"Olivia, don't be upset," Ethan coaxed gently. "Even if we can't find Sophia, it doesn't matter. Her reputation is already ruined."
Now, across the entire social elite circle, everyone believed that Sophia Morgan—the eldest daughter of the Morgan family—had rebelled against her arranged engagement and, right after the ceremony, run off with another man. To preserve their image and the alliance between families, the Trumps and Morgans publicly announced that the engagement would continue—with the graceful and obedient Olivia taking Sophia's place.
That way, even if Sophia returned and tried to tell the truth about last night, no one would believe her.
Olivia let out a soft hum, her anger easing slightly.
But when she passed by Sophia's room, she stopped in her tracks and called a maid upstairs. "Clear out everything in there. Throw it all away. Not a single thing left."
From now on, there would only be one daughter of the Morgan family—and it was her.
The maid bowed quickly. "Yes, Miss Olivia."
Hidden behind the curtains, Sophia's heart clenched. If the staff entered the room, they'd find her.
Her mind raced. Then she remembered—their bedrooms were both on the second floor. She could climb across the railing and reach Olivia's balcony.
Moving quickly, Sophia slipped out onto the railing and carefully edged her way over.
On Olivia's balcony stood a tall fiddle-leaf fig. Its lush, broad leaves formed a wall of green, perfect for hiding.
Sophia crouched behind the plant, the thick foliage concealing her from anyone inside.
She planned to wait it out, then slip away unnoticed. But fate had other ideas—Olivia returned to her room just then.
The moment she stepped in, she pulled Ethan into a heated kiss. Within minutes, the room filled with breathless gasps and the unmistakable sounds of passion.
Sophia: "…"
To make matters worse, between their moans, they actually started talking about selling her off to Mr. Mars.
Sophia's lips curved into a cold smile. She pulled out her phone and quietly started recording.
Olivia straddled Ethan, moving wildly as she spat out her fury. "Ethan, we slipped Sophia such a strong dose of the drug, and that bitch still managed to run! She escaped before Mr. Mars could ruin her—I'm furious!"
Ethan gripped her hips, thrusting harder. "Then take it all out on me, baby. Drain me dry."
Olivia let out a breathless laugh, grinding harder. "At least now we don't have to sneak around anymore. When that bitch lived next door, I had to hold back every time you were inside me."
Ethan's voice was low and rough. "But wasn't the risk half the thrill? That rush of being caught?" With that, he flipped her onto her back. "If you love screaming so much, then scream for me now."
Olivia moaned, shameless and loud. "Yes—harder! I love it when you go harder!"
…
Sophia stopped recording, her expression icy.
She almost wanted to thank Olivia for ordering her belongings tossed out. Without it, she wouldn't have stumbled into such a gift of evidence.
When the room finally fell quiet, Sophia climbed down from the second-floor balcony, slipped out through the garden gate, and headed straight for the airport.
It wasn't until she boarded a flight overseas that she truly let out a breath of relief.
Staring out at the clouds, her eyes hardened. Morgan family. Trump family. When I come back… none of you will be spared.
...
At the same time—
Alex reported respectfully, "Mr. Hilton, the woman who left your room this morning kept her head down. The cameras only caught part of her profile. I compared it with photos of everyone who entered the hotel yesterday and found she strongly resembles Sophia Morgan, the eldest daughter of the Morgan family."
"Show me," Lucas said coolly.
Alex handed him two photos—one from the security footage, and the other Sophia's old university ID picture.
One glance was all it took. Lucas knew instantly it was her—the woman who had stormed into his room last night.
He repeated her name in his mind. Sophia. Then, in a low voice, asked, "Where is she now?"
Alex hesitated, his expression uneasy. "Mr. Hilton… word from the Morgans is that Sophia ran away with another man. They claim she's missing."
In truth, the Morgan family had already spread that story last night. But if Sophia had supposedly disappeared with a lover, then why had she walked out of Mr. Hilton's suite this morning?
Could their boss really be the so-called mystery man?
"Missing?" Lucas's voice turned frigid. "Explain."
