Chapter 6

SOPHIE WESLEY

"Marry me."

Knox's eyes stayed fixed on mine with the same expression... Like he'd expected this would happen.

The hall went so quiet that the low whispers that followed felt almost loud.

'What's happening?'

'Why is she standing with Mr. Knoxville instead of Anthony?'

"What are you doing?" Knox's voice was steady, his eyes didn't move an inch.

I closed the distance in one step, lifted my hands to the back of his neck, pulled him down, and kissed his lips.

He went still.

Gasps broke out behind me.

When I pulled back, hands still resting at his neck, I tilted my head and whispered, "play along."

Then I turned to face everyone.

Anthony stood there, his face pale, and lips hanging open.

Mom and Dad were beside him, wearing matching expressions of disbelief.

I stared quietly for a moment, then spoke.

"Thank you all for coming tonight." My eyes found Anthony's again, a small smirk curling my lips. "But there will be no engagement... I'm calling it off."

Colors drained from his face.

The hall fell silent again, then mom's voice cut through the silence. Sharp and full of rage.

"Sophie!"

I held her gaze for a moment, but just before I could find my voice, a hand closed around my wrist from behind.

Knox.

He pulled me through the crowd, and straight to his car outside.

He pushed me into the backseat, then sat beside me, and looked at his driver.

"Drive."

The car moved.

I noticed the driver... a young man in a black suit. I couldn't see his face.

Then I looked back at Knox. He was staring out of the window quietly.

I turned away and exhaled.

The memories clawed back into my head, and my chest tightened, tears blurring my vision.

I gave them everything. Loyalty. Patience. Years of myself, shaped around what they needed me to be. And in the end, they all tossed me aside like I was never part of their family. And the man I've loved for years, ignored my call for help.

They're going to pay for everything. Every single one of them.

The car stopped with a sharp jolt. Outside was dark. A bridge, and the faint sound of water below.

The driver stepped out without a word, leaving us alone.

Knox turned to me for the first time since we'd left the hall.

"What was that?"

I pressed back slightly against the seat. Now that the adrenaline had cooled, that was some crazy shit I pulled back there.

I held his gaze. His eyes were cold... Different from the terrified look he had in his eyes back then.

I told myself that I did it for that one reason. Because he cried for me, but deep down, I knew that was stupid, and pulling that stunt back there should've been the last thing to do.

I could've just walked away from the engagement, but no, I have to get myself into this shit.

Yes, I wanted revenge, but this is insane.

Knoxville is the hottest bachelor in New York. Thirty. Wealthy as fuck, and had never been in a relationship.

His father, Mr. Louis Floyd, had arranged several blind dates, but none ever lasted a week.

Reason; his persona sucked so fucking much, none of the women could stand him. According to them, he loved his business so damn much, finding time for women, to him, feels like cheating on his business.

Those were just rumours I heard back then... And I had just kissed the same man in front of a crowd and suggested marriage.

What the fuck was I thinking?

"What was that?" he asked again, his voice calm yet impatient.

I swallowed hard, fidgeting my fingers.

For a moment, I stayed quiet, trying to think of something to say.

I cleared my throat.

"Uhm... I realised Anthony wasn't the right fit for me," my voice cracked barely above a whisper.

The look he gave me said he didn't believe me.

I wouldn't believe me either.

His eyes stayed fixated on me longer than comfortable, then scoffed, and looked away.

"Not the right fit..." He murmured, then looked back at me. "What made you think I was?"

I blinked, lips parted, but no words came out.

His eyes were fixed on me, an uncomfortable silence thickening between us, and just then, my phone rang.

Anthony.

I had no intention of answering, but I reached for the door anyway.

Knox held my hand.

I paused.

"You haven't answered my question."

I looked down at his hand, then up at him. Heat climbing up my throat.

I exhaled, pulling out the last card I have.

"Chloe Monroe..."

His face dropped.

The shift in his expression was all I needed to know that the rumors I heard in the past were true.

"You don't want to marry her," I continued. "And I don't want to marry Anthony either. My parents want me to marry into Floyd family..." I rested back on the seat, eyes fixated on him.

"Walking away from Anthony and still marrying you makes up for everything. What matters is the result..." I paused and leaned close, a smirk pulling at my lips. "The result that I marry into the Floyd family."

"I assume Chloe represents a similar problem for you. So we solve each other's problem. That's all this is."

His eyes darkened. "How did you know about Chloe?"

Chloe Monroe. A runaway model, and one of his father's arranged blind dates.

They've been together for years though Knox was clear from the beginning that he won't marry her.

In my past life, she'd already announced they'd be getting married after four years of being together, and only a day after, secret texts between her and Knox were leaked, showing that Knox wasn't interested in the marriage.

Rumor had it that Knox paid people to release the private messages.

"I asked you a question. How did you know about Chloe?"

I scoffed and yanked his hand off.

"It's not exactly a secret. It's been on every gossip page for weeks." I held his gaze. "I'm not stalking you. I barely have time to sleep."

