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Reborn as the CEO’s Forbidden Lover
NovelShort
Completed
“You filthy woman! I’ll say it again — if I catch you sneaking into my father’s bed one more time, I’ll strip you naked and throw you outside for the dogs!”
Chapters (10)
Chapter 1
“You filthy woman! I’ll say it again — if I catch you sneaking into my father’s bed one more time, I’ll strip you naked and throw you outside for the dogs!”
The voice, heavy with threat, floated down from above Sophia Reed’s head. Moonlight pooled across the floorboard and fell on the sequined, scandalously short dress she was wearing.
Her chest went cold. When she glanced down she saw the valley of cleavage on display, and a pale hand gripping the thin strap of her dress like it might snap. Following the trembling hand up — the hand trembling from anger — Sophia met a face that still looked annoyingly young.
The boy standing before her couldn’t have been more than thirteen or fourteen. He was handsome, by the kind of striking, unfair standard that made a mouth tighten. Anger had twisted his features; after staring for a long moment, Sophia felt a peculiar tug of recognition. He looked so familiar.
But… wasn’t she dead?
She’d been dead a long time. How could she suddenly open her eyes and have someone yank at her dress?
Through the framed painting on the wall, in the shifting light and shadow, she realized the face she was looking out from was not the face she used to own at all.
Sophia reached out and touched the boy’s hand, incredulous; it was warm.
Not a dream. Ghosts don’t dream. She was… alive again?
“Get your hand off me, gross!” the boy barked and jerked his hand away, rubbing the place that had been touched until the skin reddened.
Sophia hadn’t yet recovered from the impossible thrill of being alive when the boy’s expression of contempt landed on her like a slap.
She clicked her tongue. “Gross? Wow, you talk like a real sweetheart. A child shouldn’t be so rude, you know?”
“Am I not right?” he sneered, arms folded tight across his chest, every word dripping with disdain. “You’re an adult, wandering around at midnight in that scrap of a dress, sneaking into my father’s room. What do you think you’re doing? If you’re not disgusting, who is?”
He took a breath and eyed Sophia from head to toe. “Everyone knows you’re supposed to be the tutor here. Someone who doesn’t know’d think you were some club girl who slipped out the back door.”
“Club girl…” The corner of Sophia’s mouth twitched. She opened her mouth to answer, then the boy took a quick step back and blurted, “And pull your skirt down. It’s almost showing your underwear. You think wearing trash like that will make you Mrs. Kane? Dream on. That seat won’t be yours no matter how long it sits empty. Serves you right you fell down the stairs! Why didn’t you just die when you fell? Get out!”
Sophia stood up in her heels, crossed her arms and swung slowly around him like a ridiculous vaudeville act. She leaned in, letting his disgust wash over her, and deliberately softened her voice.
“But I like your father,” she said, absurdly earnest. “I really like him. I want to be Mrs. Kane so badly… it’s driving me crazy.”
“You have no shame!” he yelled.
“I don’t want it,” she said brazenly — and with an actual grin that probably should have been mortifying. “I told you, I want to be Mrs. Kane. What’s a little shame to that? Once I become your stepmother—”
She deliberately dragged out the line, just to rile him.
“I’ll help your real mother teach you how to stop being such a brat.”
The boy’s eyes went red. He glared at her with teeth clenched. Sophia pretended to inspect her nails, ready to press the advantage — until a new voice, low and strange in its calm, drifted down from upstairs.
“And who do you think you are, to lecture my child?” the man said.
The voice was controlled anger, cold and measured. A hand rested on the banister as a man in silk sleepwear descended, looking down on them both with an expression that gave nothing away. His gaze skimmed over Sophia’s face without warmth, then settled on the boy.
The boy — already watery-eyed — looked more aggrieved when he saw his father, whispering, “Dad.”
“What’s this noise?” Alexander Kane reprimanded his son. “And who is she? What do you think you’re doing?”
The chastened boy wilted, muttering reluctantly, “That woman was trying to seduce you—”
Alexander came down the stairs slowly. As he stepped into the light his features became clearer: deep-set eyes, a high, aristocratic nose, and a face that had shed its boyishness for a cold, practiced masculinity. His look had no warmth, no leftover softness. And yet Sophia’s breath caught.
She knew this face. She knew it intimately.
On so many weekends in the past he had stood at the door of her small apartment, indifferent to weather or propriety, and forced his way into her bed with the authority of a man who owned every room he walked into. He was like any husband going home — except she had never been his wife. She had been his expensive kept woman, a thing purchased to satisfy desire in private, hated in daylight, because she happened to resemble his First Love far too closely.
Fake, she told herself. It had always been a fake: a facsimile bought to replace a memory. She remembered lying on a hospital slab, dying, while Alexander’s voice on the phone remained cold, unmoved by the idea of coming to see her.
Of course. A stand-in for someone else didn’t merit his descent. A kept woman’s worth was measured in the bedroom and nowhere else.
Despite the years she’d been gone, his life had carried on perfectly — he’d even had a son. She, on the other hand, had been shoved from a stairwell while pregnant with his child and left for dead on a sterile operating table at St. Luke’s Medical Center. One body, two deaths. Now, after being given a second chance at life, she swore she would stay as far away from him as she could.
Alexander’s movements were deliberate. He glanced at her coldly as he passed; the look cut to the bone, but it lacked the venom his son had used. He simply saw a woman in a revealing dress and the invitation implied, and his mockery landed hard.
Alexander sat on the living room sofa, a cigarette pinched between his fingers. Through the haze of smoke he watched Sophia and his son. He waved a hand, signaling for her to step closer.
Sophia, whose mind was reeling from the impossible fact of her resurrection, shrank back like a startled quail and didn’t dare move.
