Chapter 2

Emily's face went pale with anger.

"Sophie White, stop acting tough because you think Richard has your back. You're the woman Richard threw away. Do you really think you're some kind of big shot?"

Seeing the bodyguards hesitate, she rolled up her sleeves and came at me, trying to tear me apart. "You guys too scared to do anything, huh? Fine. I'll teach this arrogant bitch a lesson myself."

I didn't even bother to look up, my voice cold as ice. "Stop her."

With my clear order, the bodyguards stepped forward and restrained Emily by her arms, one on each side.

Emily struggled and screamed, "Let me go. You useless idiots. Richard won't let you get away with this."

I ignored her tantrum, grabbed the camera off the ground, pulled a business card from my bag, and slapped it right in her face.

"My account info's on the card," I said coldly.

I looked down at her, and said, "Two million dollars in compensation, wired to my account within three days.

"If you short me even a dollar, your agency will get a lawsuit notice, and everyone will see how a so-called supermodel abuses her power and destroys other people's property.

"And as for your little fantasy of making me grovel..."

I let out a sarcastic laugh, my tone dripping with mockery. "You can keep fantasizing about that all you want."

With that, I turned away, not bothering to look at Emily's face as it shifted from pale to furious.

But before I even made it home, Richard's call came through.

I hesitated for a second, but in the end, I picked up.

"Sophie, I got a call from Emily. She told me what happened today."

He sounded like he was chatting about the weather, as if nothing serious had happened at all.

Richard said, "Emily's still young and clueless. She doesn't know how to act, so don't bother stooping to her level.

"I've already told her off, and she knows she messed up. She'll apologize to you herself later."

I listened quietly, saying nothing.

He didn't seem to care about my silence and kept talking. "It's been years, and you've really come a long way. Pulling out a two-million-dollar camera like it's nothing. Looks like you've been living large out there.

"Had your fun yet? When are you coming home?"

"Home?" I couldn't help but let out a cold, mocking laugh. "Richard, that so-called home you keep talking about? You destroyed it with your own hands three years ago."

Back then, Richard couldn't get through to Emily for two whole days.

He thought I was hiding her.

To force me to tell him where Emily was, he had my parents and sister dangled from a ship.

I desperately tried to explain that he'd locked me up in the villa, and there was no way I could've hidden Emily.

But Richard didn't believe me. Blinded by rage, he dumped my parents and sister into the vast ocean.

It was only later that we learned Emily had gone off to join a wilderness survival reality show.

During the show, guests weren't allowed any outside contact, so she turned off her phone and handed it over. That's why Richard couldn't reach her.

When the truth came out, Richard was so overjoyed he broke down in tears and finally spared my family.

But by the time they were pulled out of the water, they'd already drowned.

I fell apart and tried to go to the media to expose what he'd done, but everyone thought I was insane.

Because Richard had already had everything covered up behind the scenes.

Officially, my family died in a boating accident while on vacation.

Unable to get justice for my family, I confronted Richard, determined to drag him to hell with me.

He said, "Easy now, Sophie. Em needs me by her side right now. Once she's made it big, I'll turn myself in."

As those memories flooded back, I forced out a bitter laugh.

Holding back my tears, I asked him, "So, should I hand you over to the cops, or are you going to turn yourself in?"

Richard went silent on the other end.

He must've remembered that promise he made back then.

After what felt like forever, his voice finally came through again. "Stop it, Sophie. Didn't you come back from abroad to be with me again?

"Where are you right now? I'll come pick you up and take you home. Back to our home."