shattered innocence

Elena held Sophia's hand as they walked side by side toward their humble home.

Sophia's steps were slow and heavy, her face streaked with tears of frustration. It was as if the weight of everything was pressing down on her all at once.

"Sophia, you have to act normal," Elena urged gently. "Everything will be alright, especially now that Jude's brother is involved. He won't rest until we get through this together. Mama can't see you like this—she'll start worrying, and I don't like it when she stresses herself. You know her health isn't good enough for that."

Sophia took a deep breath, straightening her posture as she wiped her face. "Hmm," she murmured, trying to compose herself.

By the time they reached home, both girls quietly settled into their small room for the night. But while Elena quickly drifted off to sleep, Sophia lay awake, her thoughts running wild.

She reached for her earpiece, hoping that music would calm her mind enough to rest. As she scrolled through her phone, searching for a song that matched her mood, a notification suddenly popped up from a news app.

"Caldwell Horizon to Face Bankruptcy in Less Than Two Weeks."

Sophia's heart clenched. She immediately tapped on the article.

In an interview, the management team revealed that Mr. Caldwell is doing everything in his power to prevent the company from collapsing entirely. However, former employee James has proposed taking over as president, claiming that if he is voted in, he will restore the company's stability within a week and ensure that all delayed worker salaries are paid.

Sophia's hands trembled as she read. The words blurred in front of her eyes, and before she could read any further, she shut the phone off.

She yanked out the earpiece, threw her phone aside, and forced herself to close her eyes. She didn't want to think anymore—didn't want to feel the helplessness clawing at her.

It took several minutes of battling her thoughts, but eventually, exhaustion won, and she drifted off to sleep.

The Next Morning – At the Hotel

Ethan had been up long before sunrise, his eyes glued to his laptop as he scoured every bit of information available about Caldwell Horizon's crisis. He needed a plan—something that could counter James's scheme before it was too late.

Then, he came across the same news Sophia had read the night before.

"Voting for James to Become the Next President Expected to Conclude in One Week."

If Mr. Caldwell failed to prove he was still capable of leading, the decision would be final—James would take over.

Ethan leaned back in his chair, exhaling sharply. "You really think stealing an entire company will be that easy, James?" he muttered to himself. "Not when I'm in the game now."

Determined, he shut his laptop and got up to take a shower.

As usual, he dressed in his simple, worn-out clothes—nothing that hinted at the fortune he had recently won. Slinging his bag over his shoulder, he checked the time.

"At least I'll leave early today before Elisabeth starts following me around again," he muttered.

He stepped out of his room, ignoring the murmurs and side glances from the hotel workers. They always whispered about him whenever he passed, but Ethan had long learned how to mind his business.

Flagging down a taxi, he gave the driver an address—the Caldwell residence.

By the time he arrived, it was already 7 a.m.

He knocked at the door, waiting. After a few moments of silence, he tried calling Mr. Caldwell's number.

Ethan knocked at the door, waiting as he continued calling Mr. Caldwell's number. After a few minutes, someone finally answered.

"Who's that?" a familiar voice asked from inside.

Ethan immediately recognized it. "Hey, David. It's me, Ethan. I'm here to see your dad," he replied confidently.

David let out a faint, almost mocking laugh before opening the door—only to block the entrance with his body.

"What business do you have with my dad?" His tone was cool at first, but the disdain in his eyes was clear.

Ethan remained calm. "Um… He asked me to come today. We're supposed to go somewhere together."

David scoffed. "Yeah, I know. He wants to take you to his company, right?" His voice turned sharp.

Ethan hesitated for a second before nodding. "Yeah."

"So you can steal from him and get away with it?" David sneered, raising two fingers in a mocking clown gesture.

Ethan blinked, caught off guard. "Wait… what are you talking about?" He forced a small, confused smile.

"Oh, don't act clueless," David continued. "You think I don't know? You're just fooling my dad because he's old and too trusting. You're nothing but a jobless fool looking for an easy target—just trying to scam him so you can run away with your pathetic girlfriend. Too lazy to work hard for what you want?"

Ethan stood there, dumbfounded, unable to find the right words to respond.

"I still don't understand what you mean," he said finally, locking eyes with David.

Just then, Lila stepped out from behind the door. "I saw you with that girl yesterday," she said smugly.

Ethan's mind flashed back to the previous night—Elisabeth had followed him without his knowledge. Lila must have seen her.

"Okay, wait, there's a misunderstanding here—" Ethan started, but David cut him off.

"Where? Where is the misunderstanding?" David's voice dripped with sarcasm. "The only misunderstanding here is you. Turn around and leave. Don't ever come back—unless you want to regret what I'll do to you." His tone was cold, laced with threats.

"She's just my friend. There's nothing between us, I swear," Ethan chimed in.

"Oh, just your friend?" Lila mocked. "And she kissed you when you got into the car, right?" A smirk played on her lips.

Ethan's heart sank. "Oh no… I'm doomed," he muttered under his breath.

"I can explain. It's not what you think—" Ethan started, but before he could finish, Mr. Caldwell stepped out of the house.

"What's going on here?" Mr. Caldwell's presence was enough to make both David and Lila step back.

Ethan straightened and bowed slightly. "Good morning, Mr. Caldwell."

"Morning, Ethan. Now, someone explain what this is about." Mr. Caldwell's gaze shifted between them, his tone firm.

Ethan opened his mouth first. "It's just a small misunderstanding, sir."

Lila scoffed. "A small misunderstanding?"

David crossed his arms, shaking his head with a smirk. "Dad, this man is trying to fool you. He's a scammer, plain and simple."

Mr. Caldwell's expression darkened. "What?"

David didn't let him say another word before continuing, "Dad, this bastard lied about wanting to help you. He's only doing it because he's in love with Sophia—and even that's a lie. No man would still want Sophia after she got pregnant by some rapist we don't even know. And on top of that, he has a girlfriend—Lila saw her with him yesterday."

Mr. Caldwell raised a hand, silencing him.

Ethan, however, was frozen in place. His mind latched onto one thing.

Sophia… pregnant… from a rapist?

"Ethan," Mr. Caldwell's voice cut through his thoughts. "Can you explain what's going on?"

Ethan struggled to find his voice. When he finally spoke, it was steady. "Sir, you should know I'm not stupid enough to take advantage of your trust. And even if I had a girlfriend, think about it—would I be careless enough to leave evidence for you to find? That girl is just a friend. But… I don't understand something." His brows furrowed. "Is Sophia pregnant?"

David let out a bitter laugh, about to speak again, but Mr. Caldwell held up a hand to silence him.

"So, you really don't know about the robbery that happened at my house that same night you came to visit?" Mr. Caldwell's expression hardened. "You didn't hear about it?"

Ethan hesitated. "I… I did. But I didn't know Sophia was… pregnant because of that." His voice was contemplative.

A brief silence followed before Mr. Caldwell finally spoke again.

"She was raped that night." His voice was heavy. "And now she's pregnant. That's more of the reason why she left the house."

Ethan stood there, the words sounding unbelievable—almost unreal—as he tried to process them over and over again.