His eyes stayed fixed on me quietly.

I reached for the door handle. "Think it over." I glanced back at him. "I'm Sophie underscore Wesley on Instagram. Send me a message when you've decided."

I stepped out onto the bridge, the cold air hitting my face.

What a great day to be alive...

*****

I took a cab home, and my legs stilled the moment I stepped into the living room.

My eyes found the spot. The place on the floor where my body had laid cold on the floor, covered in blood.

Then to the spot where I stood as Knox walked right through me.

The room looked exactly the same. My portrait still hung on the wall, and that's because Ivy wasn't back yet.

My knees buckled beneath me, and I quickly caught the wall.

Tears burned in my eyes.

"Pull yourself together, Sophie" I whispered. "You're here. You're alive."

The footsteps on the staircase snapped me back to reality.

Mom and Dad descended together, their faces burning with fury.

Mom walked straight to me, her hand was already rising as she reached the bottom step, ready to slap me.

I caught her wrist.

She froze, colors draining from her face as if I'd struck her instead.

In all the years since they'd brought me home, I had never once refused them anything. I had bent, shaped, and quietly endured until compliance became instinct.

She had never needed to raise a hand before Ivy came back. After Ivy came back, it became casual... a reflex for any provocation, however small.

I had taken it every time... Not anymore.

"Don't," I said calmly.

"Sophie!" She yanked her hand back, eyes wide with shock.

"I would appreciate it if you kept your hands to yourself." The word 'mom' sat in my mouth. I didn't say it.

"How dare you." Dad stepped forward, moving to her side. "You embarrass us in front of everyone, ignore our calls the entire ride home, and this is how you walk through the door? Apologise to your mother. Right now."

"Apologise for what? For calling off my engagement?"

"You know what this engagement means to us..." Mom's voice was still firm with anger as she stepped closer. "To our company. You know how much we stand to gain from this. How could you have done that?!"

I didn't say anything. I just stared quietly.

The engagement between me and Anthony was never arranged out of love for me... it was a transaction.

My parents' company needed the Floyd name, the connections, the doors that only Floyd could open for them.

I was the bridge for them to get to where they wanted. The fact that I had actually loved Anthony was beside the point and always had been.

She reached for me, her voice softening. "Talk to me, Sophie. Tell me what's wrong."

I stepped back.

She scoffed and touched her forehead, anger and frustration creeping up her face.

"After everything I gave you." Her voice hardened, "I pulled you out of that godforsaken orphanage. I gave you a name, a home, a life... and this is what I get in return? This is your gratitude?"

"A life?" I scoffed. "You mean Ivy's?"

Her mouth opened, and closed without a word.

My gaze dropped to the dress. The colour hit me differently now... Ivy's favourite.

I had been too absorbed in Anthony. Too excited and eager to be with him that I never saw the obvious. The dress. The occasion. The arrangement. None of it had ever really been mine.

They chose a dress Ivy would've loved to wear. They didn't even allow me choose the decoration for the hall.

Everything was always about Ivy. I just never saw it.

I reached up and ripped the fabric apart, letting it fall.

Both of them gasped.

"That is Ivy's dress!" Mom rushed forward to gather it from the floor.

Right. She finally said it.

I pulled the pins from my hair and let it fall loose. Even the style had been Ivy's. A high ponytail with bang. The way Mom had always worn it on her in every picture of hers that I've seen.

I walked past them toward the stairs.

"We are not done talking, Sophie!"

I kept walking, my chest pounding.

Then I walked into my room, my heart wrenching painfully.

I let my eyes sweep around it, tears burning in my eyes.

Ivy's favourite colour on the walls. Her taste in every corner... the furniture, the ornaments, every small detail.

Tears streamed my cheeks, and with the anger burning in my chest, I grabbed whatever I could, shattering it.

By the time I stopped, the floor was covered... clothes pulled from the wardrobe, the flower vase in pieces, everything overturned and scattered.

My hands were shaking.

I looked up at the painting on the wall.

It was a family portrait. I had painted it myself for Dad's birthday. The four of us, arranged like we belonged together. I was proud of it once.

I had always loved fashion. Modelling. The idea of designing something and watching it move down a runway had been the dream I'd ever had... until the Wesleys redirected me.

Ivy had loved painting, so I learned to paint. I became good at it. I spent years producing work that filled Dad's company collections, canvases that generated real money, and my name appeared on none of it.

I was always behind the frame, never in front of it.

They had taken even that from me and called it an opportunity.

With my hands shaking, I grabbed the portrait and tore it until it was in shreds.

Once done, I dropped to the bed, face buried in my palms as I cried heavily.

My phone buzzed against the mattress.

I almost didn't look, expecting Anthony's name. Instead, an email notification popped on the screen.

B&K ANNUAL RUNWAY FESTIVAL. COMING SOON.

I had received this same email once before. I had deleted it without opening it, because by then I had already stopped believing that dream belonged to me.

My grip tightened on the phone.

Not this time. I will live for me this time...