Chapter 65
Sophia’s fists clenched, her body trembling. It finally clicked. He wanted her to kneet–another layer of humiliation. Every time before, it was the muscle of his guards or the force of his shove. This time, though, it was different. He’d ripped apart her body and soul, trampled her dignity, and now he wanted to break her spirit, grinding her pride into the snow. “Will kneeling save my father?” she rasped.
Jason’s gaze remained locked on the bruises marring her skin. The more he stared, the hotter his anger burned, Coupled with those muffled sounds from the phone call days ago, his fury became a destructive storm. If he couldn’t have her, he’d break her. “You don’t get to bargain,” he spat. “Kneel, or your father rots in prison.”
A frail smile flickered on Sophia’s lips as she looked at him through the snowfall. Her hand reached out hesitantly, fingers brushing the memory of his features in the air. This face, once burned into her very being, was slowly slipping away. Like the wind scattering snowflakes, it would soon be gone. “Jason, you’ll never understand what this means.”
With that, she sank down, her trembling legs giving way. Her pride, her love, her admiration and fight, the foolish infatuation of youth–all buried beneath the snow. Tears streamed down her face, yet she kept that fragile smile, watching the handsome face blur before her, her
heart turning to ash.
Jason watched in silence, gaze fixed on the tears tracing tracks down her cheeks. His own fingers twitched at his side, a sudden tightness constricting his chest. He reached out instinctively, fingers meeting nothing but empty air and the chilling touch of snowflakes. In that moment, a strange sense of loss washed over him. He looked at the woman kneeling before him, a flicker of panic crossing his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he forced down the unexpected emotions. “Spare yourself the dramatics,” he said coldly. “Don’t you dare embarrass me out here. Go kneel in the courtyard of Classa Garden.” With that, he turned and strode away, his figure oddly disheveled, almost like a retreat
Sophia slowly wiped away the smile, the pain in her eyes fading to a cold, sorrowful emptiness. The snowfall intensified. Time blurred, her consciousness slipping until a panicked shout jolted her awake. “Sophia! Wake up, you’ll freeze!”
She opened her eyes to see Amanda’s worried face hovering above, Sophia tried a smile, pulling at the corners of her frozen lips. “Amanda, what are you doing here?”
Amanda blinked back tears, her voice thick with emotion. “I called Mr. Clark. He chewed me out for letting you leave the estate.” The truth was, worry gnawed at her. She’d sent people to find Sophia’s family home and rushed over. “Why are you in the snow? Did you pass out?”
Sophia met Amanda’s caring gaze, and a spark of warmth thawed her frozen heart. She didn’t want to worry Amanda, so she played along. “Yeah, I felt a pain in my chest as soon as I came here, just collapsed.” A weak smile. “Thanks for caring, Amanda.”
Amanda looked at Sophia’s pale face, a lump forming in her throat. Tears welled up in her eyes. This woman was pitiful. Injured, pregnant, bullied by a husband who seemed determined to suck her dry. Jason was a heartless jerk, didn’t deserve to know about the baby, didn’t deserve to be a husband or a father, Karma would get him someday. “Let’s get you back to Mr. Clark’s place. We can talk later, when he gets back from his trip. He’ll be back in five days.”
Sophia shook her head, voice hoarse. “No point. Take me back to Classa Garden. My dad did something wrong, Jason has proof.” Amanda opened her mouth to argue, but Sophia cut her off. “No one else can save him, Amanda. I have to go back.”
Later that afternoon, Jason returned to Classa Garden with Ada. As they stepped out of the car, a chilling sight met their eyes. A woman knelt in the snow. Sophia leaned back against the swing, her face frosty, eyes shut tight, looking as though she were dead.