Chapter 3

I knocked on the door before stepping inside. Damir was sitting behind his massive desk, totally focused on some paperwork.

When he saw me, he barely spared me a glance. Clearly, he'd gotten over whatever had annoyed him.

I set the USB drive on his desk.

I said calmly, "This is the surveillance footage from the living room this morning. Elina pricked herself with a needle on purpose to frame me. Take a look."

Damir's brow furrowed as he picked up the USB drive. His eyes briefly showed suspicion, but his tone quickly turned icy.

"Don't try to drag Elina's name through the mud with this," he said coldly.

With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the USB drive, and it landed in the trash with a sharp snap.

"I'm not going to dig into this any further. And quit acting so jealous," he added.

Seeing that totally unconcerned look on his face, even though I was set on leaving, I couldn't help but feel a sting in my heart.

So, to him, Elina was absolutely perfect. Even with hard evidence, he'd still make me take the fall.

No wonder he couldn't stand the thought of his first love being gossiped about. He'd rather throw me under the bus just to keep her safe.

"If you refuse to face the truth, I won't push it," I said.

I took my resignation letter out of my bag and handed it to him.

"I'm resigning. Please sign off on it, Mr. Morton," I said.

Damir's face turned stormy as he shot me a frosty glare. "Are you done causing drama yet? Just because you're jealous, you want to quit? Maybe I was out of line this morning when I hit you, but you started it by hurting someone first.

"At least you weren't malicious enough to actually poison the needle. Instead of owning up to what you did, you just want to stir up more trouble, huh?

"I busted my ass helping you get where you are, gave you the skills to stand on your own. And now you want to run back to the sticks and play the country bumpkin? Think you'll amount to anything out there?" he scoffed.

I replied coldly, "Thanks for all the support you gave me, but whether I succeed or not is my own business. From now on, we'll go our own ways. I appreciate everything you did for me over the years. Goodbye."

With that, I turned and walked straight toward the door.

"Sophie, stop right there," Damir barked.

He shouted after me, his tone dripping with arrogance and menace.

He shouted, "If you dare step out that door this time, don't even think about coming back, ever."

I didn't stop. My heart twisted with bitterness.

He could say things like that because he was convinced I was hopelessly in love with him, that I couldn't live without him.

It was true that I'd loved him to the bone, in this life and the last. But he'd burned through every bit of love I ever had for him.

This time around, I was truly done. No turning back.

*****

On my way back to the villa, my phone rang. It was Damir.

"Sophie, there's an important client I need you to meet tomorrow. You've been in charge of that project from the beginning. If you can seal the deal, I'll approve your resignation," he ordered.

His tone was all command, no room for negotiation.

I almost said no, but then I realized this was my ticket to finally cut ties with him for good. And honestly, after all the years he'd invested in me, I owed him at least this much. So I agreed.

"Alright, it's a deal," I said.

After we hung up, he sent me the client's info.

It was Colt, the same guy who tried to force himself on me back in my previous life.

I remembered freaking out and calling Damir for help, but he was busy looking after Elina at the hospital and just told me to deal with it on my own.

If someone hadn't stepped in to save me, I would've been done for.

When I stepped into the private room, I spotted Colt right away. Elina was lounging on the couch, her eyes cold and full of spite, but she flashed me a sugary smile like nothing was wrong.

"Sophie, I'm really sorry about yesterday. Damir just lost his head because he cares about you. He didn't mean to hit you. Is your face alright now?" she said.

I glanced at her, giving her a mocking smirk.

"Elina, I got your little present yesterday. Don't worry, I'll return the favor soon. Just a heads up. If you keep messing around, sooner or later you're gonna get burned," I replied.

Elina's eyes went cold. Not long after, she grabbed her stomach, looking like she was in agony as she turned to Damir.

"Damir, my stomach suddenly hurts so bad. Can you take me to the hospital with me?" she said.

"Sophie probably can't handle this on her own. Are you really hurting that much?" Damir looked unsure for a second, but the moment Elina started crying, he totally freaked out and hurried her out of the room.

As soon as Damir walked out, Colt started shoving drinks at me, and a predatory grin stretched across his face.

"Ms. Young, have a drink with me," he said.

This time, I didn't freak out as I did in my previous life. Instead, I kept my cool, pulled out a document from my bag, and slapped it right down on the table.

"Colt, I know you've been skimming off the top and dodging taxes for years. If you don't want me to blow the whistle, you'd better sign the Morton Group's contract. No questions asked," I said.

Colt's face drained of color. He snatched up the papers, scanning them with trembling hands, sweat popping out on his forehead. After a long, nervous pause, he finally caved and signed his name without another word.

That evening, Damir pulled up to the house. The housekeeper, Janet, met him at the door.

"Mr. Morton, Sophie's already gone. She asked me to give you this contract and a camera. She said landing that big deal was her way of paying you back for all those years you helped her. From now on, you two are finished," Janet said.

Damir looked at the contract in his hands, his face going pale with panic. Then he pressed play on the camera.

The first video popped up. It was Elina jabbing herself with a needle and instantly yelling that it hurt.

Then the video switched to the next clip. Elina and Colt were in the private room, chatting it up and looking way too cozy.

"Ms. Summers, is it true Mr. Morton's really setting me up with his secretary, Sophie?" Colt asked.

"Of course. I'll fake a stomachache to get Damir out of here. Once you get Sophie drunk, she's all yours to do as you please," Elina replied.

The camera hit the floor with a bang. Damir looked absolutely furious, like he'd just been punched in the gut, his face dark with shock and rage.