Bianca guided Sophia to her bedroom.
Sophia grabbed a set of clothes and handed them to her. “Bianca, take a shower and change into something dry. I don’t want you to catch a cold.”
“Okay.”
After her shower, Bianca stepped out to find Sophia lying on the bed, deep in thought.
She placed a cup of hot water on the bedside table and sat at the edge of the bed.
“Sophia…” Bianca started carefully.
But before she could continue, Sophia looked into her eyes and said. “I know what you’re thinking.”
Seeing Sophia’s willingness to talk, Bianca got straight to the point. “Then tell me. What happened last night?”
Sophia into her eyes, the memory of the seaside flashing through her mind. Bianca had risked everything to save her-there was no reason to hide the truth.
If she could trust anyone, it was Bianca.
With a deep sigh, Sophia lowered her eyes, uncertainty clouding her face. “My story with Michael began when I moved into the Hayes household… as a maid.”
Bianca’s eyes widened in shock.
But she stayed silent, letting Sophia continue.
Sophia revealed everything-her mother’s past grudges with the Hayes family, the struggles she faced after entering their household, and her complicated history with Michael.
“So Michael was the real reason Gabriel was able to hurt you?” Bianca asked nervously.
Sophia nodded. “I hadn’t seen him since then-until the Lopezes’ anniversary dinner.”
Bianca’s view of Michael, the powerful head of the Hayes family, shattered.
“After that, he started pestering me. He even suggested marriage,” Sophia said with a bitter chuckle. “But in front of his mother, he treated me like dirt. I overheard him say he would never love me, that I was just a plaything. His so-called feelings were nothing but selfish obsession!”
“And last night… he forced himself on me!”
Sophia’s chest tightened, her breathing unsteady.
She despised Michael, but she never thought he was capable of something so vile.
He had been her first love, someone she once cared for deeply. But his actions had destroyed any last shred of the good she saw in him.
He had never valued her. Yet, she had spent years loving him.
She felt like a fool.
“That man is a monster!” Bianca fumed and gritted her teeth.
Sophia had never fully healed from what Gabriel did to her. The pain had stayed in her heart deeply.
And now, Michael’s actions had ripped that wound open again, dragging her back into the same darkness-so much so that she nearly gave up on life.
Bianca tightened her grip on Sophia’s hand, and said firmly. “Sophia, just like I made Gabriel pay, I won’t let Michael get away with this. Do you want to press charges?”
Sophia hesitated, biting her lip. She knew Bianca meant well.
After a long silence, she looked up and squeezed Bianca’s hand. “Bianc, I just want him out of my life. I want nothing to do with him. As for the rest… I haven’t decided yet.”
Bianca understood clearly.
Sophia’s feelings for Michael ran deeper than she had thought. Even after everything, she didn’t want revenge.
With a quiet sigh, Bianca patted her hand.
“Rest well, Sophia. I won’t let anyone hurt you again. Yesterday was my fault. If I had stepped in sooner, this wouldn’t have happened. As your agent, I should have protected you… I failed you.”
Bianca felt a heavy guilt as she lowered her head.
Sophia gently reassured her. “Bianca, this isn’t your fault.”
Though Bianca couldn’t fully forgive herself, she didn’t dwell on it. She slowly stood up.
“Sophia, get some rest. Don’t think too much about anything. And please, don’t do anything reckless because of a man like him. He’s not worth it. I’ll clear your schedule for a few days. Call me if you need anything.”
Sophia gave a faint smile. “Don’t worry about me. I’m really okay now.”
After making sure Sophia was comfortable and offering a few more words of caution, Bianca finally left.
The moment she stepped out of the gated complex, she pulled out her phone and dialed Michael’s number.
The phone rang endlessly before Michael finally picked up.
Bianca’s voice was sharp and direct to the point. “Michael Hayes, I don’t care who you are. Stay away from Sophia. If you go near her again, you’ll regret it.”
Michael hesitated, thrown off by her bluntness. When he finally spoke, his voice was quiet. “What did she tell you?”
“That doesn’t matter,” Bianca shot back. “I’m her agent, and my job is to protect her. Show some decency and stop harassing her.”
Michael was baffled by her boldness. He couldn’t understand how she had the nerve to warn him like this.
But deep down, today had shaken him.
Sophia’s disappearance had bothered him. Watching her nearly drown and being unable to save her made him feel powerless.
Not only had he let her down but he had let himself down too.
For the first time, he realized…
He had no idea what love really was. Or how to love someone at all.
Michael didn’t argue. He simply said, “Fine.”
Bianca was taken aback by how quickly he gave in. She had been ready for a fight but was shocked at how easily he gave in.
“I hope you mean that. Sophia and I are just an actress and an agent from a small agency, trying to live peacefully. We don’t want to get involved with powerful people like you. Please, do us a favor and stay away.”
Without waiting for a response, she hung up.
Taking a deep breath, she thought about everything Sophia had endured.
Her view of the wealthy had soured. They appeared respectable, but underneath, they were controlling and hypocritical.
Even a well-known actress like Sophia couldn’t break free from their control. She had been pushed to the brink, completely drained.
Bianca couldn’t forget what Dave had told her last night.
When Dave leaned closer, he clearly said in a sharp and cold voice.
“My possessions, even if tarnished, won’t be given to anyone else.”
His eyes had darkened as he added, “Bianca, you will regret this.”
At that moment, all she had felt was pain.
Suddenly, fear crept in now. She instinctively hugged herself tightly and sank to the floor.
All Bianca wanted was a simple, peaceful life, but Dave was making that impossible.
As the CEO of Phoenix Alliance Group, dealing with her would be effortless for him.
Would she end up like Sophia, stripped of every last feeling for someone she once cherished?
Had she made a mistake by going against a man this powerful?
A sinking feeling crept into her chest.
She buried her head in her knees and stayed that way for what felt like forever.