The CEO's Empathy Pregnancy Pains

Sophia swallowed her anger and put on a flirty act for Dean again.

"Well, you pushed me too hard."noveldrama

Taking advantage of the moment, Sophia got up and shamelessly moved closer to Dean. She knew the Brown family was unreliable now. Dean was her last hope, her stepping stone. She had to cling to him to strike back at the Smith family and Emily, to get revenge for herself and Evelyn.

"If you were this forceful in bed, imagine how many women would be all over you..." Sophia's voice dripped with seduction.

Dean wasn't having it. He was used to a carefree life, but he wasn't interested in casual flings, especially with someone like Sophia, who was clearly trying to manipulate him. "Get lost."

He shoved her away again, not as hard this time, but his words were still cutting. As he turned to head back to the private room, he pointed a finger at her nose and spoke firmly.

"Don't think I don't see through your little games. We can do business, but that's it. Nothing more is ever gonna happen!"

Sophia's face twisted into an awkward smile. "What do you mean by that? I'm not just anyone, you know!"

Dean scoffed at her act and didn't bother to respond. He knew the Brown sisters weren't simple. If Sophia was this scheming, her half-sister had to be even more cunning.

He'd already decided: they could have fun, but they must never cross the line. He knew where Archibald's limits were, and he knew his own.

Seeing Dean's guarded demeanor, Sophia felt a bit uneasy. She had a "criminal record" from her past scandal with Michael, which had been the talk of the town. Her repucătoriircinerandrit was armsrler, arrrrow silentcrtiteatr carertiny.

But Sophia wasn't scared. She was willing to sacrifice her dignity to take down Emily and the Smith family. She'd endure any humiliation to stay close to Dean.

Even though Michael was the big name in Emerald City, Dean was just a newcomer. But Dean had a powerful brother! Sophia had done her homework. Dean's brother, Archibald, was a self-made millionaire in Everglade City and still single. He doted on Dean and would do anything for him. It was just that today, for some reason, he had refused Dean's repeated requests for money.

Sophia figured the brothers had a falling out recently. This couldn't be rushed. She'd wait patiently for the money to come through. Once it did, she'd persuade Archibald to open a jewelry design studio in Emerald City. With her pulling the strings behind the scenes, she wouldn't fear taking down JM Jewelry's top designer, Emily.

After all, Emily was busy having a baby! She wasn't a superwoman; she couldn't possibly have time to investigate them.

As long as she could drive Emily out of Emerald City, she wouldn't have to worry about rekindling her old flame with Michael. The thought made Sophia incredibly excited.

She couldn't wait to open the studio and use Dean to stir up trouble in Emerald City, making a grand comeback!

Just as Sophia was getting fired up, reminiscing about her grand ambitions, her phone rang.

Sophia glanced at the caller ID and rolled her eyes before answering impatiently. "What do you want?"

Evelyn's sharp voice immediately came through the phone. "Sophia, what kind of daughter are you? You haven't even come to see me!"

Sophia's face instantly showed disdain. "You're in a mental hospital. Why would I visit a place like that often? Or do you want me to become mentally ill too, so I can join you there?"

Ever since Evelyn was sent to the mental hospital, she had been in and out of lucidity. Sometimes she would demand to see Sophia, other times she would ask for Hayden. Unfortunately, neither of them had ever visited her. When it came time to pay the bills, they would push the responsibility onto each other, and most of the time, the hospital had to force them to pay. This had led to several arguments between Hayden and Sophia. Eventually, Sophia simply blocked both Hayden and Evelyn's numbers.

This time, Evelyn had begged the hospital staff for a long time, pretending to be crazy for hours, before finally borrowing a phone. She couldn't understand how she had ended up with such a heartless husband like Hayden and a thankless daughter like Sophia!

"Sophia, how can you despise me so much!"

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Evelyn, being cunning herself, switched tactics when her forceful approach didn't work. She softened her tone, using a mix of pleading and manipulation, a common strategy between mother and daughter.

"I'm sometimes clear-headed, sometimes not... I don't want to be here, but you have to know I ended up like this because of you! If you don't care about me, no one will. Sophia, be a good girl and come see me!"

The flashing lights and loud music in the club's hallway were making Sophia irritable. She barely listened to what Evelyn was saying.

"Alright!" She just found Evelyn annoying. She wanted to hang up quickly and get back to her grand plans.

"Mom, I'm really busy right now. I'll definitely come see you when I have time. You don't want me to be struggling out here, right? I need to get back on my feet so I can..."

Noticing someone passing by and giving her a strange look, Sophia stopped mid- sentence. She glared at the person's back before continuing.

"So I can come to the hospital and get you! Then we can live a good life together!"

The promise of money always worked on Evelyn. Especially when she was clear- headed, she understood the pros and cons. Evelyn knew that once she left the mental hospital, Hayden would never take her back. Her only hope was her not-so-dutiful but blood-related daughter, Sophia. So Evelyn had to comply with Sophia's wishes. "Alright, I'll wait for you. You must come."

"Got it. The signal here is bad, I have to go now!" Sophia hung up, not giving her a chance to continue. As she reflected on the call, she felt a wave of nausea.