Chapter 104

My mind was completely numb.

I'd been sitting motionless since Lucas left nearly an hour ago. I'd asked if Liam could stay the night at his place, and he'd agreed without hesitation.

The weight of today's revelations pressed down on me. Too much. Too fast. My thoughts spun in dizzying circles, unable to settle.

When my phone rang, I almost let it go to voicemail. But duty kicked in—what if it was urgent?

I answered without looking. Held the phone to my ear in silence. My throat felt too tight for words.

"Sophia?" The voice was breathless with concern. Amelia. "Thank God you picked up. Tristan told me what happened. Are you okay?"

"Honestly?" My whisper cracked. "I don't know."

How could Isabella be so cruel? To reject her own child simply because he didn't share Ethan's DNA? The calculated malice of it made my stomach churn.

"Tristan said you're the one who uncovered the truth. Who exposed Isabella's lies."

Hunter's pain resonated deep in my bones. That familiar sting of parental rejection. He hadn't asked to be born to such a woman, yet she'd treated him like a mistake to be erased. The injustice burned through me like acid.

"It was an accident, really."

"How?" Disbelief colored her tone. "How did you even suspect?"

"His smile." The memory surfaced vividly. "I'd seen it dozens of times before, but one day... it just clicked. That tilt at the corner of his mouth—identical to hers."

"Callum never mentioned anything?"

"Not a word. But when I said Isabella's name?" A humorless laugh escaped me. "He turned to stone. That told me everything. That, and his silence."

The surrealness of it still hadn't faded. How could a mother abandon her child? My chest ached at the thought of living without Liam.

"Walk me through it," Amelia urged.

So I did. From the first suspicion to today's explosive confrontation. By the time I finished, tears streaked my face again. I hadn't meant to break down, but the dam had burst.

"I didn't realize where I was driving until I pulled up to Victoria's house." The title 'mother' had long since turned to ash in my mouth. "This rage just... consumed me. For Hunter. For little me. I needed to do what no one ever did for us—stand up and scream how wrong it was."

A childhood prayer finally answered. All those adults who'd watched William and Victoria's neglect, Rowan's parents included, had chosen complicity over courage. But not this time. This time, someone fought back.

"I get it, sweetheart." Amelia's voice thickened. "No child deserves that kind of cruelty. You did the right thing—showing that witch for what she is."

Relief loosened the knot in my chest. Part of me had worried I'd overstepped, acted too rashly. But the moment I'd seen Hunter's face... rational thought had evaporated.

The doorbell cut through my thoughts.

"Someone's here. I have to go." Exhaustion dragged at every syllable.

"Get some rest. We'll talk tomorrow."

As I hung up, I seriously considered ignoring the visitor. But habit had me shuffling to the door.

The sight of Ethan Blackwood on my porch stole my breath.

"What are you doing here?" The words came out sharper than intended.

Honestly? I'd expected him to be comforting Isabella right now. His presence here felt... wrong.

"Can I come in?"

Against all logic, I stepped aside. His faint smile as he crossed the threshold sent an unwelcome flutter through me.

"Is Liam asleep?" He shrugged off his coat.

"Not here. He's staying at Lucas's tonight."

That familiar jealousy flashed in his eyes at Lucas's name. For a heartbeat, I braced for an outburst. But he swallowed it down with visible effort. Impressive control.

"Christ. What a fucking day." He scrubbed his face. "How are you holding up?"

The question startled me. This new version of Ethan still didn't compute. Old Ethan would've been screaming accusations by now, defending Isabella.

"Fine," I lied automatically, then corrected: "No, that's bullshit. I feel... flayed open."

He closed the distance between us in two strides.

And then his arms were around me.

Every inch of him pressed against me—hard planes to my soft curves. His heat seeped into my skin. I should've pushed him away. Should've screamed. But my body betrayed me, melting into the embrace.

"What do you need?" His breath stirred my hair. "This isn't just about Hunter, is it? It's reopening your own wounds."

My pulse stuttered. He understood. Actually understood.

I kept my gaze lowered, but his fingers gently tilted my chin up. His gray eyes held mine with an intensity that sent shivers down my spine. The way he looked at me now—like I was his entire world—was everything I'd once dreamed of.

And it terrified me.

"I know one way to distract you." His thumb traced my lower lip. "If I kiss you right now... will you let me?"

My heart hammered against my ribs.

Say no. The voice in my head screamed. Push him away.

But when his lips met mine, every protest dissolved.

The kiss started soft. Testing. Then his tongue swept in, and I was lost. My fingers tangled in his hair as the world narrowed to the slide of his mouth against mine. My knees buckled; only his arm around my waist kept me upright.

This was what authors meant by "earth-shattering." This all-consuming fire that burned away every rational thought. Daniel's kisses had never made me feel like this—like I'd die if we stopped.

And that's when the memory struck.

"You were a decent fuck, but let's be honest—you were never enough. Every time I was inside you, I imagined Isabella. Every time I came, it was her face I saw. You were just convenient. Easy."

His cruel words from months ago crashed over me like ice water.

I tore myself away, gasping.

"Sophia?" Confusion creased his brow.

"Every time I was inside you, I imagined Isabella," I quoted hoarsely. "You were just convenient. Easy."

His face paled. "Sophia, please—"

"Those were your exact words." Tears blurred my vision. "I was nothing but a placeholder for your precious Isabella."

Why did it still hurt so much? Because for one dangerous moment, I'd let myself believe the lie in his kiss.

"Listen to me—"

"Leave." The word came out broken.

He stood his ground. "Not until you hear me out."

Fine. If he wouldn't go, I would. I grabbed my keys.

"What are you doing?" Alarm sharpened his tone.

"You won't leave? Then I will."

I'd barely reached the hallway when he spoke again.

"I'll go. It's too late for you to be driving."

Silence stretched as he moved to the door. Just when I thought this nightmare was ending, he paused beside me. Before I could react, he tipped my chin up and brushed his lips against mine—softer this time—then my forehead.

I glared daggers.

He just smiled faintly and left.

The second his taillights disappeared, I deadbolted the door and fled upstairs. Changed clothes mechanically. Collapsed into bed.

But sleep wouldn't come.

That kiss haunted me. The way it made me feel—alive and wanted—was the most terrifying part.

This new Ethan was dangerous. Because no matter how much he'd changed, one truth remained:

No one could destroy me quite like Ethan Blackwood.