Chapter 5
Sophie opened her eyes in pain to find herself back at the Sinclair estate.
Elliot sat by her bedside, staring at her with dark eyes. “What did you just say about leaving?”
Sophie’s heart skipped a beat as she feigned confusion with a hoarse voice. “What leaving? I must have been delirious with fever,
talking nonsense…”
Elliot studied her for a long while, seeming to believe her, and finally loosened his grip. “Why didn’t you mention you were on your period? And then staying in that lake for so long.”
Sophie smiled weakly. “If my going in there could earn her forgiveness for you, I’d rather not mention it.”
Elliot’s expression was complicated as he asked again, “Do you really care about me that much?”
Sophie lowered her eyelashes.
She didn’t care about him.
O
She was just maintaining the relationship between their families. Once Isabelle returned, she could finally escape.
The door suddenly opened as Phoebe walked in. “Elliot, when are we leaving for the fishing trip?”
Seeing Sophie awake, she feigned surprise. “Miss Albright, are you alright?”
Without waiting for Sophie’s answer, she continued with a smile, “I was just angry last time when I made Elliot do that. I never thought he’d actually throw you in the ice lake. I’m so sorry.”
“I heard you donated blood to me? Why don’t you come fishing with us? Consider it my way of making amends.”
Sophie was about to refuse when Phoebe had already grabbed her hand affectionately. “Don’t say no! I already discussed it with
Elliot.”
Elliot glanced at her, indicating she shouldn’t spoil the mood.
Sophie could only nod in the end.
On the luxury yacht, the sea breeze carried a hint of salt.
Phoebe clung to Elliot the entire time, laughing sweetly as she had him feed her fruit, apply sunscreen, and even playfully asking
him to carry her to see the ocean view…
Sophie stood on the deck, quietly gazing at the horizon as if none of this concerned her.
It wasn’t until Elliot stepped away to take a phone call that Phoebe approached her, suddenly speaking up. “Sometimes I really don’t understand you.”
Sophie turned to look at her.
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Stand–In Bride’s Escape: No More Chains, Only Freedom
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Chapter 5
Phoebe narrowed her eyes. “Everyone in our circle says you really care about Elllot, that you’d do anything for him. But shouldn’t love involve possessiveness?”
“I framed you, made you apologize, and you showed no emotion. He threw you in an ice lake, and you showed no emotion. Even now, watching him and me being intimate, you still show no emotion…”
She leaned closer to Sophie, lowering her voice. “Do you actually like him or not?”
Sophie’s lips curved slightly. Her guess was right–she truly didn’t like Elliot-
Before she could speak, a massive wave suddenly struck!
“Ahhhh-!”
Both women lost their footing and were swept into the sea!
The icy seawater instantly engulfed them. The yacht’s metal edge scraped long gashes on their arms, blood immediately spreading through the water.
“Someone’s overboard! Help them! Quick, help them!”
The deck erupted in chaos as rescue divers quickly jumped in, but soon surfaced with grave expressions. “Mr. Sinclair, their blood will attract sharks very soon! And they fell in opposite directions–for safety, we can only rescue one first!”
Elliot’s face went pale as his gaze frantically searched the water.
On one side was Phoebe desperately struggling, on the other was Sophie being pushed further away by the waves…
“Save Phoebe first!” He practically roared the words.
When Sophie heard those words, she had already swallowed several mouthfuls of bitter seawater.
She watched the rescuer swim toward Phoebe, watched Elliot’s anxious face, smiled bitterly, and slowly closed her eyes.
She should have known.
In his heart, she would always be the one who could be abandoned.
Seawater flooded her lungs as her consciousness gradually faded.
In her haze, she saw a dark shadow rapidly approaching.
A shark!
Sharp pain shot through her leg. Her last conscious thought was the image of the azure seawater being stained red with blood, drop by drop…
♡
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Chapter 6