"Yes, sir."
Though Andrew Morgan had tried to cover his tracks, once Alex learned Mr. Hilton was looking for Sophia, he used his own methods to dig up the truth.
"On paper, Sophia is presented as the Morgan family's eldest daughter. In reality, she's Andrew's illegitimate child. He kept her around to trade her for profit. I discovered Andrew struck a deal with Mr. Mars—the notorious old predator in the business world—offering Sophia in exchange for favorable terms."
"But after the engagement party ended, Sophia vanished. The entire Morgan family has been searching, but no one's found her. To control the narrative, Andrew himself leaked the story that she had eloped with another man."
As Lucas listened, his eyes grew colder. "Erase the surveillance footage. Cut all ties with Morgan Group."
He paused, his tone final and commanding. "And no matter what it takes—find her."
...
Six years later.
At City A International Airport, the sudden appearance of six children drew nearly everyone's attention. People turned to stare, whispering in amazement.
"They're adorable—every single one of them."
"Look at the little girl on the far right. My God, I want a daughter that beautiful someday."
"And they're so well-behaved. Not a single fuss."
A few curious bystanders even considered asking to take pictures, but the idea died the moment they noticed the tall woman walking in the center. Dressed in black, sunglasses covering her eyes, her icy aura made strangers shrink back.
Sophia pressed her lips into a straighter line, trying to look as cold and distant as possible as she walked forward with six children in tow.
Ah, the bittersweet trouble of raising six little angels—sometimes even your indifference only makes you more noticeable.
Angela Morgan mimicked her mother, puffing up her cheeks and trying to look just as stern. But on her doll-like face, the expression only made her cuter, drawing even more adoring stares from the crowd.
Sophia sighed silently. She wanted to tell her six darlings that no matter how they tried, their faces would never scare people away. Instead, strangers would only squeal, "They're so cute! Can I hug them?"
Fortunately, Harper arrived to rescue them. "Over here, babies!"
"Auntie Harper!" Six little voices chirped in unison, sweet and high-pitched, as they bolted toward her. Their affection nearly melted Harper's heart on the spot.
Harper Carter had been Sophia's closest friend for years. To welcome Sophia back to the country, she'd even brought two bodyguards along—just in case anyone tried to snatch away one of Sophia's precious children in the crowd.
The sight of such a lively entourage drew the attention of a man heading for the exit. His gaze sharpened. "Stop."
Alex halted the wheelchair. "Mr. Hilton, what is it?"
Lucas studied the woman in the trench coat, her face partially hidden. Something about her looked familiar. Could it be her?
But after a beat, he looked away. "Let's go."
...
Silver Lake Villa.
Sophia flopped onto the plush sofa with a dramatic sigh. "Babies, this is our new home."
"Yay!"
The bright, spacious three-story villa was decorated to perfectly match the home they'd lived in overseas. The six children adjusted quickly, darting off to claim their rooms and unpack their things.
"This is the current state of Morgan Group," Harper said with a wide grin, setting a folder on the table. "Exactly what you wanted. Their numbers are tanking. You really outdid yourself, girl."
Sophia arched a brow, sighing theatrically. "What a pity… the Morgan Group hasn't gone bankrupt yet. I must not be trying hard enough."
Harper burst out laughing. That sharp tongue—she loved it.
"By the way," Sophia added casually, twirling two fingers in the air, "they've been trying to book Luna Gray, haven't they? Go negotiate. My appearance fee is twenty million."
Harper sucked in a breath. "Twenty million? You think Andrew will actually pay that?"
"Does he have a choice?" Sophia smirked. "Aside from Luna, who else can save Morgan Group? He'll pay. And if he doesn't, I lose nothing."
Harper nodded slowly. "Fair point. Oh—and in three days, the Scotts are throwing a gala in City A. The Morgans and the Trumps will both be there. Do you want to make an appearance?"
Sophia blew her a playful kiss. "Absolutely. Thanks, Harper."
Her eyes gleamed with anticipation. She couldn't wait to see the look on the Morgans' faces when she walked into that ballroom.