Forged My Marriage, Stole My Baby—Now I’m the Judge You Kneel To - Chapter 64: Chapter 64

Evening brought a sudden downpour.
Sophie was brewing coffee in the kitchen when thunder rumbled outside, raindrops pelting against the windows.
She had just closed the windows when urgent knocking came from the front door.
"Who is it?" She opened the door to find Ryan standing outside, soaked to the bone, clutching something tightly in his arms.
"Come in quickly!" She quickly stepped aside to let him enter.
Ryan hurried inside and carefully lifted his jacket—a thin white kitten was curled up in his arms, shivering.
"Found it at the alley entrance, almost got swept away by the water," his voice was low with evident concern.
Sophie immediately grabbed a towel and gently wrapped the kitten. "Let's dry it off first, I'll get the hair dryer."
She turned to leave, but Ryan caught her wrist.
"Your hair is wet too," he frowned, reaching up to brush rainwater from her shoulder.
They were extremely close now. Sophie could smell the faint scent of rain on him, mixed with a hint of crisp pine.
Her heartbeat skipped, and she instinctively stepped back half a pace.
Ryan withdrew his hand, clearing his throat softly. "Let's take care of the cat first."
"Mm." She lowered her head, her earlobes slightly warm.
Sophie sat on the living room carpet, gently stroking the kitten's head.
It had fallen asleep, its tiny body rising and falling with each breath.
Ryan came over with two cups of warm milk, handing her one. "Not sleeping yet?"
"I'll keep it company a little longer." She accepted the milk, her fingertips warming at the contact.
Ryan sat down beside her. After a moment of silence, he suddenly spoke: "Elena."
"What is it?"
"If someday..." He paused, his voice very soft, "you wanted to start a new relationship, what kind of person would you consider?"
Sophie was stunned and turned to look at him.
Moonlight streamed through the window, falling across Ryan's profile.
He still wore that gentle smile, but his eyes held undisguised intense emotion.
Her heartbeat suddenly accelerated, a faint blush coloring her cheeks as she hastily looked away. "I... I haven't thought about it."
Ryan smiled without pressing further.
They sat quietly together, only the kitten's soft purring echoing in the room.
Sophie crouched in the corner of the courtyard, holding a small piece of fish in her hand, carefully feeding the white kitten.
The kitten ate eagerly, occasionally nuzzling her fingers with its head and purring contentedly.
She couldn't help but laugh softly, gently tapping its nose with her fingertip.
"Ryan, don't you think it's gotten a bit fatter?" She asked without turning around, assuming it was Ryan approaching.
There was no response behind her, only the rustling sound of wind through leaves.
Sophie frowned slightly. Just as she was about to turn around, someone suddenly embraced her from behind.
A familiar scent instantly enveloped her—cold cedar mixed with a hint of tobacco, Elliot's scent.
Her body went rigid.
"I finally found you..." Elliot's voice whispered in her ear, low and hoarse, with unmistakable trembling.
His arms tightened around her waist, as if afraid she might vanish the next second.
Sophie's breathing caught, then she calmed down, her voice ice cold: "Let go."
Not only did Elliot not release her, he held her even tighter, as if trying to meld her into his very bones: "Sophie, do you know how long I've been searching for you? I searched all of Coastal Town, even sent people abroad... How could you just disappear like this?"
"Elliot Sinclair," she called him by his full name, her tone devoid of any emotion, "let me go."
"I won't!" His voice suddenly rose, carrying a hint of uncontrolled anger. "What right do you have to leave? What right to disappear without a word? Do you know that I—"
Before he could finish, a figure suddenly charged from the side, landing a solid punch on Elliot's face.
Caught off guard, Elliot stumbled back several steps, a trace of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.
"Stay away from her!" Ryan stepped protectively in front of Sophie, his eyes sharp as blades, his voice carrying an undisguised warning. "Touch her again and I'll call the police immediately."
Elliot wiped the blood from his mouth, his gaze dark as he looked at Ryan, then shifted to Sophie.
Her expression remained calm, as if none of this concerned her.
"I see..." Elliot laughed coldly, complex emotions churning in his eyes. "You left me because of him?"
Sophie stood up, brushing nonexistent dust from her skirt, her tone indifferent: "Elliot Sinclair, aren't you overestimating yourself?"
"I never left you because of anyone else."
Elliot's pupils constricted sharply, his chest feeling like it had been struck by a sledgehammer, making breathing difficult: "Then why did you leave? Between us..."
"There was never anything between us." Sophie cut him off, finally looking up at him with eyes cold as ice. "Elliot Sinclair, have you forgotten? These three years I stayed by your side were only for money and freedom. Now the transaction is over. We're even."
"Even?" Elliot's voice was practically grinding through clenched teeth. "Sophie, do you really think we can be even?"
"What else?" She laughed softly, her eyes devoid of any warmth. "Did you think I loved you?"
Elliot's face instantly went pale, as if he'd been stabbed viciously. He opened his mouth but found himself speechless.
Yes, she had never said she loved him.
Even when he hurt her again and again, she only endured silently, never showing the slightest sign of caring.
Yet he had foolishly thought her gentleness and patience were because of love.
"Elena, let's go." Ryan put his arm around her shoulder, his tone gentle but his eyes watching Elliot warily.
Sophie nodded and turned to leave.
"Wait!" Elliot suddenly reached out to grab her wrist, but Ryan blocked him.
"Mr. Sinclair, please show some restraint." Ryan's voice was ice cold.
Elliot's eyes turned terrifyingly sinister, his fists clenched with audible cracks: "What are you? How dare you interfere in our business?"
"Our business?" Sophie finally turned back, mockery in her eyes. "Elliot Sinclair, have you forgotten? Your Phoebe Evans is still waiting for you to return."
"There's nothing between her and me!" Elliot practically roared. "Those were all misunderstandings! I can explain—"
"No need." Sophie interrupted him, her tone terrifyingly calm. "Whatever you and she have is none of my concern."
She paused, her eyes turning completely cold: "Elliot Sinclair, I'll say this one last time—I never loved you."
Those words were like a sharp blade, cutting deep into Elliot's heart. His breathing stopped abruptly, his entire being plunging into an icy abyss.
Sophie didn't spare him another glance, turning and leaving shoulder-to-shoulder with Ryan. Her retreating figure was resolute and cold, as if there had never been any connection between them.
Elliot stood there, watching her figure gradually disappear from sight, his chest churning with unprecedented pain and rage.
He didn't believe it.
He didn't believe she had never truly loved him.
He didn't believe all that tenderness and devotion had been mere pretense.
"Sophie!" He suddenly shouted at her retreating figure, his voice terrifyingly hoarse. "Do you think this is how it ends? Let me tell you—impossible!"
Sophie's steps didn't falter in the slightest; she didn't even turn her head.
Elliot's fist slammed into the tree trunk beside him, his knuckles instantly bleeding.
The pain from his hand couldn't compare to one ten-thousandth of what he felt in his heart.
He stared fixedly in the direction she had left, his eyes gloomy and crazed.
"I won't let go... never."