Chapter 416

"I've been too busy lately, and my phone broke. I didn't notice any of this."

Emily Laurent's laughter crackled through the phone, dripping with schadenfreude. "You should've seen the scene. Reporters swarmed the hospital like vultures. Security couldn't clear them out for two days straight. In the end, Ethan Roscente had to step in personally to handle it."

She paused, her tone growing even more gleeful. "Isabella Valentine's car accident couldn't have been better timed. The wedding's completely derailed. The entire elite circle is laughing at her now. Karma's a bitch—she's getting exactly what she deserves after how she framed you."

Sophia Lowell's fingers tightened around her phone. "What about... Ethan?"

The question died on her lips. They were nothing to each other now. Why bother asking?

"Ethan?" Emily drew out the name with deliberate amusement. "He stayed by Isabella's bedside all night until she woke up. Looked absolutely miserable. I bet he's fuming."

She clicked her tongue. "Can't blame him. All that wedding prep down the drain. Now he has to start from scratch. Anyone would be pissed."

Sophia stopped listening. The words "wedding postponed" echoed in her mind.

Isabella only injured her leg. Logically, that shouldn't affect the wedding. Knowing Isabella, that woman would crawl to the altar even with two broken legs.

Unless...

Sophia pictured Ethan's cold, sharp features.

Did he do this?

Her fingers absently swiped across her phone screen—then froze. A call had been placed. The contact name flashed, and her hand jerked in panic, hastily ending the call.

Ethan Roscente.

Damn it.

Before she could think, she'd already blocked his number.

Ethan stared at the abruptly terminated call log, his brow furrowing.

He redialed. A robotic voice informed him he'd been blocked.

He laughed darkly.

Perfect. Just perfect.

He'd been drowning in work these past days, barely sleeping four or five hours a night, cleaning up the mess from postponing the wedding. And now, after waiting for her call—this was what he got?

Zachary Evans cautiously studied his boss's expression. "Maybe Miss Lowell dialed by accident—"

"Shut up," Ethan cut him off coldly.

Zachary swallowed hard but pressed on. "She probably realized it was a mistake and blocked you immediately to avoid... unwanted follow-ups."

Before he could finish, a death glare silenced him.

Ethan set down his coffee cup with deliberate calm. "Do you know what I want to do right now?"

"What?" Zachary asked reflexively.