Their Mistake, Her Rise - Chapter 380: Chapter 380

Sophia went on, "And I heard you've been entangled with a bunch of men. Isn't Walther, the richest man in Goldewood, one of your lovers too? Otherwise, why would he let you run the Marlowe Group?"
Sophia's every accusation dripped with venom, utterly humiliating Zoe in front of everyone.
The crowd looked at Zoe with disdain, never expecting her to be that kind of woman. What a waste of such stunning beauty—though, in their eyes, she'd make a perfect plaything.
Many men began having indecent thoughts about Zoe. One even leered at her and said, "I don't care about your so-called reputation. Why don't you come with me instead?"
"And me!" another man chimed in with a smirk. "My family's loaded. Maybe I'm not as famous as Shawn, but I can definitely keep you in the lap of luxury."
"Pick me! I'm way hotter than Shawn—no contest!"
The men all began making advances at Zoe. With her porcelain-doll beauty and sultry charm, she was a real temptress in their eyes. They already started imagining how much fun she'd be to take home.
Watching all those men humiliate Zoe, Sophia felt a twisted satisfaction. Her pent-up malice finally found release.
But for Shawn, watching his beloved being humiliated like this—if he didn't step in now, he wouldn't be a real man.
Just as Shawn was about to step in, Zoe stopped him again. This was already the second time she'd held him back.
He looked at Zoe, his expression conflicted. But right in front of everyone, Zoe leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Who says women always need men to protect them? I've got your back too when it counts."
While Shawn was still savoring Zoe's bold declaration, she had already strode up to Sophia and, without hesitation, slapped her twice in front of everyone.
Sophia had been gloating triumphantly just moments before, but the sudden slap left her frozen in shock. "You!" she gasped, utterly stunned.
Zoe snapped, "Let this slap be a lesson. Keep your hands off what doesn't belong to you, or you're just asking for a beating."
As soon as Zoe spoke, the crowd erupted in an uproar. 'Since when does the other woman dare to act so brazenly?' people wondered.
Sophia knew exactly who Zoe was. She understood that if she confronted Zoe directly, she'd be the one to suffer the consequences.
But now she had plenty of supporters, her very own human shield. With them backing her up, she didn't even need to lift a finger to stay on top.
Sophia cried out, "How could you be so cruel, Shawn? Aren't you going to stop her? I'm your fiancée!"
Shawn was torn between two choices. He could intervene, but if anything happened to Zoe's family, she would be devastated, and he didn't want to hurt her. Yet if he did nothing, he just couldn't bear the humiliation.
Today's events made Shawn lose all patience with the White family. Once he got back, he'd make sure the Ludwig family severed all ties with them.
Otherwise, if the White family keeps suppressing the Ludwigs, both families will end up in a lose-lose situation.
Zoe slapped Sophia across the face—twice, sharp and swift.
Sophia shrieked, "Why are you hitting me again?"
Zoe scoffed, "Damn right I hit you! This is between you and me; keep Shawn out of it."
Seeing that Shawn refused to intervene while Zoe had humiliated her again and again, Sophia finally snapped. Turning to the crowd, she cried, "You all saw it, didn't you? This is how she bullies me! Someone has to stand up for me!"