"Samuel Mitchell!!!"

His voice trembled with pure hatred, a raw fury shaking his entire body. He was consumed by a deep, gut-wrenching regret for ever discarding Elise Scott to be with a monster like Sophia. It was the single greatest mistake of his life. If only he had stayed loyal to Elise, this terrible fate would never have befallen him.

They could have been married by now. They might even have had children together.

As Samuel's eyes grew increasingly bloodshot, Sophia remained utterly unmoved, her expression cold and detached. "I'm finished with a rabid dog like you," she spat venomously. "Keep barking from your cage, Samuel. You'll be here for a very long time—William Levine will make absolutely certain of that!"

She turned on her heel and walked away without a single backward glance, completely indifferent to his escalating hysteria.

The sight of him filled her with nothing but revulsion. In truth, that disgust had started the moment Elise stopped caring for him. Finally, she was free of that pathetic, clinging pest.

The instant she stepped outside the detention center doors, her entire demeanor shifted. She forced tears to well in her eyes, crafting a mask of profound heartbreak.

A swarm of journalists immediately descended upon her.

"Miss Mitchell! You're still visiting Samuel after everything he's done? Does a man like that truly deserve your tears?"

"How is Mr. Mitchell coping inside, Miss Mitchell? Does he show any remorse?"

"Miss Mitchell, what are your thoughts on his betrayal and the attempted assault on your sister, Elise Scott?"

The questions came rapid-fire. Sophia feigned being completely overwhelmed, appearing lost and distraught. After a long, shaky pause, she finally composed herself enough to answer, her voice thick with manufactured tears. "I... I never imagined he was capable of such a thing... Samuel and my sister... I would never have known if it weren't for the news reports..."

Tears traced delicate paths down her cheeks, enhancing her pitiable image. The reporters quickly offered words of comfort. She pretended to struggle for composure, apologizing repeatedly. "I'm so sorry. What Samuel did to my sister... it's just too much for me to bear... I apologize, I can't seem to hold myself together."

After more consolation from the crowd, she continued, her voice quivering. "I might have been able to forgive him for cheating, even if he no longer loved me. I can't force someone to stay. But... to do something so vile to my own sister? My dearest Elise? I will never, ever forgive him for that!"

"That's the right attitude, Miss Mitchell," one journalist praised approvingly.

"He absolutely does not deserve your forgiveness!" another chimed in, eager to side with her.

"How is Mr. Mitchell handling his imprisonment? Does he regret his actions? Has he promised to make things right?" a different reporter pressed.

"He... he doesn't look well," she said, her voice dropping to a sorrowful whisper. "He seems haggard. I'm sure he regrets it now. As for making amends..."

She deliberately let her words trail off, leaving a suggestive silence for the journalists to interpret. "He actually asked me to plead for leniency, to help reduce his sentence. I refused. What he did was a crime. He must face the full consequences of the law. I have the utmost respect for our legal system."

"He has the audacity to ask for a lighter sentence instead of making amends? That's outrageous!" The journalists buzzed with shared indignation.

Sophia remained silent, letting their anger simmer. After a moment, she spoke again, her voice weak. "I'm sorry you all had to see me like this. Please, you must excuse me. I haven't slept properly in days. I'm feeling quite dizzy. I wouldn't want to alarm anyone by fainting right here..."

She looked fragile, like a candle flickering in the wind. The journalists, having secured their story, respectfully made way for her.

As Sophia got into her car and drove away, she failed to notice a sleek black sedan parked at a distance. A woman wearing dark sunglasses had rolled down the window, her keen gaze fixed intently on Sophia's performance. Once Sophia was gone, the mysterious woman slowly raised her window and drove off.

Back inside her car, Sophia's vulnerable expression vanished instantly. She pulled out her mascara from her handbag, preparing to fix her smudged makeup. Suddenly, her chauffeur slammed on the brakes.