Chapter 190: Forever Living in Her Shadow
"Don’t bother." Sophia’s voice was cool and detached. "I’ll swing by tomorrow to grab my things and move out.If he wants to keep the dog, let him. An apology doesn’t matter anymore."
Hearing this, Amelia and Wayne stared at her in stunned silence, seemingly unprepared for how swiftly she could sever all ties without a second thought.
Michael lowered his gaze briefly, picked up his phone with his left hand, and sent a quick message to a Facebook contact—just two sentences—before setting it back down.Sophia’s call with Ray wasn’t over yet. She said to him, "James has already gone back to the set and has a packed schedule ahead. Evelyn is back to work too. The kidnapping case will wrap up in two days, so you and Mom can refocus on your careers. I need to turn my attention back to the company as well."
It was simply a return to everyone focusing on their own work. Ray understood and hummed in acknowledgment, then added, "But an apology is still necessary.Lucas is going through his rebellious phase—stubborn as hell. When you do something wrong, you apologize. That’s non-negotiable."
Sophia didn’t argue. She merely smiled and hummed in agreement. "Get some rest, then."
……
After hanging up, Ray tore into Lucas with a blistering lecture.
"Is it really that hard for you to apologize to Sophia? The evidence is right in front of your face, and you still won’t admit you’re wrong! You used to be such a good kid—what happened? Why are you getting more rebellious the older you get?"
Lucas kept his head down, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails nearly dug into his palms. He bit down hard on the inside of his cheek, his eyes bloodshot, but stubbornly refused to speak.
Seeing him like this only fueled Ray’s anger. "What’s with that attitude? Hasn’t Sophia been good enough to you? She knew you loved art and made you Benjamin White’s student.Every time she takes you out, she buys you food and new clothes, and constantly transfers you money because she’s worried you don’t have enough.And every time something went wrong at school, who fixed it for you?Now you’re throwing a tantrum over a dog and treating her like this—do you have any conscience at all?"
Lucas’s chest heaved violently. After a long pause, he finally squeezed out, "...She doesn’t like Snowball anyway."
"She doesn’t like him, yet she still let you keep him in the house! And you? Have you ever once asked her why she doesn’t like dogs? Have you ever cared about her feelings?" Ray slammed his hand on the table. "I’m telling you right now—tomorrow, when Sophia comes back to pack her things, if you don’t apologize, you can forget about calling her your sister ever again!"
Lucas’s whole body went rigid, panic flashing in his eyes before it was quickly buried under stubbornness. He turned his head away and said stiffly, "Whatever."
"You—!" Ray’s hand shook as he pointed at his son. "Fine. Just fine! Get to your room and think about what you’ve done! You don’t come out until you’vegotten your head straight!"
Without a word, Lucas turned and stormed up the stairs, slamming his bedroom door with a deafening bang.
Mary stood at the foot of the stairs, worry etched across her face as she looked at her husband. "Honey, pushing him like this… won’t it just—"
"Let him stew! This is what happens when you spoil a kid!" Ray was still fuming. "Look at him now! This is how he treats Sophia? What’s he going to be like in the future?!"
Mary sighed deeply but said nothing more.
……
Lucas returned to his room, grabbed his pajamas, and stormed into the bathroom.
Hot water poured over him from the showerhead, cooling his emotions slightly.
But it couldn’t wash away the words that pierced his mind like needles, refusing to let him rest.
"You think Sophia actually accepts you? How many assets does she have under her name? Has she ever told you? She’s keeping you at arm’s length!"
"You think she genuinely introduced you to the public? No—it was to show off how well-connected she is, to flaunt her relationship with Benjamin."
"She’s completely famous now. But you? When people mention Lucas, do they praise you as a teenage prodigy? No—they just remember you as ‘Sophia’s little brother.'’ They only remember that you got to be Benjamin’s student because of her connections."
"The Smiths are cold-blooded and heartless. She was raised by them—how good can she really be? She’s just using you."
"If this keeps up, you’ll spend your whole life living in her shadow!"
Each sentence stabbed at his heart, swirling in his mind until his thoughts became a chaotic mess.In a fit of frustration, Lucas swept all the toiletries off the shelf, sending them crashing to the floor.
Damn it!
It’s not like that!
Sophia… she’s been good to me…
I can’t keep acting so impulsively. I can’t let people manipulate me like this. Tomorrow… I’ll apologize to Sophia…
The next morning, Sophia woke up in Michael’s arms, only to find herself pressed against the edge of the tent.
She carefully turned her head and glanced over at the other two sleeping nearby.
Amelia was sprawled out like a starfish—one leg draped over Wayne’s waist, the other over his legs, taking up half the tent’s space all by herself.
Sophia stifled a laugh. No wonder she’d been pushed into the corner—Michael had clearly shielded her so Amelia wouldn’t disturb her sleep.
"Awake?" came a low, husky voice
Hearing him, Sophia turned her head back and accidentally brushed her lips against his.
Meeting those eyes full of unspoken affection, she wrinkled her nose playfully. "Taking advantage of me first thing in the morning."
Her voice was soft and drowsy from sleep,sending a pleasant shiver down Michael’s spine. The corners of his mouth lifted as he instinctively pulled her closer, their bodies pressed tightly together,as if he wanted to melt her into himself.
"Did you sleep well?" he asked.
"Pretty well." Sophia silently yawned. Aside from the air mattress being a bit uncomfortable, everything else had been fine.
At least she hadn’t woken up in the middle of the night, and she hadn’t felt cold.
Maybe a man’s body heat really did have some magic effect on sleep quality.
Michael gently brushed the stray hair from her forehead, his voice rough with morning gravel. "Want to sleep a bit more? It’s still early."
Sophia shook her head and pointed to the faint light filtering through the tent. "We should get ready to head back. I still need to go to the Johnson Manor today to pack my things."
At the mention of this, Michael’s arms tightened slightly. "I’ll drive you back."
"Sure." Sophia’s fingertip traced idly along his collarbone before sheunconsciously leaned in and nipped it lightly. "I don’t have much to pack. Applewood Estate has everything. Just need to grab some important documents and I’m good to go."
As they whispered to each other, Amelia suddenly rolled over and kicked Wayne awake.
"God!" Wayne sat up, clutching his side. "Amelia! Why do you always sleep like a maniac after drinking?!"
Amelia blinked groggily, caught sight of her sprawled-out position, and said matter-of-factly, "So what? It’s my tent—I’ll sleep however I want!"
Sophia couldn’t help but laugh, and Michael took the opportunity to steal another kiss.
The four of them bantered and joked as they packed up the campsite. The Martinez family’s bodyguards arrived to haul away all the gear.
Amelia and Wayne took the motorcycles, while Michael, who had driven over in a car, would take Sophia home.
As they were saying goodbye, Amelia suddenly grabbed Sophia’s arm. "Sophia, are you sure about moving out?"
Sophia nodded, her smile gentle. "The apartment at Riverbank Towers is almost finished renovating anyway. I’ll invite you all over for dinner once I’m settled."