Alexander snorted and looked at the ring on his hand. “Bold enough to leave lingerie on my bed, but now you’re all meek and coy? Spare me the act.”
The mockery between father and son was identical — a family trait. Alexander’s sarcasm landed even more forcefully than the boy’s. Even though she suspected he might not recognize her, past moments with him made Sophia nervous enough to clamp her fingers together.
He paused when he noticed her nervous hands. There was something in the way she twisted her fingers that made an old, inexplicable sensation claw up in him. He thought of a woman named Sophia he’d once kept — a pretty possession who used to bite her nails when scolded. For a heartbeat, a memory he had buried pressed against his mind.
He tightened his jaw and tried to shove it away. He wasn’t a man given to nostalgia; he forced himself not to think. Still, he looked her over — at the outrageously short dress — and understood precisely what she had come for.
Sophia’s heart thudded, but she kept her back straight. Even if he didn’t know who she really was, she recognized him too — not as a father or a husband but as the man who had ruined her. This time, she vowed, she would not let him near her.
Chapter 2
It was past one in the morning and the Kane Manor was fully lit; even Mr. Howard, the house manager, had been roused.
Mr. Howard brought Alexander’s coat and the boy’s slippers. Alexander slipped into the coat, let a cigarette glow in his fingers, and asked lightly, as if the night were nothing more than a small annoyance, “You’re the new tutor for Ethan, right? What’s your name?”
He frowned, trying to place her; Sophia looked back at him blankly.
“I… I can’t remember,” she said.
Laughter — cold and unbelieving — came from the boy at her side. Clearly he didn’t buy it.
Sophia spoke seriously. “I think I fell down the stairs and hit my head… and I lost my memory.”
Father and son exchanged looks that screamed ‘who do you think you’re fooling?’ Sophia swallowed and offered an apology. “Mr. Kane… I’m sorry. My head is muddled. I don’t know how I ended up trying to… seduce you. I was wrong. Please forgive me. I promise I’ll pack my things and move out of the Kane house first thing tomorrow.”
Outside a crack of thunder split the sky — thunder rolling over the East River — and everyone flinched. Rain was coming.
Alexander, legs crossed, studied her. He’d finished his cigarette and held the crushed butt between his fingers while he scrutinized the woman in the revealing dress. She bent forward slightly, exposing the elegant slope of her neck; a few loose strands clung to her pale skin, forming a stark contrast.
For reasons he didn’t fully understand, Alexander felt that same intense familiarity he’d felt earlier — that tiny gesture of twisting her hands, the defeated expression. Something about her behavior echoed someone from his past.
He finally spoke. “So I hear you want to be Mrs. Kane?”
The corner of his eye lifted as he watched her reaction. His voice, silky and dangerous, made her feel exposed, like prey beneath a predator’s gaze.
Sophia stiffened at the phrase “Mrs. Kane.” Two seconds of shock made her delay, and that hesitation annoyed him.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she lied, forcing a stiff smile. “I was being absurd. I don’t expect to be Mrs. Kane. Who am I to think that?”
Alexander didn’t believe her. “You don’t want it?” he asked, leaning in as if to test her.
“No, Mr. Kane. I don’t want it,” she said, putting on an exaggerated expression of self-awareness. And she meant it — or at least she did now. Whatever past longing she might once have had for him had been extinguished long ago, snuffed out the day she’d been accused and humiliated when she’d told him she was pregnant.
She let her gaze drop to hide the bitter smile forming in her eyes. A man like Alexander Kane — untouchably at the top — could never belong to someone like her.
The rain grew louder, drumming against the window. Kane Manor felt cavernous and empty aside from the storm.
Alexander’s voice cut through the hush, laced with scorn. “You’ve got enough theatrics to make it in show business. What happened to the groveling you used to do at my door? Where’s that obsequious charm now?”
His body leaned forward; in his dark eyes Sophia detected contempt. “Trying to act in front of me now — isn’t it a little phony?”
She opened her mouth but found no answer.
“You know better than to think you can replace the favors owed here,” he went on. “Your brother stuffed you into the Kane household after he tried to save Ethan once — I know what’s going on. But I keep things separate: he’s his own man, you’re yours. We’ll settle the debt with your brother. Tell him to get a grip on reality and stop daydreaming.”
A thunderclap sounded as if to punctuate the sentence, and Sophia’s face went white.
No matter how much time had passed, Alexander still had the ability to freeze people in their tracks. When she finally came to, she realized the two of them had already gone. Only dutiful Mr. Howard remained, escorting her back to the room.
Alone on the bed, Sophia’s head spun. In a matter of hours her life had been turned upside down: from a drifting, untethered ghost to a scheming woman crouched at Alexander Kane’s door. The phone she’d opened with a fingerprint told her the name of the body she now inhabited — Vanessa Cole — and that she’d come to tutor Ethan Kane. But whoever had owned this life had eyes on something else; her phone was full of Alexander Kane’s preferences and photos — his face was the wallpaper.
Sophia snorted. Didn’t anyone do their homework? If these people didn’t even know Alexander’s First Love, what right did they have to dream of replacing her?
She was still thinking when the phone rang. The voice on the other end was panicked and vicious, launching into a tirade before she could speak.
“You useless thing! You were only supposed to sleep with him, and you can’t even do that right. What use are you to the Cole family? You’d have been better off dying in the State Foster Home back then!”
“You—” Sophia started, but the caller cut her off.
“You little bitch! Don’t give me excuses. I don’t care what you do — you get Alexander under your skin. Otherwise, don’t ever expect to see your remaining family again.”
The line went dead. The screen went black. Her mind reeled. Too much had happened in too short a time.
