The morning sun pierced through the heavy drapes, flooding the room with unwanted light.

Zoe Tremblay groaned and rolled over, burying her face in the pillow.

Her phone screamed on the nightstand, shattering the silence.

She snatched it up, her expression tightening.

Sophia Reed’s name glared back from the screen.

Zoe answered, her voice rough with sleep and irritation. “What?”

“Zoe Tremblay, you have some serious explaining to do! Do you even know what’s trending right now?” Sophia’s voice was sharp, accusatory.

Zoe held the phone away from her ear, massaging her temple. “Unless it’s the apocalypse, lower your voice. Get to the point. Why the drama this early?”

She knew exactly why Sophia was calling.

The entertainment news was dominated by headlines about her and Ethan Blackwood.

Gossip columns blared speculative titles, accompanied by carefully chosen photos from the previous evening.

Each image was crafted to suggest intimacy, to spark rumors.

One particular shot showed Zoe gazing at Ethan with a soft, almost dreamy expression.

The distance between them hinted at tension, at something unspoken—enough to set the internet on fire.

“Drama? You’re the one causing it! Are you out of your mind? Trying to seduce Ethan? Is this a joke?”

Zoe let out a cold laugh, her grip tightening on the phone.

“Seduce him?”

As if she needed to seduce anyone.

The idea was absurd. Annoyance flared as she remembered last night’s infuriating waiter.

“Get a grip, Sophia.” Her voice remained icy, though a thread of unease coiled inside her. “Watch your words. ‘Seduce Ethan’? Don’t be ridiculous. It was an accident.”

“An accident?” Sophia’s tone dripped with mockery. “Do you think I’m stupid? Stop lying!”

Her disbelief was palpable, laced with contempt.

“Start talking, Zoe! What did you do to him?”

“What could I possibly have done?” Zoe’s voice held a trace of amusement. “Instead of interrogating me, maybe you should focus on actually winning him over. Because that’s all you are, right? His cherished first love… who he never acknowledges.”

Sophia’s breath hitched. She hated how easily Zoe exposed her deepest insecurity.

Yes, she was Ethan’s first love. The one he had held in his heart for years.

But it meant nothing when she remained hidden, forced to watch Isabella Scott stand where she should be.

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Zoe,” Sophia seethed, her voice low and dangerous. “Let me make one thing clear. Ethan is mine. No one—not you, not Isabella—will take him from me.”