Chapter 6

Sophia's hand froze and hovered above the door handle. Inside the room, Caleb's friends were still chattering loudly. "There's no time to waste! The selection for the grad school spot is coming up fast. To make Sophia completely devoted to Cal, we had to go all in!" "Yeah, we posted those photos of Sophia. Then, when she was at her lowest, Cal swooped in like a hero and taught the culprit a lesson. Don't you reckon it stole her heart away?" "But Cal, don't you think you went a little over the top? I know we agreed in advance that Scott the Fatty would take the blame, but you actually beat him up so badly he ended up in the hospital! Surely that would cost extra to deal with." In the infirmary, Caleb's expression was dark. He remained silent for a long time before speaking, "I only told him to add a little skin—nothing too extreme. He was the one who went overboard." His friends burst into laughter. "Oh, Cal, you're too cautious. If it wasn't extreme, how did you expect it to have an impact?" "Exactly! Honestly, you're being way too gentle. Since she already sneaks off to the woods with you, why not have a few of us secretly snap some real photos? That'd work way better." "Yeah! We promise not to get you in the frame. She'd never suspect a thing!" His countenance grew even glummer. "What do you take me for?" he sneered. "Some kind of entertainer for your amusement?" Sensing the anger in Caleb's tone, his friends immediately piped down. Outside the door, Sophia staggered back, her face pale. She should have known. Why would Caleb ever go to such lengths for her sake? All of this turned out to be just another act. How ridiculous. For a split second, she had genuinely believed that he might have cared for her, even just a little. She glanced down at the takeout container in her hand and felt the irony strike. Without hesitation, she tossed it into the trash and left. … The next day, Sophia went into the city to shop for her move abroad. Around noon, she stopped by a café for lunch. She was in the middle of settling the bill when a familiar voice rang out behind her. It was laced with irritation. "How many times must I tell you not to come looking for me? Is it so hard for you to get that?" Shocked, Sophia turned to find Christine arguing with a shifty-looking middle-aged man with a buzz cut. The man chuckled. "I'm your father, like it or not. Just because I chased off your mother and spent some time in jail doesn't mean you can pretend I don't exist. Listen up—no matter what, I'll always be your father!" Christine's face turned pale. Her hands were tightly balled into fists. "What on earth do you want?" "Nothing much," the man replied with a sly grin, revealing yellowed teeth. "It's just that last time, you told me you'd secure that rich Lancaster kid. You said you'd give me a big payout once you married into wealth. I'm just here to check if that deal still stands." Her voice was glacial. "Of course it does." He narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "But I asked around at your university—everyone said you and Caleb broke up. And he has a new girlfriend now, someone with the surname Lane. Christine Sawyer, are you sure you're capable of pulling this off?" Growing impatient, she snapped, "You don't understand a thing. Breaking up with Caleb is all part of my strategy. The Lancasters are influential people; with my background, I can't just walk in. I need to pull some tactics to secure a place there. "You're a man yourself; you should know better than me. Men don't cherish things that are easy to come by. That's why I pretended to focus on my studies and broke up with him. As for his new girlfriend, you need not worry. Caleb doesn't actually like her! "All you need to do is remember your end of the deal. Once I marry Caleb, I will give you half a million dollars. But after that, you must disappear from my life forever!" Sophia froze slightly. Was Christine and Caleb's breakup deliberate? Before she could process the revelation, a waiter approached her. "Here's your receipt, miss." She snapped out of her thoughts. Taking the receipt, she stood up and walked out of the café. … When Sophia returned to campus, she received several calls from Caleb. She didn't pick up at all. Instead, she headed straight to the administration office to collect her early graduation certificate. As she stepped out of the office, a black sedan pulled up beside her. The door swung open, and she was yanked inside. It was Caleb. He pinned her down, snatching her phone from her hand. His eyes burned with frustration and a dangerous edge as he sneered, "So, it's not like you lost your phone, huh? Why weren't you answering my calls?" She averted her eyes. "I didn't realize you called." "Didn't realize?" Caleb let out a short, incredulous laugh. Just before he could say more, his gaze landed on the graduation certificate in her hands. His face instantly fell. "Sophia Lane, why are you graduating early?"