The suburban resort in Riverside City was in the prime of noon. At the end of April, the weather had become unexpectedly muggy. Alone, Sophia returned to her hotel and the ringtone of her mobile phone resounded inside the bag.
"Sophia, I'm heading back, did you miss me?" A familiar voice came through the phone. It had lost its previous pampering tone and replaced it with an air of joy.
Sophia, with a faint smile on her lips, responded calmly. "Yes, I'm already back at the hotel." She then asked, "Are you finished with your business?"
"Everything is going smoothly on my end..." The voice on the phone paused suddenly, followed by a curious inquiry, "Oh! Sophia, who's behind you?"
Sophia's heart quickened. Spooked, she turned around swiftly and let out a shriek, "Ah!"
Subsequently, she discovered there was nobody there. Fear still lingered in Sophia's heart. After all, she was in the hotel room where it was impossible for anyone else to be present.
"Ha ha!" To her surprise, Alexander, who was on the phone, laughed, "It's nothing. I was just joking around to lighten the mood. I'll be home soon."
It took Sophia a while before he managed to say, "Ah, alright. Hang up if there's nothing else, I'll wait for you."
After ending the call, Sophia felt a particular unease in his mind.
A sensitive person by nature, Sophia began to suspect that Alexander was hiding something from her, clutching at the last strand of hope. After all, losing a relationship of three years would not be easy on him either.
She sat on the edge of the bed staring at the empty room, which, for some reason, had suddenly become colder and lonelier.
They had been boyfriend and girlfriend for more than three years. She had graduated half a year ago, but Alexander had never spoken about marriage nor had he introduced her to his parents.
This time, Alexander invited her on a quick trip and took a few days off from work.
He said that he had some matters to attend to in the morning and left. Little did Sophia know that he would pull such a prank when he returned.
Sophia had undergone some grueling military training in the past, but that didn’t take away her inherently timid personality. Hence, Alexander’s words had hit her, at her most vulnerable spot.
There's something called a sense of security, getting farther away as time passes…
An uneasy sentiment started to spread. At that moment, Sophia's cell phone rang again. It was a message this time.
"Little Sis, I must tell you something. The eldest son of Wilson's Family, who is none other than your current boyfriend, Alexander, will hold an engagement ceremony with the heiress of the Thompson's Family, Clara, on the second day of next month. Alexander is not worth your trust. We your Brothers are waiting for you to return.”
Time and space seemed to freeze at that moment.
Sophia stared at the message her elder brother Ethan had sent. For a moment, her mind was a blank canvas.
Sophia would never forget that day, April 26!
To be tied to the prestigious Thompson's family, Alexander not only abandoned her but also lied to her!
“Ethan…” Despite her efforts, Sophia couldn’t resist making the call.
"Little sis, don’t be sad.”
A deep, magnetic voice came through the receiver, warming Sophia's heart. “I'm fine, big brother, is the news reliable?"
"Absolutely certain, the Wilson's family has already announced it publicly. I suspect, his vacation with you was just to keep you in the dark."
Sophia's clenched fists were already wrinkling the bedsheets. "Okay, I understand. I will return to the city shortly."
"Samuel is waiting in the dark alley to the east of your hotel with a car, use your fingerprints, be careful on the road and contact me anytime if there's an issue.”
"Thank you, big brother…"
After hanging up, Sophia felt a lot easier. A relationship of over three years was profound, but she was more rational.
Sophia still remembered the beginning of her relationship with Alexander, he hadn't graduated yet. Her family investigated him thoroughly, giving him a barely passing grade but didn't intervene in their relationship.
Sophia also remembered what she once said to her older brothers, "Do you think there's a man who's perfect like you, without a single flaw?"
Indeed, she had two perfect brothers and in Sophia's heart, no other man could compare to them.
Until Alexander appeared, pursuing her with unwavering determination in school...
But now, he had changed, Sophia could see that. If Alexander chose her, he would receive far more than a marriage alliance with the Thompson's family, but he didn't make that choice.
In the shortest time, Sophia acknowledged her feelings and her current situation. She decided to leave; with her status, there was no need for her to compromise.
Alexander, having wrapped up his affairs, was in high spirits, and didn't notice Sophia's earlier mood.
Upon returning, he entered Sophia's room only to find her sitting at the edge of the bed, her back towards him, packing her belongings.
Sensing something unusual, Alexander suppressed his anger, "What are you packing for?"
Turning around, Sophia coldly looked at Alexander, wondering, “You're getting engaged, why are you still bothering me?”
She steadied her emotions and gave a forced smile, "Congratulations on your engagement with Miss Thompson. I wish you well."
Taken aback, Alexander was clearly unhappy, "Who told you all this? Don't believe in hearsay!"
Regarding Sophia, he didn't want her to leave. He thought he handled everything perfectly but news still leaked.
Who should she trust then? How could she not believe her own brother's words?