She turned over in the soft bed and couldn’t shake the image of Alexander’s cold, slicing mockery. Who could understand? She’d tangled with this man before she died. She’d finally been given another life, and the first face she saw was his.
Chapter 3
Half-asleep, Sophia Reed thought she heard the soft creak of a door opening.
A wave of unease crawled up her spine.
She blinked awake, eyes adjusting to the dim golden glow of the bedside lamp. There—standing in the middle of her room—was the teenage boy who had sneered at her the day before. His eyes were closed, his face blank, moving like some sort of automaton without a soul.
Sophia nearly screamed, but caught herself in time. Sleepwalking, she realized after a stunned second. She’d been through similar episodes before—back when her nerves were shredded by stress. People’s bodies had their own ways of purging emotion, she supposed.
Still, the sight of Ethan Kane wandering around her room in the middle of the night like a lost ghost made her heart pound.
Seriously, doesn’t anyone in the Kane Manor check on this kid? What if something happens?
Muttering under her breath, Sophia slipped out of bed and gently caught his wrist. Bit by bit, she coaxed him back to bed and tucked him in.
“Like father, like son,” she grumbled under her breath. “The older one’s a headache, the younger one’s a walking nightmare. I must’ve owed the Kanes something in my past life.”
The next morning, the storm over Manhattan hadn’t let up. Thunder still rolled distantly over the East River.
Sophia woke with a start—a cold, heavy sense of being watched prickled her skin.
When she opened her eyes, she nearly screamed again.
Ethan stood by her bed, hair tousled, face pale and grim.
“What the hell are you doing here?” she blurted.
“That’s my question!” the boy snapped back. “What are you doing in my bed? My dad told you to get out—why are you still here?”
Sophia yawned, snuggling back into her pillow.
“Sweetheart, open your eyes and look around. This is my room, my bed. And maybe—just maybe—you should be thanking the person who saved your life last night.”
She was still wearing last night’s sequin dress, now paired awkwardly with lounge pants she’d grabbed for warmth. The effect was… chaotic, to say the least.
“If it weren’t for me,” she added lazily, “you’d still be wandering the hallways half-dead in your sleep.”
Ethan’s face darkened. He looked like he wanted to bite someone. “You’re disgusting! Can’t seduce my dad, so now you’re trying me?”
Sophia found him adorable in his fury. “Your dad’s too old and cranky—an old man’s flavor just doesn’t appeal to me. But you? You’re fresh and tender. Way more tempting.”
“Gross!”
The boy bolted from the room, slamming the door behind him. Sophia collapsed into laughter—until she looked up and froze.
Alexander Kane was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, his expression unreadable. Dark silk pajamas, tousled hair, eyes sharp as glass.
“Good morning, Mr. Kane,” she said weakly.
A long pause.
“Get dressed,” he said evenly. “Come to my study.”
Sophia’s legs were trembling as she approached the study. She was doomed, obviously. Last night she’d crawled into his son’s bed, and this morning she’d teased the boy within earshot. What else could he want except to fire her—or worse?
She stopped at a safe distance from the desk. The room was dim; the curtains were drawn. Alexander sat behind his desk, now wearing a loose cotton shirt instead of silk, collar slightly open to reveal the hard lines of his chest. A pair of rimless glasses framed his cool gaze.
He gestured for her to come closer.
“Mr. Kane,” she said carefully, forcing a smile. “I was just packing my things—”
“In such a hurry to leave? I thought you liked Ethan.”
He’d heard. Oh, he’d definitely heard.
“It was just a joke, Mr. Kane. The kid’s adorable, I was teasing him.”
“Oh? And the old man’s flavor?” His tone was mild, but every syllable was a blade.
Her face drained of color. “I—I shouldn’t have said that. My apologies, sir.”
“Come here.”
His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried absolute authority.
Sophia hesitated, then slowly stepped forward.
Alexander’s long fingers tapped the desk, eyes glinting behind the lenses.
“Old man’s flavor?” he repeated, voice slow, dangerously amused.
“I was wrong,” she murmured immediately.
“Am I that old?”
His voice brushed against her ear—low, close, unsettling.
Sophia’s breath caught. Up close, his collarbone and chest were right there, tanned skin against white cotton. Old man, her ass.
“N-no, you’re not—”
Alexander chuckled softly, releasing her wrist.
“I don’t think you need to pack just yet,” he said. Then, calmly:
“Until Ethan’s sleepwalking is cured, you’re not leaving Kane Manor.”
Her heart jumped.
“The future heir of Kane Corporation,” he added coolly, “can’t afford to have a single stain on his reputation.”
Sophia understood immediately: he wanted to keep her silent. This wasn’t a request—it was an order.
As she turned to leave, his voice stopped her one last time.
“If you’re going to act like you’re fond of Ethan,” he murmured, “then act the part. Don’t half-ass it. Understood?”
“Yes, Mr. Kane.”
Chapter 4
Sophia was exhausted. The past twenty-four hours had been a circus.
She flopped onto the massive bed, groaning. So much for leaving—now she was stuck here, forced to “play nice” with the Kanes.
A knock came at the door. She sat up fast.
“Come in,” she said, clearing her throat.
Mr. Howard, the butler, entered with a neatly folded stack of clothes.
“Miss Cole, these are from Mr. Kane,” he said.
Sophia nodded.
Then came the dagger:
“Mr. Kane also asked me to remind you—teachers should look the part. Please avoid… unprofessional attire that might affect the young master’s aesthetic sense.”
Mr. Howard gave a polite bow and left.
Sophia’s face flamed red. She looked down at the conservative, high-necked blouses he’d sent. Insufferable man. Insulting her without a single curse word.
