When Sophie got to work the next day, she couldn’t keep the story to herself and unloaded everything on Sarah.

By the time her shift ended, she had Sarah buckled into the luxury car for a spin and invited her over to the shiny new penthouse. She wasn’t about to leave her best friend out of the celebration.

Sarah’s mouth fell open as each detail dropped, one more unbelievable than the last.

She finally managed to say, “This isn’t some dream sequence you’re stuck in, right?”

Sophie lifted her shoulders. “I keep asking myself the same thing, but after pinching myself half to death, I’m pretty sure this is real.”

“It’s literally a rom-com moment,” Sarah said. “Tell me you see it—you’re basically the heroine. You’ve got the looks, the talent, and now a fancy car and a decent place. Total peak main-character energy!”

Sophie held up a hand, grinning. “Okay, okay, enough hype before I cancel that joyride.”

Sarah zipped her lips in a hurry. “No way! I’ve never set foot in a car that fancy; you’re not ditching me now!”

Sophie flashed a sly grin. “Garage meetup after work?”

“Count me in!”

Once lunch ended, Sophie buried herself back into her mountain of paperwork.

Between tasks, she shot Adrian a quick text. Earlier that morning, he had played chauffeur, dropping her off before heading to his own office. Adrian was really settling into the role of designated driver.

A second later, his message buzzed in—a full lecture about leaving on time, staying sober, and avoiding shady hangouts.

Sophie rolled her eyes. What was he picturing her as, some wild party girl?

For all his fussing, he still showed up right away, leaving the keys at the reception desk. The gesture left Sophie feeling a tiny stab of guilt, so she hopped back into the chat to thank him.

A new notification popped up on her screen.

Sophie let out a long sigh; she didn’t even need to check to know it was Daisy lighting up her phone again.

She had honestly believed that dropping the lawsuit would mean Daisy was gone for good. But no—barely two days had passed before the pestering started right back up.

This round came as a flood of text messages. Each one dripped with bragging rights, showing off her life. Pictures of a shiny yacht, a flashy sports car, and a wrist stacked with luxury watches filled Sophie’s feed.

It was Daisy’s way of rubbing in just how wide the gap was between them now.

“Look at this—this is the world Adrian and I live in, and all the perks that come with it.”

By now, Sophie had the blocking routine mastered and shut her down without a fuss. But blocking Daisy only worked for a moment, since she always came back with another number.

Five minutes hadn’t even passed before Daisy texted Sophie again.

“Listen, Sophie! You’re nothing but a selfish bitch! Don’t pretend you love Adrian.”

“If you really cared, you’d walk away.”

“His father promised me that if I marry him, Adrian will step right back into Knight Group as the heir. With my dad’s backing, the seat is basically mine!”

“And you know what else? Everyone out there calls him an idiot for throwing away his fortune over a woman like you!”

“This is on you! You ruined him!”

Patience snapped inside Sophie, her usual calm stripped raw.

She replied, “And what if this is exactly the life Adrian decided he wanted?”

Back came Daisy’s instant reply. “Please! Who in their right mind walks away from money, influence, and status? He’s under your spell, that’s all! You’re shamelessly hanging on to him!”

No point dragging it out. Sophie said, “It’s his decision, not mine. I don’t interfere.”

Normally, Sophie would have braced herself for Daisy’s unhinged rant about her being the reason Adrian rejected the Knight family.

Instead, Daisy surprised her by softening her tone.

“Suppose Adrian comes back willingly. What if he chooses to stand beside me without anyone twisting his arm?”

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