Chapter 46

She stood before the mirror, studying her reflection. Her face was delicate and pleasant by ordinary standards, but in the entertainment industry, it barely scraped by as average. Every time online polls ranked "mediocre beauties in showbiz," her name inevitably made the list.

The "high-fashion face" persona her PR team crafted might fool fans, but it couldn’t fool her.

A man like Ethan Roscente would never have agreed to this engagement if not for her family’s influence. The thought festered in her heart like a thorn.

She loved Ethan with a desperate intensity, but to him, she was merely a calculated choice. So when she saw Sophia Lowell standing beside him, the venomous serpent of jealousy nearly tore her heart apart.

Watching Isabella Valentine’s sour expression, the frustration that had weighed on Sophia’s chest all morning finally eased. Suddenly, she understood the psychology of those villainous female characters in novels.

Hate them. Understand them. Become them.

The wind on the rooftop was fierce, tangling Sophia’s long hair. She had come here for fresh air, but with Isabella present, the mood was ruined.

As she turned to leave, the rooftop door swung open again.

Ethan’s tall figure appeared in the doorway.

There was no need to guess who he was here for. Sure enough, Isabella’s delighted voice rang out behind her. "Ethan! How did you know I was here?"

The wind drowned out his reply. Sophia had no interest in playing the third wheel. She quickened her steps toward the opposite exit.

Her phone buzzed.

A text from an unknown number contained just two words: "Come here."

Frowning, Sophia scanned her surroundings—and met Ethan’s icy gaze.

With a cold laugh, she deleted the message, blocked the number, and walked away without looking back.

Ethan watched her retreating figure, his eyes darkening. A chilling smirk curled his lips.

"What’s wrong?" Isabella asked cautiously.

"Nothing." He averted his gaze.

Descending from the rooftop, Sophia passed the psychiatric ward. A nurse pushed a hospital bed down the corridor toward her.

The man on the bed was pale, his hair disheveled, his vacant eyes fixed on the ceiling. As Sophia stepped aside to let them pass, their eyes accidentally met.

Daniel Clementson’s dull gaze suddenly twisted with rage.

In a flash, he seized her wrist, lunged from the bed, and clamped his hands around her throat.

"You bitch! This is all your fault! Die! Die!"

Caught off guard, Sophia was slammed against the wall, his grip crushing her windpipe. She clawed at his arms, drawing blood, but couldn’t break free.

Her breath grew ragged. Darkness crept into her vision.

The nurse’s screams echoed through the hallway.