Chapter 208

"Pull over."

The bodyguard hesitated, unwilling to defy Ethan’s orders.

Sophia’s lips curled in derision. "What’s wrong, Mr. Roscente? Not disgusted anymore? Or are you planning to take me to a hotel for a quick fuck?"

She had never spoken so crudely before.

Ethan’s chest constricted. He shut his eyes tightly. "Stop the car. Let her out."

The vehicle screeched to a halt.

Sophia stepped out without looking back.

The black sedan sped away, leaving her behind.

Dark clouds swallowed the moon. A cold wind rose abruptly.

The late spring night carried a biting chill. Dressed in only a thin gown and heels, Sophia sank onto the roadside.

She reached for her phone to call a ride, only to find the screen black.

Right. It had been ruined by water.

Just her luck.

Raindrops pounded the asphalt, sending up tiny sprays of water.

Sophia Lowell walked barefoot, each step like treading on knives. The night wind carried icy rain down her collar, making her teeth chatter.

An engine growled behind her.

She instinctively moved aside, but blinding headlights forced her to shut her eyes.

"Get in."

The car window lowered, revealing Ethan Roscente's sharp profile. Rain slid down his jawline and disappeared beneath his collar.

Sophia turned her face away.

The sound of tires splashing through puddles faded into the distance.

She counted her steps—then suddenly found herself lifted into the air. Ethan's chest burned against her, his scent of ambergris mixing with rainwater until her head spun.

"Put me down!"

"Shut up." His arms tightened. "Keep struggling and I'll throw you into the ocean."

A bodyguard jogged over with an umbrella, tactfully averting his eyes from the drenched figure in his boss's arms.

Inside the car, the heater blasted warm air.

Sophia curled into the corner, watching the blurred rain outside. Her silk dress clung to her, outlining the sharp edges of her shoulder blades.

"Put this on."

His suit jacket, still warm from his body, dropped over her head. She tried to shrug it off—only for his hand to clamp around her wrist.

"Sophia." Ethan's voice was rough. "Must you always be this stubborn?"

Rain dripped from his hair, leaving dark stains on the leather seats.

Suddenly she remembered that rainy night three years ago. The same torrential downpour. Him standing outside the marriage registry, clutching their voided marriage certificate.

"You flatter me, Mr. Roscente." She forced a smile. "I wouldn't dare oppose you."

The car radio interrupted with a breaking news alert:

"Armed robbery reported on Coastal Highway. Residents advised to avoid the area—"

Ethan's expression darkened.

He yanked off his tie. The metal clip hit the window with a sharp clink.

"Turn around!"

Tires screeched on the wet pavement. Sophia was thrown against his chest by the momentum, her ear pressed to the frantic rhythm of his heartbeat.

"Scared now?" His fingers dug into her chin. "If I hadn't come back tonight—"

He cut himself off.

The windshield wipers moved mechanically. On the glass, two trails of water kept intersecting before parting again.

Just like them—forever entangled, never reconciled.