Chapter 31: Sophia’s First Attempt – The Fake Apology

The atmosphere inside Ethan's apartment was quiet, save for the faint hum of the city beyond his window. After the chaotic events of the class dinner, he had finally settled in for the night. Jordan had dropped him off, exchanging a few words before driving off. Ethan didn't mind—he preferred the silence.

However, peace never lasted long.

A notification flashed on his phone.

Sophia: Hey, can we talk?

Ethan's brows furrowed as he read the message. His ex-girlfriend, the same one who had left him for Lucas without hesitation, now wanted to talk?

He ignored it.

A minute later, another message popped up.

Sophia: Please, Ethan. I want to apologize.

This time, he let out a dry chuckle. Apologize? For what? Dumping me for a guy she thought was richer?

He put his phone down, not bothering to respond. He had no interest in whatever game she was playing.

Ethan stepped out of his apartment, dressed in a casual yet sharp outfit—black jeans, a fitted dark gray shirt, and a leather jacket. He had errands to run, and the last thing he needed was unnecessary drama.

But fate had other plans.

As soon as he stepped out of the building, a familiar voice called out.

"Ethan!"

He turned and saw Sophia standing near the entrance, a hesitant expression on her face. She was dressed impeccably in a tight beige dress that accentuated her curves, her long hair perfectly styled.

She came all the way here?

Ethan sighed and kept walking.

"Ethan, wait!" She hurried after him, her heels clicking against the pavement. "Please, just give me five minutes."

He stopped but didn't turn to face her. "Five minutes."

Sophia's face brightened, as if she had won a battle just by getting him to listen.

"I just… I wanted to say I'm sorry," she began, her voice laced with what she hoped sounded like sincerity. "I know I hurt you when I chose Lucas. I was stupid and shallow, and I regret it."

Ethan's face remained unreadable. "And you suddenly regret it now?"

She bit her lip, her eyes softening. "I didn't realize how much you meant to me until I lost you."

Ethan almost laughed. Right. She only 'realized' after I casually dropped nearly 100 grand at dinner.

He studied her carefully. She was good—her words were perfectly chosen, her eyes even had that glassy, about-to-cry look. But he had seen her true nature before. He wasn't going to fall for it again.

Still, he decided to play along.

"Regret, huh?" His voice was casual, almost amused. "Tell me, Sophia, do you regret leaving me… or do you regret thinking I was broke?"

She flinched slightly but quickly recovered. "Ethan, it's not like that. I just—I made a mistake. I was blinded by Lucas' wealth, but I realized too late that money isn't everything."

Money isn't everything?

This was the same woman who used to scoff at his cheap outfits. The same woman who left him the second someone richer came along.

Ethan smirked. "Interesting. And now that Lucas is struggling to pay his bills, you suddenly see your mistake?"

Her expression stiffened, just for a second, before she quickly masked it with a soft, regretful smile. "I don't care about Lucas. I only care about you."

Ethan hummed, pretending to think. "If you really care about me, let's test something."

She blinked. "Test?"

"I'm still the same guy, right? So let's do something simple." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a single $10 bill. "Here."

Sophia frowned, confused. "What's that for?"

"A test," he said smoothly. "Let's grab a meal together. A simple, cheap meal. No fancy restaurants, no expensive wine. Just two people eating normally."

Sophia's face twitched.

"Ten bucks?" she repeated, as if the amount was offensive.

Ethan smiled lazily. "Yeah. That's all we need, right? Since money doesn't matter."

Her fingers clenched around the strap of her designer purse. "I… I just thought maybe we could go somewhere nice. You know, to make up for lost time."

Gotcha.

Ethan pocketed the bill. "And that's where the problem is, Sophia. I don't need an apology filled with empty words."

Sophia's eyes widened slightly as she realized she had walked straight into his trap.

"Apology not accepted," Ethan said simply before stepping past her.

She grabbed his wrist. "Wait—"

He pulled free with ease. "Sophia, I'm not angry. I just don't care anymore."

Her lips parted as if she wanted to argue, but the cold finality in his tone stopped her. For the first time, real panic flickered in her eyes.

Ethan didn't wait for her to say anything else. He walked away without looking back.

She stood frozen in place, her mind racing. This wasn't how it was supposed to go.

She had expected Ethan to be hesitant, maybe even bitter. She thought if she played the remorseful ex, he would fall for it and let her back in.

But instead, he had completely dismissed her.

She gritted her teeth. No. This isn't over.

If an apology wouldn't work, then she just had to try a different approach.

She would make Ethan want her again. And once she did, she would make sure to secure her place before he could push her away a second time.

After all, there was no way she was letting someone who could casually drop a hundred grand slip away.

Not when she had already made the mistake of choosing the wrong man once.

This time, she would play smarter.

Even if it meant using every trick in the book.