Signed, Sealed, Scandalous

Chapter 9

Sophia Sterling knew Lily Wilson was doing it on purpose, but she was powerless to stop it.

Because Ethan Kingsley had lit the sky lantern to win that bracelet for Lily.

It belonged to her.

Her eyes reddened as she frantically pushed through the crowd, crouching to carefully gather every shattered fragment of the bracelet from the floor. She looked up at Lily.

"These pieces mean nothing to you. I can pay for them."

Lily refused without hesitation.

"Sorry, Miss Sterling, but I adore this bracelet. Even if it's broken, I'm taking it with me. Thanks for picking it up for me."

With that, she snatched the fragments from Sophia's hands and walked away, shielded by the three Kingsley brothers.

But the moment they stepped outside the auction house, Lily casually tossed the bracelet shards into the decorative pool by the entrance.

The water was shallow, only reaching mid-calf, but the bottom was lined with countless pebbles. The fragments disappeared almost instantly.

Without a second thought, Sophia jumped in. The pouring rain blurred her vision, making the search even harder.

She didn't know how long she spent hunched over, her back aching, her entire body numb from the cold, before she finally recovered every last piece.

By the time she returned home, water dripped from her soaked clothes.

Liam Kingsley frowned at her disheveled state. "What happened to you?"

Sophia's eyes were swollen, tears streaming uncontrollably as she trembled violently. Her voice was raw with emotion.

"I was retrieving the bracelet, my parents' keepsake, that your precious Lily smashed and threw away!"

"Your parents' keepsake?"

Ethan repeated the words blankly. All three brothers froze.

This was the first time they had ever seen her cry.

For a moment, panic seized them.

Ethan's tone softened instantly. "Sophia, I'm sorry. I forgot it was your parents' memento."

"I, I didn't remember either, or I would've gotten it for you!" Liam stammered.

Noah rushed to grab a towel, gently drying her dripping hair. "Sophia, please, go take a hot bath. You'll catch a cold."

"And I've told you a thousand times, Lily isn't our heart's desire. We don't love her. You're the only one we care about."

The only one?

Was she the only one when they left her waiting outside the Civil Affairs Bureau for an entire day in the freezing wind?

Was she the only one when they shielded Lily from scalding soup without a second glance at her?

Was she the only one when they let Lily ruin her wedding dress and shatter her bracelet without consequence?

"The only one we care about."

What a joke.

The storm had washed away every last shred of her grief and helplessness. Now, she said nothing, just coldly pushed their hands away and strode to her room, slamming the door behind her.

Locking it, she didn't even bother to change. Instead, she sat at her desk, desperately trying to piece the bracelet back together while staring at her parents' photograph.

But it was no use.

Broken things stayed broken.

The next morning, she opened her door with swollen eyes, only to find the three brothers hesitating outside.

The moment they saw her, they each extended a jewelry box.

"Sophia, we searched the entire city for bracelets like yours. Please, don't be sad anymore."

She didn't even glance at them.

"No need. None of those are my parents' keepsake. And this is my matter, no need for the young masters to trouble themselves."

Their expressions darkened at her icy tone.

Ethan sighed. "Sophia, must you distance yourself like this? You know how we feel about you."

Liam and Noah spoke in unison. "We know you've been upset about Lily lately, but she saved us. We're just repaying a debt. You're the one we truly love."

Truly love?

Sophia nearly laughed through her tears.

She did laugh. "Then spare me the young masters' affection. Because I'm already married."

The moment she brought up the marriage again, their faces hardened. But before they could retort, Lily's call came through.

"Ethan, Liam, Noah, I fell while changing a lightbulb! It hurts..."

Instantly alarmed, they hung up and turned to Sophia.

"Stop joking about marriage. If these bracelets aren't enough, we'll keep looking!"

With that, all three rushed out the door.