Chapter 5 The Accident

Sophia's POV

Since Luca's powerful declaration of our relationship at the engagement party, the Klein family's business had undergone a dramatic shift. Multiple corporations extended offers, saving our plummeting stock.

Serafina was ecstatic. She called three days in a row, urging me to bring Luca home for dinner and capitalize on the moment.

"What is the connection between a man and a woman but one thing? Sophia, you must use any means necessary to secure his devotion, as long as it helps us."

My mother's words echoed in my ears. Clutching my phone, and wrestling with my inner turmoil, I finally sent Luca a message I had drafted several times.

"Are you free this weekend? My mother wants you over for dinner."

Luca's reply was immediate. "Okay."

Though it was just one word, the Klein family took it seriously, spending three days meticulously preparing the house. My mother kept chanting, "We absolutely cannot disgrace the Klein name. Every detail must be perfect."

Watching Serafina busy herself, I felt a deep emptiness.

Unlike everyone else's celebration, I had no anticipation for this dinner.

On Saturday, I put on the cream-colored dress my mother had carefully chosen and sat waiting in the living room.

The clock ticked from 2 PM to 5 PM. The sun began to set, but Luca never appeared.

My mother's expression grew darker. She repeatedly checked her phone, finally bursting out in frustration. "What the hell does Luca mean? Are the Vittorios all this arrogant?"

No one around dared to breathe. Seeing their mistress's foul mood, the staff quickly cleared out.

Just then, Serafina's phone chimed. She looked down, and the next second, she exploded with fury!

"Sophia! You're useless! You can't even hold on to your own fiancé! He's out on a date with another woman right now! This is a disgrace to our family!"

She threw the phone at me. The screen showed a photo. Luca sitting by a window, Anna leaning against him, holding a wine glass. Luca was listening to her, his profile turned with a gentle smile.

A warmth I had never seen directed at me.

"How could I have given birth to such a useless daughter? You can't even keep your man in line. I'm so disappointed in you!"

Serafina clenched her fist, her sharp voice tearing through the last barrier between us.

"Go find Luca right now! Bring him back, whatever the cost!"

I clenched my fists and stood up abruptly, the suppressed anger finally erupting. "I won't! This isn't my fault! You only care about the alliance, the profit. Did anyone ever ask what I wanted?"

"Insolent!" My father's voice boomed as he strode from the study. "The Klein family raised you all these years. This is how you repay us? If Luca breaks the engagement, who pays for our losses?"

"Losses?" I laughed bitterly. "In your eyes, I'm just a tool for exchange, aren't I? Now that Luca isn't cooperating, you blame me?"

"How dare you talk back! You've gone too far!" My mother lunged to hit me, but I swiftly sidestepped her.

Her hand missed, and she stumbled hard against the armrest of the sofa.

"I've had enough of all this! I can't take it anymore." I backed up, taking a deep breath.

"I'm done with this house."

Then, I bolted out the door like a madwoman, ignoring their shouts and curses, running straight into the heavy rain outside.

The icy rain soaked my clothes and hair. I hugged my arms, shivering, tears streaming down my face uncontrollably.

Years of repressed grievances poured out at once, turning into tears that mixed with the salty rain and splashed onto the ground.

I walked aimlessly in the downpour, desperate to escape this suffocating place.

Rain mixed with tears ran down my cheeks.

My vision blurred. Just as my sight was compromised, a black car suddenly sped toward me. The screech of brakes tore through the rainy night.

I froze, terrified, instinctively shutting my eyes.

The brief sensation of weightlessness from being struck ended quickly. The moment I hit the ground, I cried out in pain.

It hurt so much.

My bones felt like shattered pieces. Blood ran down my forehead, and consciousness faded faster than expected.

I closed my eyes, feeling a strange sense of release.

"Mr. Vittorio, Ms. Klein is out of danger after treatment."

The rhythmic tick-tock of a clock grew louder. I slowly opened my eyes, seeing Luca seated in the center of the facing sofa, surrounded by a group of white-coated, nervously sweating doctors.

"Miss Klein is awake!"

The nurse next to me broke the silence, her voice edged with urgency as she looked down at me.

A throng of people immediately rushed over, attaching instruments to me before letting out a collective sigh of relief.

"Thankfully, no vital organs were damaged."

Luca, who had been silently observing, spoke imperiously, waving away the non-essential personnel.

The hospital director quickly herded everyone out, thoughtfully closing the door behind them.

Luca's grey-blue eyes were mocking. "Was this your plan? To force me to attend dinner? That's quite a sacrifice."

His words pierced me like ice shards. I finally reached my limit, raising a hand and slapping him hard across the face.

The sharp smack echoed loudly in the quiet room.

Luca froze, a bright red handprint quickly blooming on one cheek. He stared at me in disbelief.

My mind scrambled. The moment I realized what I had just done, a wave of terror washed over me.

He was the Vittorio heir!

I had slapped him. The consequences were unimaginable.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."

He slowly raised his hand, touching the inflamed cheek, his tongue pressing against the inside of his mouth.

The man's actions seemed to move in slow motion. I clenched my fists, consumed by regret and panic.

That impulse had been the devil speaking. Now, in the sudden calm, I realized I had made a terrible mistake.

He would never let this slide!

"Sophia," he leaned down to look at me. "You are the first woman who has ever hit me."

I met his gaze. There was no warmth in his eyes. I instantly realized that the slap hadn't relieved any of my emotions; it had just put me in an even worse position.

The Klein family's interests, and my whole relationship with him, suddenly felt more precarious than ever.