"Alexander, I'm an adult, I can make my own decisions, and the last person I should trust is you!" Sophia didn’t stop packing, but she found that she couldn’t get her luggage prepared properly. Finally, she just grabbed her bag and prepared to leave.
"Sophia, have you misunderstood something?"
Seeing Sophia leave directly without even taking her luggage, Alexander promptly became anxious, yelling, “Sophia, come back!”
Sophia had always thought that true love had nothing to do with fame and wealth. But, she was wrong this time.
She stopped in her tracks, turned around and sarcastically looked at Alexander, “You are already engaged to the Thompson's family. There's no need to deceive me anymore. I am just an insignificant woman. I will not cause trouble for you."
"No, Sophia, I love you. My engagement to the Thompson's family is out of necessity. Believe in my love for you, stay with me…" Perhaps truly afraid that Sophia might leave him, Alexander had no choice but to temporarily put aside his pride, blocking the doorway, hoping to make a last-ditch effort to keep her from leaving.
"Stay? In what capacity?" Sophia sneered. She could no longer discern Alexander's true feelings for her, and didn't want to bother figuring it out either. She resented herself for being so cautious and yet still ending up with such a man. What a failure.
Without any hesitation, Alexander frankly said, "As my lover. I can be in love with only you!"
"Slap!" She landed a slap, and Alexander looked disbelievingly at Sophia in front of him. Who would have thought this once gentle woman could hit him!
"Compared to me, a woman without status or background, I think the heiress of the Thompson's family suits you better, but this doesn't mean you can insult my dignity!”
Sophia pushed Alexander away without looking back and left. Where else could he demean her now!
His words seemed to be carefully thought out. Was this his solution? Ridiculous.
For a moment, Alexander was dumbfounded. How did Sophia become so strong? But he quickly got over his surprise and ran after her, "Sophia come back, isn't there anything we can't discuss? Even if I get married, we can still be lovers. I can give you a lot…"
"Discuss? Lover?" At the elevator, Sophia didn't turn her head. The sarcasm in her voice was even more pronounced, "You young masters always think so highly of yourselves, presuming that everything and everyone revolves around you. Sadly, you knew the moment you met me, Sophia, that I don’t give a damn about you!”
The elevator doors closed and Alexander stood in place, recalling a conversation with Sophia from their schooldays. She had once told him, "You just moved me a bit more than the others, so don't think you are my one and only. Trust me, it's not feelings for people I despise, get it?"
At that time, Alexander thought Sophia was being melodramatic, never realizing…she meant it all along…
Leaving the hotel, Sophia quickly found the car in the dark alley on the east side.
Looking at the luxury car in front of her, Sophia was slightly stunned, and while scanning her fingerprint, she sighed, "Oh my God, Samuel, can't you be a little subtle?"
It's even a limited edition for this year!
Looking at this, the ordinary Sophia will have a luxury car as a vehicle in the future.
On the way back to Riverside City, Sophia gradually calmed down, not feeling so indignant about Alexander. It can only be said that Alexander, as Sophia's first love, had a bit of status.
Now, he is toying with her and making her swallow her words and stay behind?
That's not Sophia's style. She can't take things lying down, and Sophia doesn't deign to pin her happiness on Alexander.
The phone on the car seat rang incessantly, with the three characters "Alexander" flashing constantly.
"What a messed-up first love!"
At this moment, Sophia only blamed herself for being blind then and overestimating Alexander. If she had known this would happen, it would have been more relaxing to find a husband to support her.
She even wondered if she had been too low-key over the years, making everyone think she was easy to bully.
When she was about to reach Riverside City, the previously clear day suddenly turned as dark as night, and a violent rainstorm arrived in a blink.
What made Sophia uneasy was the lightning and thunder, combined with the current scene, made her feel more panicked.
She had to slow down the car, until she saw the warning sign ahead, the road was jammed...
Looking at the thunderstorm outside the car, she decided to call for help, "James, the road is jammed, and I'm stuck outside Riverside City due to the heavy rain."
"Wait for awhile, Samuel is already on his way," the voice on the phone sounded worried, bringing warmth to Sophia's heart. No matter what, she still had family who loved her.
"Okay."
Sophia gazed into the thunderstorms in the night sky, she was truly terrified, but she didn’t have a choice, she was alone.
Left with no option, she made a U-turn to find a spacious place to wait for her brother Samuel.
Suddenly, a car was zigzagging towards her direction.
Sophia's first reaction was, could someone be trying to murder her?
The next moment, she abandoned that thought, because following that car were several predatory vehicles in pursuit.
Two cars passed by each other, a flash of lightning revealed the man's face in the car, which was covered in blood, it was a bit horrifying.
Before she had a chance to drive away, in that split second under the lightning's light, Sophia saw on the man's neck, a five-leaf clover pendant that was bobbing up and down on a chain.
Looking back at the chasing cars, for that five-leaf clover, Sophia decided to risk it all.
