Chapter 182

The icy river swallowed Sophia Laurent's breath in an instant.

Her mind went blank. Only the roaring water filled her ears.

Derek Langley's sinister eyes haunted her thoughts like a venomous snake.

Pure survival instinct made her leap into the raging current without hesitation.

Her adoptive parents never taught her to swim.

In that household, she existed only as unpaid labor.

Endless chores. Hand-me-down clothes.

As water flooded her nostrils, Sophia remembered her elementary school P.E. teacher's advice.

Stay calm when drowning. Use both arms and legs.

She thrashed desperately, fighting to surface.

But the current dragged her deeper.

Her lungs burned like fire.

Limbs grew heavier.

Consciousness faded.

Just as she was about to give up, a warm, strong hand grasped hers.

"Don't be afraid."

The boy's voice was cool yet firm.

Through the watery haze, she saw mesmerizing peach-blossom eyes.

The most beautiful eyes she'd ever seen.

Sophia mustered her last strength to clutch that hand.

When she awoke again, a crystal chandelier glittered above her.

"Awake?"

A kind middle-aged woman approached with steaming chicken soup.

"I'm the housekeeper here. Call me Margaret."

Sophia scanned the room warily.

This bedroom was larger than her adoptive parents' entire apartment.

"Th...thank you."

Her voice came out hoarse, throat scorched with pain.

Margaret gently asked for her address.

Sophia named that nightmare place.

The adoptive mother's curses. The father's belt. The grandmother's cane.

She trembled uncontrollably at the memories.

"What a poor child."

Pity flickered in Margaret's eyes.

"Can you tell me who saved me?"

Sophia asked cautiously.

"The young master."

Margaret smoothed the blankets with a smile. "But he flew abroad this morning."

Sophia lowered her lashes, hiding the disappointment.

Those eyes—she might never see them again.