By the time she came downstairs, wrapped tightly in one of the dull blouses, only Ethan was in the dining room. He didn’t look up, didn’t greet her, didn’t acknowledge her existence.
“Where’s your father?” she asked before she could stop herself.
And immediately regretted it.
Sure enough, Ethan’s glare snapped toward her. “Still scheming? Forget it—Dad’s not interested in you, you pathetic woman!”
Sophia didn’t bother getting angry. She smiled slyly.
“Oh honey, don’t say that. I already told you—I like you, remember? So young and fresh.”
She threw him a deliberately exaggerated wink.
Ethan recoiled, disgusted. “You’re insane!”
He stormed off, muttering under his breath. Sophia smirked. “Rookie,” she said softly, settling into her chair. “Don’t challenge the pro.”
Finally alone, she was about to enjoy breakfast when heavy footsteps sounded behind her.
Ethan again—this time carrying textbooks, face set in grim determination.
“Eat fast,” he said. “You’re tutoring me after this.”
Sophia sighed, instantly losing her appetite. Right. Private tutor. Great.
Back in the study, she flipped through his prep materials and exhaled in relief. The content wasn’t too difficult—middle school history, mostly. Whoever his previous tutor was had made decent notes, though clearly lacked direction.
She might not have been a teacher in years, but she was still a top student once. Picking this up was child’s play.
Ethan sat stiffly, radiating annoyance. Sophia laid three practice exams on the table.
“What’s this supposed to be?” he snapped.
“Tests,” she said sweetly.
His expression twisted. “You’re taking revenge, aren’t you?”
“Can’t handle it?”
Her voice was light, teasing. He looked ready to explode.
Sophia reached out and pinched his cheek lightly. “Still so soft,” she murmured.
“Don’t touch me!” He slapped her hand away, face burning.
“What, never had a girl pinch your face before?” she teased. “Or maybe no girl’s dared come close?”
Ethan went silent, fists clenched. His expression—cold, brittle, painfully proud—was a perfect echo of his father’s.
“Too much,” he muttered.
Sophia laughed. “Then stop acting like such easy prey.”
She checked the clock and her tone shifted.
“Alright, focus. Finish before dinner.” She handed him a pen.
When he hesitated, she added lazily, “If you don’t, I might have to ask your dad for extra lessons. Who knows, maybe we’ll ‘bond’ over your progress.”
That did it. Ethan grabbed the pen like it was a weapon.
Over my dead body.
Sophia smiled in satisfaction and tapped his back lightly with a ruler. “Sit straight. You’ll ruin your eyesight.”
He glared at her but obeyed.
She yawned, half-watching as he scribbled furiously. The servants brought fruit and milk throughout the afternoon, all of which she happily devoured.
Sometimes, when she thought no one was watching, her fingers twisted together unconsciously—an old nervous tic.
From the security feed in his office, Alexander Kane saw it all. His gaze softened almost imperceptibly.
She reminded him of someone. Someone he shouldn’t still be seeing in every shadow.
With a quiet sigh, he pressed a button on his desk.
His assistant entered.
“Dig up everything on her,” Alexander said flatly. “More thorough than last time.”
“Yes, Mr. Kane.”
Chapter 5
After the assistant left, Alexander Kane rubbed his temples and cut the video feed, beginning his day’s work.
Meanwhile, Ethan Kane had tried rebelling several times, only to be firmly subdued by Sophia Reed. His expression began to change — even the way he glanced at her carried a faint trace of curiosity.
When Ethan started Sophia’s first practice test, the questions were ones he already knew. The second test pushed him a little, and by the third, every problem was a twisted challenge.
By the time he reached the final reading comprehension, Ethan had to admit — he was starting to see her differently.
During all that tutoring, Sophia hadn’t once seen Alexander again — whether by coincidence or design, she wasn’t sure. But the fact alone eased the tension that had been pressing on her chest.
Truthfully, she still couldn’t be herself around him — not when she wore Vanessa Cole’s identity. Every time she thought of the days she’d been Alexander’s kept woman, her stomach twisted.
Ethan, growing restless, suddenly shoved the test paper aside.
“You sigh more than the turtles in the Central Park fountain. It’s distracting.”
Sophia blinked, then smirked. “At least those turtles have a stable job — I don’t even qualify. Do you?”
He huffed, cheeks puffed, and went silent. That earned him a quiet laugh from Sophia. The kid was prickly, but interesting.
When the session ended, Sophia graded his papers, marked key sections, then stretched out on the bed upstairs. Ethan lingered over the red ink on his pages.
Something about her handwriting… it looked familiar.
Could people’s writing really change that much?
No — it looked exactly like her handwriting.
Was she imitating it on purpose?
A mischievous grin spread across Ethan’s face. Being a tutor at the Kane Estate wasn’t bad — good food, good pay, and a student who was bright enough to make it entertaining.
Later, Sophia lounged comfortably in bed scrolling through her phone. She deleted every file and message related to Alexander Kane. Those were things Vanessa Cole would have needed — not her.
No one knew Alexander like she did. That man’s heart was made of ice and razor wire.
Just as she cleared the last file, her phone buzzed violently. She answered on instinct — and a man’s furious roar exploded through the speaker.
“Useless trash! You still haven’t finished the job?”
It took her a few seconds to realize it was Nathan Cole, this body’s brother.
“You worthless fool! You’ve got the looks, but can’t even seduce a man properly?”
Nathan’s insults came one after another, vicious and relentless. Sophia tried to interrupt, but he never gave her the chance.
Finally, he snapped, “Tomorrow afternoon. Be home to sign for the package.”
Then — click.
The line went dead.
