CHAPTER 21: AN UNFORGETTABLE SEND-OFF

On the other end of the line, the sound of someone holding back tears slipped out—raw and unguarded.

"Sophia, you’re so cruel!" Olivia’s voice cracked with a sob.

"My sweet little sister," Sophia replied, her tone almost playful, "I’m just helping you see men for who they really are. And you’re calling me cruel? Talk about biting the hand that feeds you. Guess I’ve been wasting my time."

Sophia was in a good mood. The moment she’d seen Ethan, she’d already dialed the number she knew by heart.

Olivia stayed silent, just listening—listening to the man she’d once loved so desperately now standing in front of the woman she hated most, pouring out his heart.

"Sweet sister," Sophia went on, each word sharper than the last, "maybe this is all I can do for you. Take my advice. I’ll even giftwrap this man and hand him back to you."

On the other end, Olivia’s crying grew louder.

"Ethan, I loved you for eight years! Even when my father told me to be with someone else, I didn’t listen. I gave you everything—everything. And now you say you only used me? Has your conscience been eaten by a dog?"

"I gave you all of me—everything Morgan Family could offer—to help the Trumps grow. And now you’re just cutting me loose?"

"No—it’s worse than that. You didn’t just use me; you used my love! You knew how much I hated Sophia, and yet you stand there confessing to her?"

"Even breaking up didn’t hurt this much. But to confess to her by tearing me down? Was I wrong to love you? Was that my crime?"

"Your conscience hasn’t just been eaten—it’s gone rotten. I must’ve been blind, utterly blind, to ever fall for you, to ever let you trick me!"

Olivia’s voice rose into a shrill, hysterical scream.

Ethan’s face shifted, then hardened.

"You brought this on yourself. Sophia and I are happy together. None of this would’ve happened if you hadn’t interfered."

"Oh, stop pretending you’re above it all, You’re blaming everything on me? You were with me because you loved how easily I spent money on you!"

"At that gala the other night, Andrew sent you to seduce Lucas. Did you really think I didn’t know? I just didn’t want to call you out."

"If you hadn’t gone to him that night, maybe—just maybe—I would’ve believed you still cared. I might even have felt guilty. But now..."

"What right do you have to accuse me? Olivia, wake up. We’re done. We have nothing to do with each other anymore."

Ethan’s words were ruthless, slicing through whatever was left of their history.

Sophia smiled and, mocking his tone, repeated in a singsong voice, "Ohhh... you’re already broken up, and have nothing to do with each other anymore."

"Sophia! This is all your fault—every last bit of it!" Olivia screamed.

"If you hadn’t come back, if you didn’t exist, Ethan wouldn’t have left me! My father wouldn’t be humiliated because of you! I wouldn’t have thrown away my dignity for nothing!"

"It’s you! You ruined everything!"

Sophia tilted her head, feigning a playful pout. "Ethan, are you really going to let your ex-girlfriend yell at me? You can just stand there and watch?"

At once, he snapped, "Olivia, enough! Stop being unreasonable—you’ve gone too far!"

The sudden shift in his tone shocked even Olivia. He was openly turning against her.

"Ethan, we need to talk—face to face!" she cried.

"There’s nothing left to say," he shot back. "We already said everything that needed to be said at the Trump estate. From now on, you go your way, and I’ll go mine. We have nothing to do with each other anymore. Don’t bother me again—and don’t you dare come after Sophia. She’s mine."

Olivia actually laughed through her tears. "Yours? You’re calling her yours already? Ethan, are you stupid? Do you really think she’ll forgive you? Don’t forget—it was you and me who personally delivered her to another man’s bed that night! You think she’ll ever let that go? You’re dreaming!"

She ripped away the last of her pretense, leaving nothing to patch back together.

Ethan frowned, reaching for the phone.

"Don’t touch my things. You don’t deserve to," Sophia said coolly, ending the call and yanking the phone away before he could lay a finger on it.

Just the thought of him touching her things made her stomach turn.

Trying to recover, Ethan coaxed, "Sophia, what do you mean? If you were just using me to humiliate her, you’ve done it. So... doesn’t that mean we can get back together now?"

Sophia almost laughed in his face.

"Wow, you really are that naïve? What on earth makes you think I want to get back with you? Look up, Ethan. Do you see anything over my head?"

"What?" he faltered.

Her smile was sharp as glass. "Back then, it was nothing but a wide, green pasture—thanks to you. Now? You might as well hang a neon sign up there: Future Mrs. Hilton, Heiress of Hilton Group."

"Lucas has had more women than he can count. There’s no way he’ll be serious about you!" Ethan barked.

"Oh please. When was the last time a man could actually keep it in his pants? Why should I believe you and not him?"

She stepped back, and when he tried to move closer, she held up a hand. "Don’t. Silver Lake Villa has top-tier security. One scream from me and guess what tomorrow’s headlines will be? Trump Family’s only heir—eight-year cheater, crawling back to his ex, caught breaking into her home."

She smirked. "Look, I even wrote the copy for you. Ethan, don’t mistake my civility for respect. You could break up with Olivia a hundred times—it’s still none of my business. And you dare stand here, shamelessly begging me to come back to you?"

Her smile only brightened, dazzling and merciless. "Oh, right—I haven’t given you a parting gift yet."

She turned her head and called, "Babies, bring Uncle Ethan some water. He must be thirsty."

The words had barely left her mouth before a child came running out.

Ethan froze. A child?

But then—

Splash!

The cup of water was flung at him. He managed to dodge back, barely avoiding it.

Only to see five more identical kids rushing out behind the first.

This time, he wasn’t fast enough. Six little faces stared up at him—her children.

"Don’t doubt it. They’re all mine," Sophia said coldly. "Babies, show him out."

The six little ones each pulled out a water gun from behind their backs and fired at Ethan, drenching him like a drowned dog.

Ethan was drenched, standing like a fool in the entryway.

Bang! The door slammed shut.

From the floor-to-ceiling window, Sophia glanced at him once, expression icy. Charles obediently drew the curtains.

Dustin padded over and offered Sophia a glass of juice.

Outside, Ethan stood in shock, unable to move, unable to believe what just happened.