Sophia dialed Samuel the moment she stepped out of Elise's office. She drove directly to the hospital where William was recovering.

She had been anticipating this opportunity.

Previously, she had no way to get close to William, fearing she might push him away. Now, with his hospitalization, she had the perfect reason to visit.

Men had always been easy for her to charm.

She knocked gently on the hospital room door before entering. A vibrant bouquet was in her hand, and a brilliant smile was plastered on her face.

Seeing the incredibly handsome man lying in the bed, she greeted him sweetly. "Hello, Mr. Levine."

William regarded her with a cool, detached gaze. She quickly introduced herself. "I'm Sophia Mitchell. Elise's sister."

"Half-sister," William corrected flatly.

A flicker of annoyance crossed Sophia's features, but she swiftly masked it. "My sister is incredibly busy, so she asked me to check on you. I also want to apologize on behalf of Stellar Group for the worker who injured you. The entire incident is deeply regrettable…"

William's judgmental stare remained fixed on her. "Elise sent you, you claim?"

"Yes, but please don't be angry with her, Mr. Levine. She just took over Stellar Group recently. The workload is immense. She simply couldn't get away right now," Sophia explained, feigning defense of her sister.

Internally, she was confident. She had stolen Samuel from Elise before. William would be no different.

"Really?" William's tone dripped with sarcasm. He mercilessly exposed her lie. "My memory is quite clear. You stole her fiancé. Are you certain she would send you here after that?"

The verbal slap stung, but Sophia recovered quickly. "That's a misunderstanding, Mr. Levine. The situation between me, my sister, and Samuel is complicated–"

"I have zero interest in you or Samuel Mitchell," William interrupted coldly. "I wish to rest. Since you are irrelevant to me, please stop disturbing my peace."

He was directly dismissing her. Sophia felt a surge of humiliation.

She had taken extra care with her appearance today. Yet, William hadn't even given her a proper look before telling her to leave.

"Very well, Mr. Levine. I won't impose further. I wish you a speedy recovery," she said, swallowing her pride.

She knew she couldn't be too aggressive while William was still infatuated with Elise. She needed to keep things natural.

This strategy had worked perfectly on Samuel. Sophia felt a smug satisfaction that she had used him as her test subject.

"Oh, I brought these flowers for you. I hope you like them." She maintained her coquettish smile as she placed the large bouquet on his bedside table. "I also want to apologize for mistaking you for someone else when we first met. I hope you can forgive that little error."

The door swung open before William could respond. Elise stood in the doorway, having witnessed the entire scene.

"Sis!" Sophia appeared completely composed, though inwardly she was startled by Elise's swift arrival. Elise should have been swamped with work today, especially with the autumn collection launch.

Had someone tipped her off? Had she rushed straight here?

She was getting clever.

"Well, since you're here, I'll be going now." Sophia smiled, as if graciously making way.

She walked past Elise with an air of nonchalance. Suddenly, William's voice stopped her. "Wait."

Elise's eyes widened slightly. Her lips pressed into a thin line. Sophia wasn't a stunning beauty, but she was a master at enchanting men.

Sophia herself was surprised, and delighted.

She had thought William disliked her. Now he was calling her back.

Sophia couldn't resist shooting Elise a fleeting, triumphant glance before turning around.

Her eyes wide with feigned innocence, her tone became even more flirtatious. "Were you calling for me, Mr. Levine?"

"Take your flowers with you. I'm allergic to them," William stated bluntly.

The air in the room seemed to freeze solid.