Sophia stared at the dark screen. Whether or not he called, she’d already been planning to find him. She wasn’t about to throw her life — or Vanessa’s — away for some twisted scheme involving Alexander Kane.
The next day, Sophia pulled on a white T-shirt and light blue jeans, heading downstairs to tutor Ethan. Just as her hand touched the doorknob, it turned — and she froze.
Standing there was Alexander Kane himself, cold and devastatingly handsome.
“Mr. Kane,” she greeted, forcing calm.
He barely glanced at her. That look — detached, distant — she knew it all too well.
Sophia lowered her gaze, saying nothing more. But when he stopped beside her, she tensed, fingers twisting together nervously.
From behind them came a voice. “Dad?”
Ethan stood halfway down the stairs, expression uncertain.
Sophia’s mind raced. Great. Now the kid thinks I’m flirting again.
“Ethan, wait downstairs,” she said evenly.
But Ethan frowned. “Maybe the tutor should go first.”
Sophia forced a smile. “You’re right, Ethan. If Mr. Kane doesn’t need me, I’ll go ahead and prepare for the session.”
Without waiting for permission, she practically bolted.
Alexander watched her retreating back — and for a moment, something strange stirred in his chest. He turned toward his son.
“Didn’t you say you hated her?”
Ethan shifted uncomfortably, mumbling, “I just think… she explains things well.” Then he slipped away.
Alexander’s gaze lingered, dark and thoughtful.
Later, during the lesson, Ethan seemed sharper — and pricklier. No matter what Sophia said, he found a way to argue. Finally, she turned it into a challenge.
“If you don’t focus, I might just marry your father and become your stepmom.”
That did it. Ethan scowled and finished every problem in record time.
By evening, Sophia felt like she’d fought a war. As she was about to rest, Mr. Howard, the butler, appeared with a small package.
“Miss Cole, this arrived for you.”
Her heart dropped. The delivery.
Thanking him, she slipped into a quiet corner to open it. Inside was a small glass vial. She picked it up, and her face instantly flushed red.
An aphrodisiac?!
Nathan Cole really had lost his mind. Did he think she could actually drug Alexander Kane — and live to tell about it?
Sophia destroyed the box but kept the vial, staring at it for a long time before tucking it into her pocket.
She’d find another use for it — one that didn’t involve dying.
What she didn’t know was that Alexander, standing on the upstairs balcony, had seen everything. His expression was unreadable — lips pressed in a tight line.
That night at dinner, Mr. Howard summoned her:
“Mr. Kane requests your presence in the dining room.”
Sophia entered to find both Alexander and Ethan at the table, both watching her intently.
Alexander’s fingers interlaced calmly as his gaze dropped — precisely — to the pocket where she’d hidden the vial.
Sophia’s heart skipped.
Then came his low, commanding voice:
“Where is it?”
Chapter 6
Where is it?
Sophia’s pulse raced. God, does he know?
She forced a smile, voice steady. “Mr. Kane, I’m not sure what you mean.”
Her lashes lowered demurely, posture composed, but inside she was in chaos. Her fingers fidgeted unconsciously — a tell she’d once had in the past.
Alexander’s eyes narrowed. That gesture, that tone — it was identical to how she used to lie to him.
Ethan noticed too. His gaze sharpened, trying to pierce through her facade. Who exactly is she?
Sophia, realizing she had to sell the act, tugged her pocket outward — nothing there but fabric. Alexander’s jaw tightened.
“You’d better not be hiding anything from me, Miss Reed.” His tone dropped dangerously low. “Or you’ll regret it.”
He didn’t need to say more. The sharp slice of his hand across his throat made the message clear.
Sophia smiled sweetly, calm on the surface — and that infuriated him even more.
Once Alexander was gone, teaching Ethan became almost easy. The boy grumbled, but he did his work. When he got lazy, Sophia simply doubled his assignments.
“Come on, Ethan,” she teased. “Be a good kid.”
“Don’t call me that,” he snapped. “That nickname isn’t yours to use.”
Sophia arched a brow. “Why not? It’s just a name.”
But in her mind, a memory flickered — years ago, she’d told Alexander she wanted to name their future child something with ‘boat’ in it, as a symbol of finally finding safe harbor.
And now his son’s nickname was “Little Boat.”
Of course it was.
Annoyed, she tossed him another set of problems.
Days passed. Alexander didn’t appear again, and Sophia’s life at the Kane Estate slipped into monotony — teaching, reading, daydreaming of freedom.
One morning, standing at the massive front door, she sighed dramatically.
“Oh, blue skies — when will I ever be free?”
“Miss Cole?” came a voice behind her.
She jumped — Mr. Howard again, silent as ever. But this time, he brought good news.
“Mr. Kane said you’re permitted to go out once a week.”
Her eyes lit up. “Really?”
After confirming it twice, she raced upstairs to grab her wallet — only for her phone to ring. Seeing the name on the screen, her blood ran cold.
“Brother…” she murmured.
Nathan’s voice blasted through. “You useless brat! Still haven’t done it? Do you even have a brain?”
Sophia flinched, pulling the phone away until his rage subsided.
“Café Verona. This afternoon,” he said darkly.
“…Got it.”
Her brief moment of freedom was already tainted. But she had no choice — she needed to learn more about Vanessa’s supposed “family.”
That afternoon, she sat at Café Verona for nearly thirty minutes before Nathan finally arrived. His delay was deliberate — intimidation through inconvenience.
When he saw her sipping tea calmly by the window, his jaw tightened with rage.
“Plenty of people watching,” she said smoothly before he could speak. “If you’ve got business, say it.”
“Bitch,” he hissed under his breath.
