Chapter 3
A week later, the Sinclair family’s monthly dinner arrived as scheduled.
With Elliot away, Sophie had to attend alone.
The moment Mrs. Sinclair saw her, her expression darkened. “Where’s Elliot?”
Sophie lowered her eyes. “He has business to attend to. He can’t return for now.”
Mrs. Sinclair let out a cold laugh. Just as she was about to speak, the butler hurried over with an entertainment newspaper.
The headline blazed with a photo of Elliot and Phoebe kissing on a yacht!
“Slam!” Mrs. Sinclair slammed her chopsticks on the table, furious. “Isabelle! Come to the study with me!”
Once in the study, Mrs. Sinclair barked: “Kneel!”
Sophie silently knelt down.
“Useless! You can’t even keep your own husband!” Mrs. Sinclair trembled with rage. “I’m giving you two choices: either call him back immediately, or… face the family punishment!”
Sophie’s eyelashes trembled.
She knew that even if she called, Elliot wouldn’t come back.
And she couldn’t disturb him and his beloved. If he got angry, it could jeopardize the business partnership between their families.
“I choose the punishment,” she said quietly.
Mrs. Sinclair flew into a rage. “Say that again?!”
“I choose the punishment.” Sophie lifted her head, her eyes calm. “Please proceed.”
Mrs. Sinclair’s face turned ashen with fury. She grabbed a whip from the wall and struck Sophie’s back viciously!
“Will you call him?!”
“Crack!”
“Will you call him?!”
“Crack!”
Sophie bit her lip hard, her back burning with pain, but she kept shaking her head.
Finally, she blacked out from the pain and collapsed.
When she woke up, she was lying face–down on a hospital bed, her back wrapped in bandages.
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Stand–In Bride’s Escape: No More Chains, Only Freedom
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Chapter 3
Elliot was sitting beside her bed, his brow furrowed.
“When Mother gave you trouble, why didn’t you call me back?” he asked coldly.
Sophie smiled weakly. “I didn’t want to interrupt your date with Miss Evans.”
Elliot was taken aback.
He stared at her pale face, suddenly remembering what the nurse had said.
“Because she loves Mr. Sinclair so much that she’s willing to care for the woman he loves…”
Did she… love him that much?
Love him enough to endure punishment rather than disturb him?
That strange feeling in Elliot’s heart grew stronger.
Over the next few days, he surprisingly stayed at the hospital to care for her.
Sophie said it wasn’t necessary, but he didn’t leave.
Until the day of her discharge, when Elliot suddenly got a call about urgent company business requiring a meeting.
“Go home by yourself.” He threw out those words and left.
Sophie nodded and slowly walked out of the hospital.
Just as she stepped down the stairs, she accidentally bumped into someone.
“Are you blind?!” the person cursed. “Do you know how expensive this outfit is? You look so poor–can you even afford to pay for it?!”
Sophie was about to apologize when a cold, sharp voice came from behind her.
“Get lost.”
Elliot had somehow gotten out of his car and threw a stack of cash in the person’s face. “Is that enough?”
The person was about to get angry but, seeing Elliot’s attire and commanding presence, scurried away.
Elliot gave Sophie a cold look. “Isabelle, don’t the Albright and Sinclair families give you money? Why are you dressed like this?”
Sophie remained silent.
The Albright family had indeed never given her money. Though the Sinclairs had provided a black card, since she wasn’t truly Mrs. Sinclair, she never used it.
Seeing her silence, Elliot felt inexplicably irritated and dragged her to his car.
“We’re going shopping.”
At the mall, Elliot picked out several haute couture outfits for her, each worth a fortune.
Stand In Bride’s Escape: No More Chains Only Freedom
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Chapter 3
Sophie quietly cooperated throughout, like an emotionless puppet.
But just as they were leaving the mall-
“Elliot?”
A trembling voice called out.
Sophie looked up to see Phoebe standing not far away, wearing a part–time server’s uniform.
Her eyes were red as she looked at them in disbelief. “Didn’t you say you had a meeting at the company?”
AG
“Phoebe…” Elliot’s expression shifted slightly.
“You don’t have to love me…” Tears fell from Phoebe’s eyes. “But how could you lie to me? I shouldn’t have come back. I’m interfering
with you two…”
She turned and ran.
“Phoebe!” Elliot immediately chased after her.
Sophie stood there, watching his retreating figure, feeling completely calm.
But in the next second-
“CRASH!”
A tremendous sound!
Glass from high up in the mall suddenly shattered and fell straight onto Phoebe’s head!
She didn’t even make a sound before collapsing into a pool of blood…
11:22
