An invisible hand seemed to clutch Sophia's heart, squeezing so tightly she could barely breathe.

Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the railing of the Ferris wheel.

The man who had promised to keep her by his side forever this morning was now walking shoulder-to-shoulder with Isabella.

Iris pressed her cold hand in concern. "Sophia, you look pale."

Sophia forced a faint smile. "It's nothing. Just a bit of vertigo."

Her nails dug into her palms as she watched the perfect couple in the distance.

So this was why Ethan had tried to keep her indoors today.

As the Ferris wheel descended, Sophia's thoughts drifted further away.

"Take me to the Kyoto Grand Hotel," she told Iris.

The hotel lobby glittered with opulence. Sophia stood in the elevator, watching the floor numbers blink.

"Third floor, Pine Hall," Ethan's voice came through the phone.

When she pushed the door open, Sophia froze.

The round table was surrounded by people. Ethan and Isabella sat beside their respective fathers.

Just a business dinner.

She turned to leave but met Victor Sullivan's icy gaze.

"My apologies. Wrong room." Sophia hastily closed the door.

She walked quickly down the corridor.

"Sophia!" A familiar voice called after her.

She quickened her pace but collided with a solid chest at the corner.

"Sorry." She looked up, rubbing her stinging nose.

A pair of ocean-deep eyes met hers.

Those eyes—

Sophia's heart stopped.

They looked exactly like the ones from her memories.

"Are you alright?" The man's voice carried a foreign accent.

She stared at him, her chest splitting with pain.

Ethan suddenly appeared, pulling her into his arms.

When Sophia turned back, the mysterious man had vanished.

"Know him?" Ethan's voice was soft.

Sophia shook her head. "Just... familiar."

The lingering scent of Isabella's perfume in the car made her nauseous.

Ethan stood in the hotel lobby, staring at the documents in his hand.

The name "Kyle Grant" burned his vision.

His assistant murmured, "That's the man Miss Laurent has been searching for."

Ethan's eyes turned glacial as he crushed the papers to pieces.