Sophia lowered her gaze, voice trembling just enough. “Brother, I can’t stay out too long.”
He blinked, momentarily thrown, then sneered. Sitting beside her, he grabbed her hand and pressed something into it.
“What’s this?” she asked.
“Just a few pretty outfits.”
She peeked inside the small paper bag — fishnet stockings, pink lace, and something that looked like a black hook. Her face flamed.
Pretty, right.
Nathan leaned closer, his tone turning cold. “Do the job this time. Or you’ll never see your family again. And remember — take photos as proof.”
He left without another word.
Sophia sat there, gripping the bag tightly.
If she wanted any chance of finding Vanessa’s family, she’d have to play along — just enough to survive.
When she returned to the Kane Manor, both Alexander and Ethan were at the dinner table, waiting.
She froze mid-step.
Ethan smirked. “What’s the matter? You look guilty. Think we’re dead or something?”
Chapter 7
Sophia Reed stood perfectly straight, flipping her hair deliberately. Just when Ethan Kane thought she was about to argue again, she merely smiled.
“Of course not. I just didn’t want to interrupt your dinner.”
Her gaze drifted to the half-eaten meal on the table.
“Have you eaten?”
Alexander Kane suddenly asked. Sophia’s smile froze for a moment before she exhaled lightly and kept her composure.
“I already had dinner with a friend outside. Please, carry on.”
With that, she turned and went back to her room.
She paced for a while, thinking hard until finally an idea sparked. Glancing at the clock, she knew Alexander would be in his study by now—just like every night.
In the kitchen, she prepared a cup of pour-over coffee, steadied her breath, and gently knocked on the study door.
A cold, emotionless voice came from within, as always. She took a deep breath and pushed the door open.
The study was spacious but dim; only the desk lamp cast a warm halo across the room. The sight softened Alexander’s sharp profile, making him look almost… human. That eased Sophia’s nerves. She inhaled subtly, then put on her practiced, calm smile.
“Mr. Kane,” she said softly, “I brought you some milk—and I thought I’d give you an update on Little Boat’s recent progress.”
She set the cup on his desk.
Alexander finally lifted his deep, unreadable eyes. Seeing her conservative outfit and the way she stood awkwardly with her fingers twisting together, his brows furrowed slightly.
That gesture—it was just like her, the one who had died. Every time that woman had been nervous, her eyes would dart away, and her fingers would fidget uncontrollably. She’d thought she was hiding her feelings, but every move had betrayed her.
Trying to sound casual, Sophia continued, “Warm milk helps you sleep better—it’s good for the nerves. You’ve seemed tired lately, Mr. Kane. Maybe you should try some?”
She smiled brightly as she nudged the cup closer to him, though inside she was tense.
Nathan Cole had warned her this stuff was strong. One wrong move and she would be the one in trouble.
All she needed was the photo—just enough to keep that bastard in line—and then she’d disappear.
Alexander’s frown deepened. Irritated, he picked up the cup and took a sip.
A second later, his piercing eyes locked onto hers, suddenly burning with intensity.
Sophia stiffened. Oh, hell no. Don’t tell me it’s working already? She’d barely used a drop! But that look—too familiar. No one knew better than her what Alexander Kane looked like when desire hit.
As his expression darkened, Sophia felt the pressure in the room build.
“I’ll head back now,” she muttered, turning to leave.
But before she could take two steps, his hand clamped around her wrist. Without a word, he dragged her into the bedroom. The door slammed shut behind them.
For a split second, memories from that other life—their nights together in that distant Hamptons villa—flashed through her mind.
Her face went pale. She stumbled backward until her knees hit the bed frame. Alexander moved toward her suddenly, pressing her down.
“Ah—wait!”
Her small gasp filled the room. She pushed at him with trembling hands—only to find, when she finally managed to free herself, that he’d gone completely still.
Asleep.
Sophia clutched her pounding chest, half in relief, half in disbelief. Then, seeing him soundly asleep, she couldn’t resist studying him up close.
Even in slumber, the man was unfairly beautiful.
“Mr. Kane? …Mr. Kane?” she whispered, waving a hand in front of his face. Nothing.
“Well,” she murmured smugly, “told you my little ‘sleep aid’ works wonders. You’ve had a long week—rest up, boss.”
She carefully guided him to the bed. Up close, she had to admit—Alexander Kane was infuriatingly perfect. The sculpted abs, the chiseled lines—sin made flesh.
Her cheeks heated. God, pull it together, Sophia.
This wasn’t the time to get distracted. Heaven had given her a second chance at life—not so she could fall for the same man again.
Pushing the thought away, she pulled out her phone, leaned in close, and snapped several intimate-looking photos—her arms draped around him, his shirt half open. Then she sent them straight to Nathan Cole.
A few minutes later, his reply came:
[Good work.]
[That’s just step one. Don’t stop there—you need to make him yours, Sophia. Become Mrs. Kane.]
Sophia snorted under her breath. Mrs. Kane? Not a chance. All she wanted was her family back—nothing more.
As her phone slipped from her grasp, her heart clenched. She turned to the sleeping man once more, eyes full of complicated emotions. Years had passed, yet Alexander hadn’t changed—if anything, he’d only become more composed, more dangerous.
He was a man she could never afford to desire again.
She took one last look and slipped quietly out of the room.
But the moment the door clicked shut, Alexander’s eyes opened. Confusion flickered in the dim light.
What on earth was that woman playing at?
He sat up slowly, gaze narrowing. Ever since she’d brought that milk, something about her actions had seemed off. But this was the Kane Manor. Whatever game she was running—how bad could it really be?
That was why he’d drunk it anyway.
