CHAPTER 34: I’LL PAY FOR YOUR TREATMENT

After Harper left, Sophia’s phone buzzed.

"Hello? Mr. Turner—what’s up?"

"I’m calling to tell you your album will drop the day after tomorrow."

"Can you push it back?"

There was a pause on the line. "Why?"

"I sang that song at the bar last night. If that’s a problem, you can skip paying the composer fee."

"You are being ridiculously impulsive. Do you know how much loss that would cause?"

Sophia didn’t care about money. One of the country’s most mysterious composers—"April"—was another identity of hers. Maybe talent had been too generous to her: she’d tinkered casually, and somehow an album sold over a hundred million copies. The song she sang in the bar last night was from that new release. It had been an impulse—and she hadn’t thought through the consequences.

When she hung up, she turned and found the six kids lined up like they’d been waiting, faces shouting, I knew it.

Before the heavy questioning could even begin, Olivia called and asked to meet. Sophia had never been so grateful to see Olivia’s name—perfect timing.

"Stay home and behave. Mommy’s stepping out for a bit."

She left like she was running away. Behind her, the six kids exchanged looks.

"Angela, Mommy is hiding something. She was definitely with Lucas last night."

Angela, as the eldest, waited for Sophia to speak. After a moment’s thought she said, "Go to Hilton Group. Slip into his office—bring the contract with you."

"Okay."

The six split up and moved fast. Soon the Ferrari outside was gone.

...

Olivia had asked to meet at a café. In just a few days she’d lost a noticeable amount of weight.

"What do you want?" a voice said from behind. Sophia slid into the seat opposite her. Olivia’s hand tightened on her knee.

It was all her. Still, because Sophia needed something from Olivia, she forced a smile. "Sis—you used to love mocha. I had one ordered for you. Tell me how it tastes."

"I don’t drink coffee in the morning. Say what you came for—don’t beat around the bush."

"Give Ethan back to me."

Sophia raised an eyebrow—exactly as she’d expected. Everything was about Ethan. She let a little sarcasm slip in. "Give him back? Do you even understand the situation? Ethan doesn’t want you. That’s not my problem."

"You stole him! You must give him back! He’s mine!"

Olivia’s voice rose; heads turned and she hurriedly lowered it. Sophia watched her, irony blooming in her eyes.

"When you teamed up to hand me to that old man, why didn’t you bother calling me your sister then? I still remember the face you made—you wanted me dead."

She said it lightly, as if the past no longer hurt.

"Ethan and I were intimate long before—he wanted me."

"Oh, I know. After you delivered me to that creep, you two to have sex in your room. Even before that, for a long time, every time Ethan said goodbye to me, you would sneak off to your room and have sex in secret. Until that day, without me in the next room to interfere, you didn’t have to be quiet—your noises were especially loud."

She knew?

Olivia blinked, stunned—her first thought was maybe Ethan had told.

Sophia leaned forward. "I want you to answer one thing truthfully: how did my mother die?"

Sophia’s breath tightened. Her mother had been killed by the Morgans—but she still didn’t know exactly how. Her mother’s death was the wound she couldn’t get past.

"You really want to know? Sophia, give Ethan back to me and I’ll tell you."

"Olivia, I’m giving you a chance to redeem yourself. Even if you don’t tell me, do you really think I’ll never find out? Honestly, I never cared about Ethan, but the way you’re talking makes me curious. He asked me out just a couple of days ago. So maybe tomorrow I’ll go have dinner with him, catch a movie, stroll around for a bit?"

"You! You carry the Morgan family’s blood in your veins!" Olivia snapped, panic flashing across her face.

"So what if I do?"

Sophia’s eyes narrowed as she shot her a cool glance. "Olivia, do you remember this?"

She raised her wrist—scars still visible.

Olivia’s complexion paled.

"I never had them removed. They remind me not to forget the pain. Even if I was just a child under ten, calling it a prank doesn’t mean I’m obligated to forgive you."

"Sophia, you deserved it! You and your mother made my mom suffer! Both of you deserved everything you got! Dad got bored of Aurora and tossed her aside—she was nothing but—"

Smack!

The sharp slap echoed, drawing stares from the café.

Fury flickered in Sophia’s eyes like a blade.

Olivia’s gaze blazed. "You dared to hit me?!"

"Say another vile word, and next time it won’t just be a slap."

Sophia calmly took out a wipe, cleaning her hand before tossing it in the trash. Then, with a mocking tilt of her head, she added, "Careful what you say. Don’t bother with blush next time. If I decide it’s uneven, I’ll make sure it’s symmetrical. Think of it as saving you money."

"Sophia, you’ve gone too far! My father is filing a lawsuit against you. You’ll pay—let’s see how much you can afford!"

Sophia lowered her head, a laugh slipping past her lips. "Sorry to disappoint you, but my future husband Lucas? Forget the rest—just his fortune alone, you wouldn’t be able to count it all in your lifetime."

She chuckled softly. "Funny how comparisons always sting the worst, isn’t it?"

Olivia shot to her feet, palms slamming on the table, eyes darting to Sophia’s untouched coffee. Venom filled her stare.

She grabbed the cup to throw, but Sophia’s hand shot out, clamping her wrist. With the slightest twist, the coffee splashed all over Olivia’s pristine white dress.

"Ahh!"

The cup shattered on the ground.

"Heaven sees everything. People reap what they sow. Thanks for the coffee, though."

Sophia shrugged innocently, grabbed her bag, and strolled out. At the door, she turned to the waiter. "The broken cup—please put it on that lady’s bill."

"Miss, that was imported from Country D. Twelve hundred. Card or cash?"

Olivia’s fists clenched, hatred darkening her eyes as she glared at Sophia’s retreating figure. She yanked out a wad of cash and slammed it down. "Enough?!"

The server nodded quickly. "Yes, miss, there’s even an extra thousand—"

Before she could finish, Olivia snatched another cup and smashed it at the girl’s feet.

"Ahh!"

Glass sliced the server’s ankle, blood spilling fast.

"Go pay for your own doctor," Olivia spat, hurling the rest of the cash at her before storming out.

As she reached her car, a stocky man in a baseball cap suddenly stepped into her path.

"You are...?"

"Miss, I’m with JL Entertainment. You’ve got great potential. Would you be interested in joining us as one of our artists?"

Olivia frowned, snatching the business card.

JL Entertainment—rivaled only by LT in the industry.

Her eyes glimmered with something dangerous.