Chapter 2

That day, Jason did not pull the trigger.

We parted on terrible terms.

After that, we avoided seeing each other.

But I could still follow his every move through my Instagram account.

Because that account now belonged to Lily. She often posted sweet, intimate pictures of the two of them.

Blow after blow pushed me further toward the edge.

I pulled some strings and got a twin DNA test done. Then I posted the results online, once again insisting that I was the real Sophia and Lily was the other woman.

But before the situation could escalate, Jason made his move.

He kidnapped my agent.

Nancy was my best friend. After I became famous, I asked her to become my agent. She knew me better than anyone. She was also the only person who believed me and stood firmly by my side.

Jason threatened me with her life, forcing me to step forward and declare that the DNA test was fake. He handed me his phone. On the screen was a video of Nancy tied up. All the color drained from my face. I didn’t even notice the corner of Lily’s mouth twitching upward.

Watching helpless Nancy in that video, I screamed at Jason in despair, “Where is Nancy? Jason, this is between us! Don’t hurt innocent people!”

But Jason remained unmoved.

He exhaled a ring of smoke.

I collapsed to the floor in despair. Only then did he stub out his cigarette and say slowly, “Nancy was a threat from the start. Don’t forget, I’m Mafia. If you want to save her, go clear things up. Don’t ruin Lily.”

In that moment, it felt as if my heart had been dragged into the depths of the ocean by a monstrous wave. I struggled desperately, but I could not reach a single trace of light. There was only despair, silently swallowing me whole.

I realized I could no longer connect this cold, merciless man with the one who had once spoiled me so tenderly.

That was also the day I finally decided to end this relationship.

But the humiliation I suffered was far from over.

Nancy’s life could not wait. I had no choice but to compromise. With my own mouth, I admitted the twin DNA test was fake. I said everything had been caused by my jealousy and delusions.

Even now, the comment section under that Twitter post is still filled with filth directed at me.

“Keep dreaming. My Sophia doesn’t look anything like that.”

“So obvious. Just a psycho trying to cling to Don Jason and Sophia.”

“Can someone beat her up and knock some sense into her?”

“Start a crowdfund. I’ll throw in five bucks.”

“I’ll throw in ten.”

…

After I made the statement, Nancy was released.

I thought Jason would spare her for old times’ sake. But when I saw Nancy covered in wounds and unconscious, being rushed into the hospital, I finally understood how cruel Jason could be.

After that, I became terrified. I did not dare do anything else. I was afraid anyone close to me would be dragged down again.

Every day, I stayed by Nancy’s hospital bed, talking to her and praying she would wake up.

While keeping her company, I couldn’t help thinking about the past.

When I was eighteen, Nancy and I accidentally walked straight into a gunfight between the Kaelaris family and the Viperian family.

One of the Viperian men mistook Nancy for someone connected to Kaelaris and aimed his gun at her. I rushed forward to shield Nancy. But Jason stepped in front of me and took a bullet in his arm.

Because of that incident, our lives became entangled. Little by little, we fell in love.

Back then, Jason was gentle, thoughtful, and impossibly good to me.

He said that as long as he was Don, no one would ever dare bully me or anyone around me.

But in just five short years, he had become a completely different man. He had forgotten every promise he once made.

I held Nancy’s hand and thought, Let it go. At least I still had Nancy. At least there was still one person on my side.

But reality refused to let me off that easily.