Connor noticed Aaron’s cold gaze toward Sophia and instantly understood the growing rift between them.

“Ron, you and Sophia have been married for four years now. When are you planning to have a child? I am not getting any younger, and want to see a great-grandchild,” Connor said with a casual smile.

Aaron chuckled lightly but didn’t bother responding, letting Connor ramble on instead.

“Whatever happened in the past is done. You’ve made your point. It’s time to learn when enough is enough. Don’t push things too far,” Connor said in a calm tone.

Aaron’s smile deepened as his eyes locked onto Sophia, sending a chill down her spine.

He spoke, his voice laced with amusement. “Mrs. Ryker, your habit of tattling seems to be getting more frequent. Am I really that bad to you?”

“You brat! Don’t you dare scare my granddaughter-in-law. She didn’t tattle. Those rumors about you are everywhere. Do you think this old man is blind?”

Aaron’s smile faded slightly, and he fixed Connor with a firm gaze. “Grandpa, you’re not young anymore. Wouldn’t it be better to just enjoy your golden years? Stay out of our marriage. And don’t worry, you’ll get your great-grandchild. I promise.”

His voice turned colder. “But the mother of that child will never be Sophia.”

Connor’s brows furrowed, and his expression grew darker.

Aaron gave a faint, dismissive smile and stood up. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll be on my way. But if you call me back for something like this again, don’t be surprised if I bring a few grandkids home for you.”

Connor’s face turned red with anger. He grabbed the teacup from the table and hurled it at Aaron. “Aaron! Are you trying to drive me to my grave?”

The cup shattered on the floor, fragments scattering everywhere.

The atmosphere grew tense, charged with unspoken threats.

“If you dare mess around with those women again, believe me, I’ll strip you of your position as CEO of Ryker Corp. And as for those women, I have plenty of ways to make them disappear,” Connor warned, his tone icy.

Aaron smirked coldly. “Grandpa, I’ve been running Ryker Corp for five years now. I’m not the same Aaron I used to be.”

“Fine, Aaron. If I can’t control you anymore, then show me what you’re made of,” Connor challenged, his voice low and steady.

Sophia quickly reached out to steady Connor, gently patting his back. “Grandpa, please don’t get upset. Your health is more important.”

Connor sighed and shook his head. “Silly girl. You’ve spoiled this brat too much, and now he thinks he can walk all over you.”

Sophia lowered her head, remaining silent.

Aaron shot her a cold glance, ready to retort, but seeing how flushed Connor’s face was with anger, he held back. After all, this was his grandfather. If he caused the old man to fall ill, he’d truly be an ungrateful grandson.

But Connor’s persistence on Sophia’s role made his tone sharp. “I’m telling you, if your child isn’t born by Sophia, I won’t acknowledge them.”

Aaron smiled faintly, refusing to argue further. He grabbed Sophia’s hand and led her away.

---

The night was in full bloom, and the Cullinan sped through the darkness.

Sophia and Aaron sat in the back seat, with Joe driving carefully up front, barely daring to breathe.

The tension stretched out until they reached the coastal highway. The frigid silence was suffocating.

Unable to bear it any longer, Sophia opened her mouth to speak but quickly shut it when she met Aaron’s icy gaze.

She thought better of it and kept quiet. Explaining would be pointless—he wouldn’t listen anyway.

Why bother inviting more trouble?

Suddenly, a pleasant ringtone broke the oppressive silence.

Aaron pulled out his phone, swiped the screen, and answered. Whatever was said on the other end made his expression tighten immediately. “Don’t worry. I’m on my way.”

Sophia glanced at him, her eyes filled with curiosity.

The dim light from the car highlighted Aaron’s chiseled features, giving him an air of untouchable nobility.

“Is something wrong?” Sophia asked softly.

Aaron’s eyes narrowed slightly as he gave a cold command. “Stop the car.”

Sophia frowned in confusion, ready to ask why, but the screech of brakes cut her off.

“Get out,” Aaron ordered.

“What?”

“You didn’t understand? I said, get out.”

Aaron’s cold eyes bore into her as he reached over and opened the car door.

Sophia froze for a moment, then turned to face him, disbelief written all over her face. “Aaron, this is the coastal highway. There are no cars here. I won’t be able to catch a ride. What if something happens?”

“You’ve always been lucky. You’ll be fine,” Aaron replied, his tone dark and indifferent.

Lucky? Fine?

Sophia let out a bitter laugh, then slowly closed her eyes. Without another word, she stepped out of the car.

The moment her feet touched the ground, the roar of the engine filled the air, and the car sped off, leaving her behind in the cold, desolate night.

She stood there alone, the cold night swallowing her whole, leaving her figure shrouded in a lonely, desolate air.

She didn’t know how long she’d been standing until Aaron’s car disappeared into the darkness. Pulling her coat tighter around her, she tried to hail a cab. None came.

Suddenly, her stomach twisted in a violent spasm, a wave of searing pain ripping through her body.

It hit her then.

She hadn’t eaten all day. She’d been busy at the gallery and left right after Elara’s call. There hadn’t been time for dinner.

Her stomach condition had flared up.

Bending down, she crouched by the side of the road, cold sweat gathering on her forehead, her face pale as death. With trembling fingers, she fished out her phone and dialed her best friend, Raelynn Johnson.

"Raelynn… it hurts. Help me."

“Sophia, don’t panic. Send me your location. I’ll be there right away.”

When Raelynn finally arrived, she found Sophia lying on the ground, curled up in pain. Her hand was injured too—a motorbike had knocked her down. Luckily, it wasn’t going fast, and the injuries weren’t serious.

Raelynn rushed her to the ER. The doctor administered a painkiller and treated the scrape on her hand. Thankfully, it was just a surface wound—no bones were broken.

"Who the hell left you on the coastal highway? Was it Aaron?" Raelynn’s tone was sharp, her frustration barely contained as she noticed Sophia looking a little better.

Sophia lowered her head, saying nothing.

Seeing her like this, Raelynn suppressed her anger and helped her up. “Since we’re already at the hospital, let’s run some tests. We need to figure out how bad your stomach condition is.”

"Alright."

As Raelynn supported Sophia upstairs for the tests, a piercing, gut-wrenching scream echoed through the hallway, drawing their attention.

On a gurney nearby, a woman with disheveled hair and a twisted expression thrashed wildly. The white hospital sheet covering her was soaked in blood.

It was her. Raina.

At the foot of the bed stood a man—his lips pressed into a thin, tight line, his face emotionless. But in the depths of his dark eyes, a storm brewed, cold and lethal.

His perfectly tailored suit was rumpled, blood trickling from between his fingers and dripping onto the black-tiled floor.

Sophia’s blood ran cold as she recognized the man.

Aaron.

He seemed to sense her presence too. His eyes lifted, meeting hers. A faint frown formed between his brows, as if he was about to say something, but a doctor interrupted them.

“The baby couldn’t be saved. We need to perform a D&C. Family, please sign here.”

The doctor handed the consent form to Aaron.

Without hesitation, Aaron took it and signed his name.

Raina was wheeled into surgery. The red light above the door flicked on.

“You got her pregnant?”

Sophia pushed Raelynn aside and walked toward him, her eyes locking onto his. Her voice was calm, unnervingly so, devoid of any emotion.

But her hands, hanging at her sides, wouldn’t stop trembling.