Rise Above The Betrayal (Sophia and Tristan)

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For the first time, Ethan lowered his head in front of Sophia. For the first time, he stood before her in such a vulnerable way.

Couldn't this at least make her feel something? He thought to himself. Staring at Sophia, his eyes filled with hope.

But Sophia? Her gaze was still indifferent, even colder under the lim yellow light. Her face, so delicate and glamorous, remained unreadable.

"What's it to you?" She said. Her voice, when it came, was wrapped in ice, cold and still as water.

Each word hit Ethan like a punch. It echoed in his ears, deep in his chest, like needles piercing his heart with every breath.

He stood there, eyes dark and filled with frustration, watching her. But Sophia, clearly fed up, frowned. She shifted her weight, ready to move on.

But before she could, the car door slammed open. Ethan stumbled out, clearly unsteady, and stormed over to her.

"Sophia! Who said you could leave?" His steps were uneven, shaky, but he didn't seem to care.

Sophia shot him a look. Even with all that alcohol, he was still somehow managing to drive. Maybe he really did have nine lives. She wasn't about to waste another second on him.

But Ethan was relentless. His hand shot out, grabbing her by the shoulder. "Sophia! What's your problem? Do you remember how you used to chase me around?" he barked. "What's this? You've found someone else to cling to?"

His grip tightened, pulling her toward him. His face, flushed from the alcohol, twisted with anger and something darker. His eyes burned with madness.

"You're mine, Sophia! For years, you've been begging me on your knees. I won't let you go to someone else."

Ethan spun Sophia to face him, his hands still on her shoulders.

Under the harsh light, she looked colder than ever, her beauty only more striking in her indifference. Her eyes, impatient and disinterested, made him want to break through that cold exterior, to reclaim what he thought was his.

The thought of those three years-of how she had chased him, clung to him, begged for him-flashed in his mind, and the urge to shatter her cold facade burned inside him, mingling with a darker, more desperate desire.

Ethan hooked his arm around Sophia and pulled her toward him, his breath reeking of alcohol.

Sophia's brows furrowed, a cold, cutting frow

forming on her face. Before he could close the distance to her lips, she braced her hands against his chest and kicked him sharply.

"Bang!"

The sound of Ethan crashing to the ground echoed in the air, his body sprawling out in a crumpled heap.

The sudden pain jolted him back to reality, but it only seemed to deepen his confusion and frustration. His chest heaved, and he groaned, his face twisted with disbelief.

"Sophia!" he croaked, voice hoarse from shock and pain as he struggled to get up.

Sophia stood over him, her posture unyielding and cold. She looked down at him with an icy, calculating gaze. There was no pity in her eyes-only disdain.

Ethan's face contorted in pain, so intense that even his breath trembled.

But still, his eyes remained fixed on Sophia's face, unable to tear away from the girl who had once been his everything.

"You... you can't really be doing this... to me?" he murmured, voice strained. Sophia didn't flinch. Her gaze was unwavering, like steel.

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"Ethan," she said, her voice low and cutting, laced with contempt. "You think I'm pathetic, but here you are-crawling at my feet, begging for mercy."

She took a step closer, her eyes narrowing as she looked down at him with disdain. Her tone was cold, slicing through the air like a blade.

"Looks like Chloe didn't keep her pet on a leash, and now you're out here looking for a new owner. But not even begging me on your knees would work now, you know?"

Ethan's face twisted with a mixture of shock and humiliation. His breath quickened, but Sophia's words were like a slap in the face, each one landing with the force of a truth he didn't want to acknowledge.

"Sophia!"

Just then, a clear, youthful voice broke through the tension in the air. A black car had pulled up next to Ethan's car.

The door swung open, and out stepped a young man in a simple white T-shirt and black slacks.

His face was full of worry as he quickly hurried over to Sophia. His eyes scanned her from head to toe, and only when he was sure she was okay did he let out a relieved breath.

The guy was good-looking, with that fresh, boyish charm, full of energy like the morning sun.

But when his eyes landed on Ethan, who was still sprawled on the ground, rage bubbled up in them, dark and sharp like a storm cloud ready to burst.

“Sophia, what is this guy from the Baker family doing here?" the young man asked, his voice edged with anger.

Though his face was young, there was foss in his posture, as if he'd stand tall and fight who tried to mess with

her.

He had just pulled up to pick her up, and the

moothe spotted her from a distance, he'd

Seen the man bothering her.

Without even thinking, he floored the gas pedal, speeding toward them. However,

he got there just in time to see Sophia slam the guy to the ground. The sound of

it? Enough to tell anyone how much force she'd used.

He was relieved to see Sophia standing strong, unharmed. But now, his focus shifted to Ethan, still lying there on the ground like a pathetic mess.

Ethan, groaning in pain, turned his head and locked eyes with the newcomer. His face twisted in disbelief and anger.

"Who... who are you? And Sophia, really? One man after another, huh? How was thick and furious.

many more are you going to drag in?" His voice

The young man was a complete stranger to Ethan. He didn't look like someone from his circles-no fancy suit, no high-end watch, nothing like the kind of man Sophia had been around lately.

This guy seemed like an ordinary college kid. And yet, here he was, stepping in like he had some right to be here, protecting Sophia.

Ethan's face twisted in rage as he saw the young man in front of Sophia. His eyes were practically spitting fire, jealousy and

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frustration swirling in his chest.

If Sophia had been with the likes of Gary or Zach-men above him in social standing-he could understand. Those men were connected, important. Maybe Sophia was trying to work her way back into that circle.

But this boy-what was he doing?

