Chapter 218

The moment her phone lit up, Sophia knew exactly who it was.

No one but Isabella Valentine would call at this critical juncture.

"Isabella, what do you want?" She answered immediately, her voice icy.

A soft chuckle came through the line, laced with chilling delight. "Guessed it was me so quickly? Not as dumb as you look."

Sophia's fingers tightened around the napkin, her knuckles turning white.

"But..." Isabella's tone darkened abruptly. "This is just the beginning. Should we arrange a few more 'accidents'?"

"Don't you dare!" Sophia shot to her feet, drawing stares from nearby diners. "Come at me if you want, but leave my aunt out of this!"

"Oh, getting worked up?" Isabella drawled. "Stay away from Ethan, or next time it won't just be a minor car crash."

Outside, sunlight vanished behind gathering clouds. A chill ran down Sophia's spine.

"You think Ethan Roscente actually cares about you?" Isabella's voice slithered into her ear like a venomous snake. "Did you see his face when he made you apologize in public the other night?"

Sophia's nails dug into her palms.

"Oh, and that precious best friend of yours..." Isabella lowered her voice. "What if something unfortunate happened to her—"

"Isabella!" Sophia hissed through clenched teeth. "If you lay a finger on Vivian, I swear I'll—"

"With what?" The laughter that followed was razor-sharp. "You're just an orphan with no family, no power."

Sophia's chest heaved, her ears ringing.

"Remember," Isabella's voice dropped to a whisper. "This is your warning. If I catch you near Ethan again..."

The line went dead.

Sophia stared at the darkened screen, her blood turning to ice.

She should've known.

Isabella would never let things go—not since that birthday banquet.

Outside, storm clouds blotted out the sky.