Free Web NovelChapter 80: Chapter 80: Ethan Austin
The sky had darkened, and a light, drizzling rain began to fall.
Sophie Shaw drove aimlessly through the streets. She had nowhere to go. After circling halfway through the city, her car ended up at the house from her memories—the one that had once been a warm and happy home.
It was the home Mina Ford and Joseph Shaw had worked so hard to build together when she was still alive, a small two-story Western-style house.
Later, after Mina Ford passed away from illness, Joseph Shaw couldn’t afford the mortgage. He took Sophie with him and married into the Kane Family...
The little house was far from the city center in a poor location, right next to an industrial zone with terrible public transport. Bianca Kane advised Joseph Shaw against continuing to pay the mortgage. The truth was, without Bianca’s financial support, Joseph couldn’t afford it anyway. So, after some "persuasion," she convinced Joseph to sell the house.
Sophie only found out about it after the house was sold. She was only thirteen at the time, and she had a huge fight with Joseph Shaw over it.
Because of that argument, she was locked up by Mr. Kane for the first time. Although Joseph Shaw’s heart ached for her, he had just moved into the Kane residence and didn’t dare defy the old man. He could only let her be locked in the pitch-black attic room—a room so dark you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face—for an entire night.
Every time she was confined, Joseph Shaw was the one who let her out. As a result, he knew the password to the dark room by heart.
Pulling herself from her memories, Sophie parked her Cayenne across the street from the little house.
The house was brightly lit. Through the window, she could see a happy-looking family of three, and her eyes couldn’t help but well up with tears.
The phone in her purse was ringing nonstop, but she didn’t know who was calling and simply ignored it.
Alaric Blackwood was calling her, practically blowing up her phone.
When she didn’t answer, the man grew anxious. He made a call to his assistant, Preston Chase, and told him to find Sophie Shaw’s location.
Sophie sat stunned in her car for a long time. She watched the family of three inside the little house finish their dinner and come out for a walk, holding hands. The sight made her recall her own childhood, when Mina Ford and Joseph Shaw would take her for walks in the little park just like that.
She became lost in the warm memory. By the time she snapped out of it, her face was streaked with tears.
She picked up her purse from the passenger seat, pulled out her phone, and saw several missed calls from Alaric Blackwood.
She didn’t call him back. Instead, she found Joseph Shaw’s number in her contacts and dialed.
"Sophie, have you come to your senses?"
"When are you coming back?"
"The police investigation confirmed it. Mr. Kane really did die of a heart attack. There was nothing suspicious about his death. The funeral is set for three days from now."
Joseph Shaw rattled off the three sentences in one breath. Hearing no response from Sophie, he asked, "Sophie, are you listening?"
"Dad, can you leave the Kane Family? Divorce Bianca Kane."
"What nonsense are you spouting now, child?" Joseph Shaw sighed. "Don’t always be encouraging me to divorce your Aunt Bianca. I’ve lived with her for ten years. I have feelings for her too."
"If you had to choose between me and them, who would you choose?"
After a long silence, Joseph Shaw’s tone became slightly reproachful. "Sophie, don’t you think it’s selfish of you to make me choose like this?"
"I’m selfish?"
"You’re a married woman now. You have your own family and your own life, yet you’re forcing me to make a choice, telling me to get a divorce. If that’s not selfish, what is?"
’In the end, he just couldn’t bear to give up everything the Kane Family offered.’
"Then go on and protect your family."
Sophie hung up, disappointed.
When Joseph Shaw called back, she didn’t answer.
Silencing her phone, she drove away from the residential area and headed toward Maplewood Estate.
But as her car neared the Maplewood Estate villas, the image of Vianne Kane hugging Alaric Blackwood flashed through her mind over and over. Her thoughts inexplicably descended into chaos. She yanked the steering wheel, spun the car around, and drove off in the opposite direction.
She didn’t know what was wrong with her, but she felt an inexplicable resistance to going back.
After driving a large loop nearby, she found a secluded spot to park. With absolutely nowhere else to go, she called Anne.
"Can I crash at your place for a night?"
She tried her best to hold back her tears, but Anne immediately noticed something was wrong with her voice.
"What’s wrong, Sophie?"
"I don’t really feel like going home today."
"Then go to my place. My brother said he has a dinner party with his colleagues, so he shouldn’t be there now. Let yourself in with the code and stay in my room. I’ll give my brother a heads-up so he won’t bother you."
"Thank you, Anne."
"Don’t be a stranger. Have you had dinner?"
"Not yet."
"See what’s in the fridge and make yourself something. If you don’t feel like cooking, just order takeout. I’ll be back in another week. When I get back, I’ll make you something delicious."
Hearing Anne’s words, Sophie couldn’t hold it in anymore and burst into tears.
"Sophie, what happened? Don’t cry. Did Alaric Blackwood bully you?"
Anne asked anxiously.
Distant water can’t quench a nearby fire. She was far away in Pinewood and had no idea what was happening with Sophie, so all she could do was worry helplessly.
"No, he didn’t bully me."
Sophie was crying so hard she could barely speak.
She wasn’t even sure what she was crying about. An overwhelming sadness washed over her, and the tears just wouldn’t stop.
"You got the Heart of the Ocean back, so what else is making you unhappy?"
"Nothing is making me unhappy."
"Then why are you crying?"
"I can’t really explain it."
Anne’s heart ached for her. "Sophie, calm down first. Go to my place. When I get back, I’ll go with you to see a therapist."
She was worried that Sophie had been too repressed all these years and might be suffering from depression.
Under her constant reassurance, Sophie’s tears gradually stopped. After calming herself down, Sophie drove toward Anne’s apartment.
She had assumed Anne’s brother, Ethan Austin, wouldn’t be home. But when she keyed in the code and entered, she was met with a noisy scene. Ethan and his friends were having their get-together at home. A group of young men were gathered in the dining room, eating barbecue and drinking beer.
When a woman suddenly walked in, everyone froze, their gazes turning to Ethan Austin.
"Your sister?" ƒгeewebnovёl.com
"Is that your sister?"
Ethan was also taken aback for a moment. He shook his head. "No, she’s a friend of my sister’s."
He put down his beer and got up to walk over to Sophie.
"Sophie, what are you doing here?"
He had been having too much fun with his friends and hadn’t seen Anne’s message on WeChat. He had no idea Sophie was coming to stay the night.
"I... I’m here to stay the night. Your sister said it was okay."
Ethan said, "Oh," and quickly pulled Sophie, who was standing in the entryway, further inside. After shutting the door, he went back to the dining table, picked up his phone, and confirmed the message from Anne.
"Let me introduce you. This is my sister’s best friend, Sophie."
That’s what he had always called her. freёwebnoѵel.com
Everyone had already had a fair bit to drink. Someone started to whoop, copying Ethan by calling out, "Sophie!"
"Sophie, have you eaten?"
"Come sit and eat with us, Sophie!"
...
Being stared at intently by a group of young men, all of them calling out her name, made Sophie’s cheeks flush slightly.
Before she could say anything, Ethan grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the dining room. He kicked the person who was sitting next to his spot, making them give up their seat for Sophie.
"Sophie, sit here."
Knowing Sophie was still hungry, Ethan grabbed a few meat skewers and shoved them into her hands.
