Chapter 14
I packed my things quickly, without a trace of reluctance.
This place that held so much pain and despair for me; every extra second here made me suffocate.
After packing everything, I pulled my suitcase and walked out of the bedroom, out of this villa that had imprisoned me for two years and buried both my love and my child.
The morning sunlight streamed through the tall floor-to-ceiling windows, casting dappled shadows on the floor, but it couldn't reach into my frozen heart.
The maid stood at the door, wanting to say something but holding back.
I put on my sunglasses and left her with a bright smile. "Tell him I'm gone and won't be coming back."
With that, I pulled open the door. Fresh air rushed in from outside, carrying the taste of freedom.
I stepped forward, crossing that threshold, leaving everything behind - the fake marriage, the cold husband, the vicious homewrecker, and my unborn child who died before seeing the world.
I didn't say goodbye. I had no regrets.
This time, it was truly farewell.
Back at my apartment in the city center, lying on the bed, I finally felt a sense of reality.
This apartment was rented for me by Andrew. There was even a nursery prepared. I forced myself to get up and locked the nursery door tight.
That evening, I stood in front of the full-length mirror in my walk-in closet, examining myself.
In the mirror, I wore a well-tailored wine-red velvet gown that made my already pale skin look strikingly cold and beautiful.
My makeup was perfect, my red lips eye-catching, just enough to hide the exhaustion and weakness from recent days.
I pinned up my long hair, exposing my slender, fragile neck. Small but brilliantly sparkling diamonds hung from my earlobes.
I barely recognized this appearance myself.
I was no longer the timid, dull-faced Sophia who cowered before James. I had somewhat regained the shadow of my former self when I ruled the coding world, though deep in my eyes, there was now more frost and pain that could never be erased.
Tonight was the industry's top tech charity gala.
James and Amelia had disappeared early in the morning to prepare for this event.
Andrew came to pick me up. When he saw me, his eyes flashed with undisguised amazement, which then turned to concern. "Sophia, your health..."
"I won't die." I opened the car door, my tone indifferent. "The show is just beginning. How could I bear to miss it?"
The gala was held in the ballroom of the city's most luxurious hotel.
Crystal chandeliers sparkled brilliantly in the ballroom. Well-dressed guests mingled, glasses clinking. The air was filled with a unique mix of money, power, and cutting-edge technology.
As I walked through those grand doors on Andrew's arm, in high heels, the previously noisy venue fell into a strange moment of silence.
Countless eyes, probing, curious, amazed, focused on me all at once, and whispers spread like a tide.
"Who is that Miss? Never seen her before."
"So beautiful, that presence... is she from some wealthy family?"
"The man beside her is Mr. Anderson from Shadow Circuit Studio? Could she be their new spokesperson?"
"Doesn't seem like it. That aura, she's definitely not just a pretty face."
I could feel those gazes like spotlights on me.
I held my chin slightly up, a faint, distant, and mysterious smile on my lips, calmly accepting all the scrutiny and speculation.
This feeling, it had been so long.
I was no longer just an accessory as James's wife, but attracting attention as Sophia herself.
Andrew leaned over and whispered in my ear with a smile. "Looks like it's working. Are you ready? It's time to reveal 'ZeroSpecter.'"
He cleared his throat, seemingly ready to introduce my identity to the gathering crowd.
Just then, a lowered but clear enough voice, complaining in a sweet tone, drifted to my ears from a nearby corner.
"Is this ZeroSpecter coming or not? Making you and all these industry bigwigs wait; does he really think he's somebody? Probably just a fraud with an empty reputation, playing mysterious games."
It was Amelia.
She was nestled beside James, holding a glass of champagne, her face showing displeasure as she complained quietly to James. Her eyes kept glancing toward the entrance, looking at the attention focused on me with jealousy and hatred.
A playful impulse rose in me, or rather, thoughts of revenge grew wildly like poisonous vines.
Reveal my identity now?
That would be too easy on them.
I gently pressed Andrew's arm, giving him a look that said "hold on," and whispered in a voice only we could hear.
"No rush. In a cat-and-mouse game, killing them right away wouldn't be fun."
Andrew immediately understood, smiling helplessly but indulgently, holding back what he was about to say.
At that moment, James clearly saw me too.
His gaze cut through the crowd and landed on me, freezing for an instant.
He seemed unable to immediately connect this radiant, coldly beautiful woman before him with the Sophia who always looked pale and miserable in front of him.
But soon, he recognized me. His brow furrowed habitually, his expression darkening.
He pulled away from Amelia and walked toward me.
Seeing this, Amelia immediately followed, her face showing undisguised wariness and hostility.
"What are you doing here?" James stopped in front of me, his voice carrying its usual coldness and a barely noticeable surprise.
Before I could speak, Amelia cut in, her tone full of condescending superiority. "Sophia, not to be mean, but this kind of event... isn't for just anyone."
She deliberately paused, her eyes sweeping over my face.
She seemed to be appreciating something, then, as if suddenly remembering, covered her mouth with her hand dramatically. Her eyes sparkled with malice as she raised her voice with a fake apology. "Look at my big mouth, I'm so sorry, Sophia. I forgot for a moment; you're an orphan, no parents, so naturally you don't have any family background to rely on."
Her words were like a poisoned dagger, precisely stabbing at my deepest pain. She deliberately emphasized the key parts, making sure everyone around who was listening to the gossip heard clearly.
In an instant, I felt the gazes around me become complicated, mixed with sympathy, pity, and perhaps a hint of barely noticeable contempt.
My heart felt like it was being squeezed by an icy hand, the pain almost making it impossible to breathe.
My nails dug deep into my palms, using the pain to maintain that flawless smile on my face, one that even held a trace of pity as I looked back at her.
I looked at James.
He just stood there, listening to Amelia attack me with such vicious words, attacking my background. His brow furrowed tighter, his face darkened, and his lips moved as if wanting to say something.
I waited for him to speak.
Even if it was just one sentence, even just a formal rebuke to stop Amelia's shameless humiliation of me.
But there was nothing.