And when he noticed the harmless, staged photos later, he couldn’t decide whether she was cunning or just plain foolish. In an age of deepfakes and AI edits, even if those photos spread, one call from the Kane Corporation’s legal team would bury every rumor.
Still, when she had fallen into his arms—he had hesitated.
But what was I expecting?
Chapter 8
Upstairs, Sophia was still trying to calm her nerves when Nathan Cole’s name flashed on her phone.
“Well, well, you little tramp…”
She held the phone away from her ear. Typical. Nothing good ever came out of his filthy mouth.
When he finally ran out of insults, Sophia took a slow breath. “Now will you tell me? My family—where are they?”
A mocking laugh came through the line.
“You think I don’t know what you’re planning? Not nearly enough. Wait for my call.”
Her hand tightened around the phone. Rage burned behind her eyes, but she swallowed it down. She couldn’t risk angering him—not yet.
She was about to hang up when his voice turned low again.
“Relax. Once you’ve got Kane wrapped around your finger, I’ll let you see them.”
The line went dead.
Sophia sank onto the bed, defeated. She knew he’d never keep his word.
After a moment, she dialed another number—the one person she still trusted.
“Lily Brooks,” she whispered when her friend finally picked up, voice thick with sleep.
“Who the hell—wait. Who just called me Lily-Baby? No one calls me that except—” Her tone suddenly sharpened. “Who are you?”
Sophia’s throat tightened. “It’s me, Lily. It’s Sophia. I…I died.”
Lily’s fingers trembled on the phone. “You’re kidding me—are you a ghost?”
Sophia laughed weakly. “Not exactly. I died…and then I came back.”
Half an hour later, after Sophia had poured out everything—the betrayal, the rebirth, the plan—there was stunned silence on the other end. Then came a scream loud enough to make Sophia jerk the phone away.
“Oh my God—it really is you! Then tell me—which side of my butt has the mole?”
“Left.”
“And how old was I when I had my first sex dream?”
“Seventeen. About the school’s golden boy. You woke up saying he wasn’t that great.”
“Ahhh—stop! Don’t remind me!”
Her friend’s shrieks dissolved into laughter and tears. Sophia’s chest ached—she hadn’t realized how much she’d missed this.
When Lily finally calmed down, Sophia cut to the chase. Nathan Cole would never tell her where her family was. She needed Lily’s help to find them.
Lily agreed immediately. But before hanging up, she added softly,
“Sophia, get out of there. Stay away from Alexander Kane. If it weren’t for him, you’d still be alive in that last life.”
Sophia fell silent. Her heart twisted painfully, but she forced a promise.
“I will.”
They set a time to meet next week. Then the call ended, leaving the room dark and heavy.
Sophia lay back, eyes closed. Somehow, her new life felt even harder than the last.
The next morning, Nathan Cole held a stack of freshly printed photos and headed for the Kane Corporation. But again, a black car followed him from the moment he left the hotel.
“Damn it. Who keeps tailing me?”
His driver frowned. “Want me to handle it, boss?”
“No. Not yet,” Nathan muttered. “Stay sharp from now on.”
The man nodded, curious. “By the way, how did you get the Kane Corporation’s CEO to agree to meet?”
Nathan smirked. “Told him I wanted to discuss my sister. He couldn’t say no to that.”
Half an hour later, in a private suite downtown, Alexander Kane sat on a leather sofa, sipping his coffee with that same calm detachment.
He hadn’t wanted to meet Nathan at all—but the man had used Vanessa Cole’s name as bait. The resemblance between that woman and someone from his past had been… uncanny. Against his better judgment, he’d agreed.
He intended to find out what game the siblings were playing.
Before leaving the house, he’d even told Sophia to keep tutoring Little Boat’s homework.
What he didn’t know was that, the moment he was gone, chaos had erupted at home.
With Alexander out of the house, Sophia felt freer than ever—no cold stares, no walking on eggshells. She enjoyed a quiet breakfast, even planning to stop by Café Verona later to meet Lily.
But after finishing her meal, she realized she hadn’t seen Little Boat all morning.
“Strange,” she murmured. “Sleeping in because Daddy’s not home?”
She went upstairs and knocked on Ethan’s door. The boy was curled up under the covers, face flushed red.
“Hey, sleepyhead! Time to wake up! Homework’s waiting!”
She tugged at the blanket—and froze. His brow was furrowed, and his skin burned to the touch.
“Oh God, Little Boat, you’ve got a fever!”
“Get away from me! Don’t touch me, you awful woman!” Ethan croaked weakly, but his body trembled with exhaustion.
Sophia ignored the words. She ran for the first-aid kit, grabbing a thermometer, fever patch, and some cold medicine. Sitting on the bed, she gently lifted him into her arms, coaxing him to swallow some water and pills.
“You listen here,” he muttered between breaths, “just because you help me doesn’t mean I like you.”
Sophia smiled faintly. Stubborn brat.
He didn’t realize that this gentle care—something he’d never known from a mother—was softening his heart in ways he couldn’t name.
For the first time, Ethan Kane didn’t see Sophia Reed as a scheming woman trying to get close to his father.
Maybe—just maybe—she wasn’t as terrible as he thought.
Chapter 9
“You don’t like me? Well, that’s fine—because I like you.”
Sophia Reed wrapped Ethan Kane in her arms and let out a soft laugh.
At her words, Ethan’s nose stung, and he instinctively shrank under the blanket.
From childhood until now, apart from his father, no one had ever shown him genuine affection.
Whenever he saw other kids being hugged or comforted by their mothers, he would quietly stand aside, full of envy.
He had never known what a mother’s warmth felt like—yet secretly longed for it.
In that moment, pressed against Sophia’s chest, he felt a kind of tenderness he didn’t want to let go of.