Ethan's mind boiled over, his mouth running ahead of his sanity "Sophia, you're really something. Playing the innocent girl in front of me when you've been a piece of trash for so long. Cant live without a man, huh? I even gave you a chance to crawl back to me, but no, you had to go begging around these guys,

like-"

Before he could finish, the sharp sound of a foot slamming down on his stomach interrupted his rant.

"How dare you curse Sophia?" the young man roared.

Ethan's vision blurred as his face hit the ground. He felt the brutal weight of a boot

grind against his stomach. He gagged, twisting his body, trying to escape the

harsh pressure.

"Do you know who I am? Let go of me!" He choked out, his voice thick with rage

and nausea.

"I don't care who you are!" Hudson's voice was steady, but filled with lethal menace. He lifted his foot and slammed it down harder, "If you don't know how to talk properly, maybe it's time you lose your tongue."

Ethan's head snapped back with the impact, a hot rush of pain flooding his face. Blood poured from his nose. He struggled, trying to wipe his face clean.

"Did I say anything wrong? She is just a pathetic toy!" Ethan roared, his vision swam, but his anger surged through the pain.

"She was wagging her tail to me before you were even born! Just wait, she'll come back to me. You're nothing, just like all these guys she drags in!"

But before he could continue his rant, another brutal kick landed on his chest.

Hudson's fury hadn't died down, and his voice shook with barely contained anger. "So you think just because she treats you like a person, it's 'wagging her tail? You really are pathetic. Just because you can't feel any self-worth doesn't mean the rest of us can't have respect for ourselves!"

He couldn't hold back anymore, and kicked Ethan again. Sophia watched the scene for

"That's enough," said Sophia.

a moment before finally spoke up.

She knew this was getting excessive. Hudson might end up getting himself into serious trouble if Ethan decided to press charges. She was not going to waste her time here.

Sophia reached out and grabbed his arm gently. The sudden softness in her touch immediately made Hudson still, his entire body stiffening, but in the most obedient

way.

"Where did you learn to fight, huh?" Sophia said, the words slipping from her lips with a teasing edge.

Hudson's face softened, and despite the anger still simmering in his chest, his "Sophia..." His voice was almost tender, a touch of vulnerability slipping thr worse

than insulting me."

Sce

eyes sparkled with admiration.

"He insulted you. I couldn't stand it. That's

Sophia's grip tightened on his arin as she tugged him away from the pulling him toward the waiting car. "Don't waste any more of our time on people like him."

She still remembered the curfew thing, after all.

frustration swirling in his chest.

If Sophia had been with the likes of Gary or Zach-men above him in social standing-he could understand. Those men were connected, important. Maybe Sophia was trying to work her way back into that circle.

But this boy-what was he doing?noveldrama

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Ethan's mind boiled over, his mouth running ahead of his sanity "Sophia, you're

really something. Playing the innocent girl in front of me when you've been a piece of trash for so long. Cant live without a man, huh? I even gave you a chance to crawl back to me, but no, you had to go begging around these guys,

like

Before he could finish, the sharp sound of a foot slamming down on his stomach interrupted his rant.

"How dare you curse Sophia?" the young man roared.

Ethan's vision blurred as his face hit the ground. He felt the brutal weight of a boot

grind against his stomach. He gagged, twisting his body, trying to escape the harsh pressure.

"Do you know who I am? Let go of me!" He choked out, his voice thick with rage

and nausea.

"I don't care who you are!" Hudson's voice was steady, but filled with lethal menace. He lifted his foot and slammed it down harder, "If you don't know how to talk properly, maybe it's time you lose your tongue." Ethan's head snapped back with the impact, a hot rush of pain flooding his face. Blood poured from his nose. He struggled, trying to wipe his face clean.

"Did I say anything wrong? She is just a pathetic toy!" Ethan roared, his vision swam, but his anger surged through the pain.

"She was wagging her tail to me before you were even born! Just wait, she'll come back to me. You're nothing, just like all these guys she drags in!" But before he could continue his rant, another brutal kick landed on his chest.

Hudson's fury hadn't died down, and his voice shook with barely contained anger. “So you think just because she treats you like a person, it's 'wagging her tail? You

really are pathetic. Just because you can't feel any self-worth doesn't mean the rest of us can't have respect for ourselves!"

He couldn't hold back anymore, and kicked Ethan again. Sophia watched the

scene for a moment before finally spoke up.

"That's enough," said Sophia.

She knew this was getting excessive. Hudson might end up getting himself into

serious trouble if Ethan decided to press charges. She was not going to waste her

time here.

Ppns

Sophia reached out and grabbed his arm gently. The softness in her touch immediately made Hudson still, his entire body stiffening, but in the most obedient

way.

"Where did you learn to fight, huh?" Sophia said, the words slipping from ho

lips with a teasing edge.

his eyes sparkled with admiration.

Hudson's face softened, and despite the anger still simmering in his chest

"Sophia..." His voice was almost tender, a touch of vulnerability sipping through. "He insulted you. I couldn't stand it. That's worse than insulting me." Sophia's grip tightened on his arin as she tugged him away from the scene,

pulling him toward the waiting car. "Don't waste any more of our time on people like him."

She still remembered the curfew thing, after all.

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Hudson was still in a daze, his mind trying to catch up with her calm, composed

attitude. But as they walked away, he couldn't help but glance back at Ethan, still

curled up and barely moving.

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A small smile crept up at the corners of his lips, the satisfaction of knowing he had

stood up for Sophia clear in his eyes.

Ethan's body stiffened with rage at the look Hudson gave him. His mind spun,

watching Sophia walk away with the boy, but no words left his lips, just a tight clenching of his jaw.

He watched them disappear into the night, his twisted expression still frozen in pain and humiliation.

Sophia's figure, from his angle, seemed to shimmer in the dim light. Every step she took echoed like a promise of something more dangerous and alluring than

anything he could have ever imagined.