CHAPTER 88: CHAPTER 88 AN OFFER FROM KANE

Sophie’s POV

I stood there, dumbstruck, as Ryan walked away. My carefully practiced smile crumbled, twisting into something ugly and desperate. My fingers clenched around the gift bag I’d brought—now just a pathetic joke.

That bitch Serena. Somehow she’d managed to make Ryan cut ties with me completely.

I glared up at the Blackwood mansion with pure hatred before spinning on my heel. As I stormed away, a black car brushed past me.

The nightmare continued when I got back to the office next day.

Colleagues who used to kiss my ass now wouldn’t even look at me—or worse, they’d stare with obvious contempt.

I’ve always been sensitive to other people’s moods, and something was definitely wrong.

After sitting at my desk for maybe ten minutes, I grabbed my mug and headed to the break room. I hadn’t even reached the doorway when I heard them talking about me.

"Did you hear? Sophie and Ryan were never actually together. She was just clinging to him this whole time."

"Ryan has a girlfriend, but it’s not her. And she’s pregnant! They’ve been happy together for ages."

"I always thought Sophie was such a fake. Acting all sweet but really just a scheming bitch."

"Right? If she really had connections to Ryan, why would she be working here? It was all so obviously fake!"

I gripped my mug tighter, my face burning. These same people had been practically bowing to me days ago. Now that my connection to Ryan had been publicly severed, I was suddenly everyone’s favorite target.

I wasn’t surprised. These were games I’d played myself countless times.

I pushed the door open and swept in, giving everyone my coldest stare. Instead of cowering, they glared right back.

"What are you looking at?" one of them sneered. "Sophie, do you ever say anything true? I can’t believe I was stupid enough to trust you."

"Remember when you promised to help me transfer to headquarters?" another jumped in. "What a joke. You’re still stuck here yourself! I don’t see Ryan rushing to give you a promotion!"

A third one laughed dramatically. "Be nice, guys. After all, Ryan sent people specifically to clarify they have NO relationship! Sophie’s little rumor made it all the way to headquarters!"

My face grew colder by the second. I wanted to fight back, but what could I say? Ryan had publicly distanced himself from me. I had no cards left to play.

If I caused trouble here, I might lose any chance of getting close to Ryan again. Swallowing my pride, I turned and walked out, leaving their mockery behind.

For days, the gossip followed me everywhere. Everyone in the office, even my manager, seemed determined to make my life hell.

"Translate this document by this afternoon," May said, throwing a file onto my desk with a smirk. "You’re such a brilliant graduate, this should be easy, right?"

"Do it yourself. That’s not my job." I glared at her and threw the document on the floor. If she thought she could bully me that easily, she was mistaken.

"You’ll regret this, Sophie," she hissed before storming off.

I didn’t even bother looking at her, just took out my lipstick and reapplied it calmly.

Just before leaving work, I went to the bathroom. As I was pulling up my pants, someone dumped a bucket of cold water over the stall door. I heard multiple giggles before the sound of hurried footsteps faded away.

My clothes and shoes were soaked. Worse, my hair was dripping wet.

When I opened the stall door, the bathroom was empty. From the sounds I’d heard, there must have been at least three of them. I never thought I’d be humiliated like this—truly a fallen tiger at the mercy of dogs!

I fixed myself up as best I could, but still looked like a mess. Thank god I had a jacket at my desk that could hide some of the damage.

After leaving the building, I sneezed hard, my nose already turning red. I’d only walked a few steps when I spotted a familiar car. My eyes lit up immediately. I put on my most pitiful expression and hurried over.

When the door opened, my face fell. It wasn’t Ryan inside.

One look at Kane Blackwood in his wheelchair made my blood run cold. This man was definitely not someone I could afford to mess with.

"Miss Sophie, it’s been so long," he said smoothly. "After all these years, even after being married, you still look so young and beautiful."

My heart skipped a beat. How did he know about my marriage? I’d hidden that part of my past perfectly. I’d never officially registered the marriage to that old man, which meant I couldn’t claim any of his fortune when he died.

That had worked in my favor until now—there was no paper trail of my past, which is why I’d dared to return and pursue Ryan again. But somehow, this wasn’t a secret anymore.

If Kane revealed this, I’d have no future in this city.

"What do you want, Kane?" I asked coldly.

"You’re a smart woman, Sophie. You know your value. If you’re willing to work with me, I can help you get what you want."

I stared at him, not trusting a single word. In my mind, Kane was like a venomous snake, always ready to strike.

"You don’t seem convinced," Kane smiled. "But you’ll come looking for me soon enough. A poisonous beauty like you—we’re actually perfect for each other."

Before I could respond, he closed the car door. I could only watch as the car sped away.

A chill ran through my body, giving me goosebumps all over. Kane’s appearance made me certain that something bigger was happening—something I wasn’t going to like.