The doctor performed a quick check-up and saw no reason to keep her hospitalized. He gave a brief nod of approval. The instant the discharge forms were signed, Sophia rushed out of the hospital. Her heart pounded wildly as she raced toward Hawthorne Residence. She needed to find Ethan.

She threw open the study door and halted abruptly. Ethan was slumped over his desk, looking almost like a different person. The powerful, commanding aura of the Blackwood Enterprises CEO had vanished. In its place sat a man consumed by sorrow, his eyes empty, his face pale and thin, with dark stubble covering his jaw. The sight of him—so shattered, so hollow—sent a cold shiver through her.

She moved closer cautiously, her voice soft and unsure. “Ethan… are you all right?”

“Pack your belongings. I want you out of here immediately.” His voice was ice—sharp, cold, and completely emotionless.

Sophia’s stomach tightened. A wave of dread washed over her.

“What… what do you mean, Ethan?” She asked lightly, pretending not to have understood.

Ethan lifted his head slowly. “Let me be clear—I want you gone from my life.” His words were deliberate, each one falling like a hammer. “It’s over between us.” His tone was final, leaving no room for argument or hope.

Sophia’s face went pale. She had expected many reactions, but not this level of ruthlessness.

“Ethan, you can’t do this! I saved your life, remember? Back then—I risked everything for you.” She held on to the only card she had left, but Ethan’s expression didn’t change. If anything, his eyes turned colder, his jaw tightening.

“If it weren’t for you, I would never have been in danger in the first place.” His voice grew sharp with anger as he suddenly stood, towering over her. “If you hadn’t insisted on following me into that dangerous situation, I would never have crossed paths with those people.” His eyes burned with disgust and something deeper—hatred.

Sophia’s body trembled slightly. She hadn’t expected him to be so brutally final. “Ethan, I…” she began, her voice fragile, but he cut her off.

“Enough!” he snapped, his voice cracking like a whip. “I don’t want to hear another word from you.”

Without hesitation, he barked an order toward the door, his tone icy and authoritative. “Keep searching for Isabella. I want her found—no matter what it takes.”

Sophia stood frozen, her face ashen, her entire body shaking. She felt the ground give way beneath her, realizing with a hollow ache that Ethan’s disappointment wasn’t temporary—it was absolute.

But as she watched him quietly, a flicker of understanding sparked within her. He didn’t know. He hadn’t learned the truth about her from Caleb—not yet.

Still, Sophia knew better than to let her guard down. Caleb was a loose cannon. As long as he was alive, he could ruin everything she had built. She took a deep, steadying breath and forced the fear down.

Survival was her only priority now.

With Ethan completely focused on finding Isabella, his surveillance of Caleb had weakened. This was her opportunity.

Seizing the moment, Sophia sent people to infiltrate the location where Caleb was being held. The operation was quick and silent—no one noticed his disappearance.

“You…” Caleb’s voice was hoarse with shock. He instinctively struggled against the ropes binding him, his body tense with confusion and suspicion.

Sophia’s gaze swept over his disheveled, broken form, a brief flash of disdain in her eyes. “Don’t be afraid,” she said smoothly, her tone gentle but laced with hidden motives. “I’m here to set you free.”

Caleb clung to a sliver of hope, his eyes lighting up with renewed life. “You mean… you’ll actually let me go?”