Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
Sophia Sullivan packed her bags once more, preparing to accompany Ethan Sullivan and Emma Sullivan to M-Country for another round of treatment.
Morning sunlight streamed through the car window, casting a warm glow on Emma's quiet face.
The little girl clutched the ceramic doll that bore a faint resemblance to Sophia, sitting obediently in the backseat.
"This time will go smoothly," Sophia said as she secured the last piece of luggage, offering Ethan a reassuring smile.
Ethan's gaze lingered on the doll in Emma's arms, his lips curving slightly. "She loves this gift. She holds it every night when she sleeps."
Sophia leaned down, gently brushing Emma's hair. Her voice softened. "When you're all better, Auntie will make you even prettier dolls, okay?"
Emma blinked, tightening her grip on the doll.
For this trip, Ethan had arranged a private jet.
The motorcade headed straight for the FBO terminal, bypassing the bustling public boarding area.
To ensure absolute safety, Ethan had deployed tight security along the route, preventing any suspicious individuals from approaching.
Midway through the drive, Emma suddenly lifted her small hand, pointing at a colorful ice cream truck parked by the roadside.
Sophia paused in surprise.
This was the first time Emma had shown active interest in anything outside her own world.
She crouched to meet Emma's gaze. "Do you want ice cream, sweetheart?"
Emma didn't respond, instead fiddling with the doll's dress. But the sparkle in her eyes betrayed her anticipation.
Ethan glanced at the ice cream truck, remembering how his late brother used to bring Emma little treats like this. His expression softened.
"Go ahead," he said quietly.
Sophia selected a cone, taking a small taste. A smile touched her lips. "It's delicious. Would you like to try some, Mr. Sullivan?"
She held out a melon-flavored ice cream to him.
Ethan's stomach condition hadn't fully healed, and he shouldn't have been eating cold treats.
Yet he accepted it anyway.
The cool sweetness melted on his tongue. He gave a slight nod. "Not bad."
"Melon flavor is perfect for summer," Sophia said, her eyes crinkling with amusement as she handed Emma a mini cone. "Here you go, darling."
The three of them stood by the roadside, their shadows stretching long under the sun.
None of them noticed the camera silently trained on them from a nearby corner.
Hannah Vance scrutinized the freshly taken photos, her eyes dark with envy.
The last smear campaign at the company had decimated her entire clique.
She had only escaped by feigning illness at the last moment—otherwise, she'd be rotting in a jail cell right now.
But even though she'd kept her job, her days at the company grew increasingly unbearable.
The sidelong glances and cold shoulders from her colleagues pricked at her like needles.
Now that she had this opportunity, she wouldn't let it slip away.
A cold smirk twisted Hannah's lips as she anonymously uploaded carefully selected photos to the company's internal forum, pairing them with an inflammatory headline:
#Gold Digger Grovels Before CEO's Love Child—Ethan Sullivan Looks Disgusted, Dumping Imminent#
The post instantly set the forum ablaze.
Employees flocked to gossip, sending engagement metrics skyrocketing.
"So the rumors are true? The CEO really has a secret love child?"
The anonymous forum became a magnifying glass for humanity's darkest impulses, spawning wave after wave of malicious speculation.
"Rich people really live differently. Sophia Sullivan acts so high and mighty, but look how pathetic she is in private."
"I heard she was the other woman before. Just got divorced and already latched onto the CEO. Judging by his expression, he's getting sick of her."
Hannah watched the flood of insults with smug satisfaction.
She uploaded a few more photos taken from deliberately unflattering angles, pouring gasoline on the fire:
"How does a woman who sleeps her way to the top deserve to outrank us? Sophia Sullivan should be fired!"
The post climbed to the top of the trending list.
Employees from other departments who didn't know Sophia personally joined the dogpile under the shield of anonymity.
"Agreed! Get Sophia Sullivan out of here!"