His expression was calm, nearly devoid of emotion.

But the more he seemed unaffected, the more Sophia felt a rising panic inside her.

"Yes," she whispered, her lips trembling, but her voice firm.

She had been exhausted by this marriage for a long time.

If it continued, it would break her. She felt like she might die, really die from the pain.

"You want to escape?"

With that, Aaron stood up, stubbed the half-smoked cigarette out in the ashtray with such force that it seemed like he was angry. Sophia instinctively recoiled into the couch. When she looked up again, his presence loomed over her.

"You've messed up my life, destroyed my happiness, and now you think you can just walk away? Why should I let you go? Sophia, it was you who came into my life. When we got married, I told you: if you want to escape, you better be ready to die. Otherwise, you’ll have to endure."

His cruel words cut deep, each one like a knife tearing into her heart.

Sophia couldn’t hold back anymore. She shot to her feet, glaring at him defiantly. "I destroyed your happiness? Aaron, how many times do I have to explain? That night, I didn’t know! I never planned anything against you."

"Yes, I liked you. But Aaron, I have dignity. No matter how much I liked you, I couldn’t drug you, steal my cousin’s fiancé."

"For all these years, you’ve humiliated and tortured me because of that night. But you’re not the only one in pain."

That night had destroyed his relationship with Camila, but hadn’t it ruined her as well?

Four years of torment—she couldn’t bear it any longer.

Sophia gave a bitter laugh, lifting her hand in front of him and removing the wedding ring from her finger. She placed it on top of the divorce papers.

"It’s too late today. I’ll sleep in the guest room tonight. Tomorrow morning, I’ll leave Shallowbay Estates."

With that, she turned, ready to leave the bedroom.

Aaron's gaze turned cold and menacing. Before Sophia could leave the master bedroom, he stepped forward, grabbing her and forcing her to meet his eyes.

"Is this whole divorce thing because of Raina? Sophia, with all the other women, you’d always sneak around and take care of things quietly, bury it on the trending searches. But now, just because she’s pregnant, you’re ready to start a divorce?"

"No, it’s because I don’t want to be with you anymore."

Sophia slapped his hand away and turned to leave.

But in the next moment, she was lifted off her feet and tossed onto the bed. The man’s towering frame trapped her beneath him. She looked up and saw his face outlined by the harsh light, looking like a phantom.

Terrified, she tried to escape, but he pinned her down, leaving her unable to move.

"Aaron, let go... don’t touch me..."

Aaron looked down at the woman beneath him, his low voice laced with venom. "Don’t touch you? Sophia, have you forgotten how you begged for it while you were underneath me? Acting like you want to resist but then giving in... does that make your pussy wet enough to deserve this?"

Sophia was enraged by the insult. In a fit of anger, she slapped Aaron across the face.

The man froze in place.

Her eyes reddened, and like a wounded hedgehog, she drove her spikes into him mercilessly. "Aaron, you keep saying you love Camila, right? Well, I’m giving you your freedom. Why don't you go find her? Why are you still trying to fuck me?"

"So it turns out you're just an animal who can't control his lower body. Don’t talk about love anymore—it’s an insult to the word."

He looked as if he were utterly furious, his pupils narrowing. He reached out and grabbed her neck with force, his whole body exuding hostility. Every word he spat out was laced with fury. "Sophia, you're asking for death."

He truly seemed intent on choking her. Sophia could feel the intensity of his grip, and she could even hear the sound of her bones cracking. She couldn’t breathe, her eyes were bloodshot, yet she still glared at him defiantly, refusing to give in. "If you’ve got the guts, kill me!"

"Just as you wish."

In the final moment before she lost consciousness, Sophia saw his distorted face through her bloodshot eyes, twisted with rage, yet there was an undercurrent of something more complicated in his expression. She didn't have time to think about what that complexity meant before everything faded into darkness.

When Sophia woke up, it was already the next morning. She stared at the ceiling, and tears unexpectedly streamed from the corner of her eyes. She hadn’t died. At the crucial moment, Aaron had spared her. But the days ahead would likely be worse than death.

After freshening up, Sophia went downstairs for breakfast.

"Where is he?"

The servant, standing nearby, handed her a bowl of porridge. "Mr. Aaron left early this morning."

Sophia took the bowl and ate her breakfast slowly, finishing it with calm precision. She glanced at the medicine the maid had already set aside and, after a brief moment, stood up and headed upstairs.

She quickly packed her things, gathered her documents, and went downstairs.

When the maid saw her with the suitcase, she knew another argument had likely happened between the couple. She couldn't ignore it, so she hurried over. "Ma'am, are you... going back to your parents' house?"

Sophia paused for a moment, not wanting to make things awkward for the maid. She replied coldly, "You don’t need to worry. I’ll personally call Aaron and tell him, I won’t involve you."

The maid felt a little embarrassed, quickly waving her hand. "No, ma'am, that’s not what I meant. It’s just that sir told me to take care of you, and I..."

"Don’t want to disobey him? I understand."

Sophia gave a faint smile and walked out of the villa, getting into the car she had called.

The maid sighed, hurried back to the living room, and dialed Aaron’s number. "Sir, ma’am left with her suitcase. It looks like she’s going back to her parents' house."

"Mm, I know," came Aaron’s brief reply.

Aaron hung up the phone and looked at Joe, who was standing in front of the desk reporting on work. "Go find out where Sophia is."

Joe was momentarily caught off guard by the sudden command.

Mr. Ryker wants to find Mrs. Ryker?

This was the first time in four years.

But given how messy things were with Raina, it was clear Mr. Ryker was genuinely angry.

"I'll check right away, but Mr. Ryker, aren't you going to talk to Mr. Ryker about Raina?"

Aaron lifted his gaze. "Are you instructing me?"

Joe quickly lowered his head, placing the document on the desk before retreating from the office.

Aaron sat back in his large office chair, his mind filled with the image of Sophia from last night—talking about divorce and crying. A wave of frustration washed over him.

He then raised his hand and swept the pile of documents off the desk.

The sound of papers hitting the floor echoed in the silence that followed.

...

Sophia had originally planned to go home, but she got a call from the gallery midway, saying someone was causing trouble and insisting on seeing her. With no choice, she grabbed her suitcase and headed back to the gallery.

"Boss, what's with the suitcase? Are you going on a trip?" a staff member joked.

Sophia didn't respond to the staff's words. She just handed her suitcase over. "Please put it in my office. By the way, where's the person who wanted to see me?"

"In the meeting room," the staff member replied, taking the suitcase. She remembered the woman’s aggressive demeanor and kindly reminded her, "Boss, be careful. That woman doesn't seem quite right."

Sophia frowned slightly, nodding, and walked toward the meeting room.

As soon as she opened the door, she saw Raina's striking face. Her complexion had clearly improved since the miscarriage.

"Miss Quinn, you wanted to see me?" Sophia sat in the chair opposite Raina, her expression cool and distant.