Stop.” Elliot’s cold voice stopped her. “Since you pushed her, you’ll stay here and take care of her until she’s discharged.”
Sophie’s fingertips curled slightly, but in the end, she nodded. “Alright.”
For the following days, Sophie stayed by Phoebe’s hospital room around the clock.
Elliot also practically lived at the hospital, abandoning all company business to personally feed Phoebe porridge, wipe her hands, and coax her to sleep…
These were things he had never done for Sophie.
But Sophie never showed jealousy. She just quietly stayed nearby, caring for Phoebe with a calm expression, as if none of this
concerned her.
The nurses gossiped privately.
“My God, I’ve never seen such a gracious wife!”
“You don’t understand, this is the highest form of love,” another nurse sighed. “She loves Mr. Sinclair so much that she’s willing to
care for the woman he loves, just hoping he’ll spare her a glance. It’s so pitiful.”
Elliot happened to overhear this as he walked by.
He stopped in his tracks, his gaze unconsciously falling on the slender figure in the hospital room.
Sophie was looking down, carefully peeling an apple, her profile quiet and gentle.
Something strange stirred in Elliot’s heart.
The day Phoebe was discharged, Elliot said directly to Sophie, “I’m taking Phoebe on vacation for a few days. Don’t contact me unless
it’s urgent.”
Sophie nodded. “Okay.”
She watched him leave hand–in–hand with Phoebe, and surprisingly felt a sense of relief.
Finally, she didn’t have to face them anymore.
Back home, she started packing her luggage, preparing for her departure in the near future.
A few days later, she saw Phoebe’s social media posts.
Elliot had taken her to the Maldives, bid extravagantly at auctions for her, spending fortunes on jewelry she liked…
Sophie glanced at it once and calmly scrolled past.
She didn’t care.
She had never cared.