After taking his fever medicine, his temperature began to drop under Sophia’s careful care.
She tucked the blanket around him and gently replaced the cooling patch on his forehead.
Once he had fallen asleep, she noticed he hadn’t eaten anything all morning. Quietly, she went to the kitchen to make some oatmeal porridge for him.
While things were improving for Ethan, his father, Alexander Kane, was facing a storm of his own.
At Café Verona, Alexander sat waiting in a private booth. Soon, Nathan Cole arrived with a briefcase and a smug grin.
He looked like a man who believed he finally had leverage over someone powerful.
“Mr. Kane! Sorry to keep you waiting,” Nathan said with mock politeness. “Traffic was awful.”
Alexander didn’t even lift his gaze. He stirred his coffee with slow precision, expression cold.
“What do you want, Mr. Cole?” His tone was clipped, impatient.
Nathan chuckled awkwardly. “Mr. Kane, you’re a busy man. I wouldn’t bother you unless it was important.”
He pulled out a small stack of printed photographs and laid them neatly on the table.
“I wanted to discuss your relationship with my sister, Vanessa,” Nathan said, his voice oily and suggestive. “You and she have… already crossed that line. In a sense, we’re practically family now.”
Alexander’s jaw tightened. His eyes flicked to the photos—shots of him and Vanessa in various compromising angles.
So the woman who had drugged him that night had planned to use the photos to blackmail him?
The thought made his stomach churn. His hand clenched around his cup until the porcelain creaked.
He despised losing control—and more than that, he despised being manipulated.
“My relationship with your sister?” He gave a short, humorless laugh.
“You’re mistaken. I don’t take interest in women who throw themselves at me.”
Nathan’s face went from red to pale in an instant. Alexander’s voice sliced through the air, cold and deliberate:
“Whatever your sister thought she could gain—it’s over. And if you think you can use her to threaten me, your little scheme is already dead.”
“You—!” Nathan started, but one glance from Alexander’s icy eyes made the words die in his throat.
He forced out a weak, “She’s my sister—you took advantage of her, you should take responsibility!”
Alexander’s smirk deepened, though it didn’t reach his eyes.
“Responsibility? What will you do if I don’t?” he said quietly. The low rumble of his voice carried more danger than a shout. “No one in this world has ever succeeded in threatening me, Mr. Cole. You? Least of all.”
Nathan’s hands shook. He grabbed his briefcase and fled the café without another word, muttering curses under his breath.
“Useless woman,” he spat once outside. “Got herself slept with and couldn’t even bring back a profit.”
Alexander sat alone in the booth for a long time, his expression unreadable.
Vanessa Cole—so this was your true face?
The thought of her pretending to be innocent while plotting against him left a bitter taste in his mouth. And worse, she was still under the same roof as his son.
That thought made his steps quicken.
Ten minutes later, at Kane Manor, Ethan was sitting at the dining table, sipping the oatmeal Sophia had made for him.
Alexander entered the house, his face unreadable. The housekeeper, Mr. Howard, immediately came forward to report what had happened—Ethan’s fever, and how Vanessa had cared for him all day.
“Little Boat, are you feeling better?” Alexander asked, his tone softening just slightly when he looked at his son.
“I’m fine now, Dad. Miss Cole took care of me,” Ethan said quietly, glancing at Sophia with a trace of awkward gratitude.
It was the first time he had called her “Miss Cole” instead of “hey” or worse.
Sophia’s heart softened at that. The boy wasn’t truly rude—he just didn’t trust easily.
“That’s her job,” Alexander said coldly. “The Kane family doesn’t keep people around for free.”
Sophia’s smile froze. Ethan looked down, silent.
Alexander’s dislike was palpable. Ever since learning about the photos and her connection to Nathan Cole, his patience for this woman had vanished entirely.
In his mind, Vanessa was just another schemer his rival had planted in his home.
“Little Boat, go rest,” Alexander said curtly. He gave his son’s shoulder a pat, then turned his wary, hard gaze on Sophia.
The message was clear: You’re not welcome here.
Chapter 10
Sophia was speechless.
After everything she’d done that morning—making tea, tending to the boy’s fever, staying by his side—Alexander’s cold hostility hit her like ice water.
She could see it in his eyes: disgust, suspicion, contempt.
For what? What had she done to deserve it?
So much for the fragile peace between them—it shattered instantly.
Fine, she thought. She wasn’t going to argue with this arrogant bastard. Once she found out what had happened to her family, she’d leave the Kane Estate for good.
Sophia went back to her room. Alexander led Ethan upstairs.
“Dad, what’s wrong?” Ethan asked hesitantly. “Miss Cole really did take good care of me today—she even—”
“Little Boat,” Alexander cut him off sharply. “Don’t trust that woman.”
He told Ethan about his meeting with Nathan Cole and the so-called evidence.
“What?” Ethan’s face went pale. “She… she really did that?”
The warmth he’d felt earlier curdled into anger and betrayal.
“She’s a bad woman, Dad. Make her leave the house!”
“Enough,” Alexander said flatly. “Don’t talk about this to anyone. Focus on school—and stay away from her. I’ll handle the rest.”
His dark eyes narrowed slightly. There was something about that woman that didn’t add up.
After that day, Ethan’s attitude toward Sophia turned cold again.
That afternoon, Sophia went to Private Prep Academy as usual to pick him up. But when she called out to him, Ethan ignored her completely and ran off.
“Little Boat! Wait!” she shouted, chasing after him.
He darted around a corner, made a face at her, and disappeared into an alley.
A moment later, Sophia heard shouting—and then Ethan’s terrified cry.
“Help! Somebody help me!”
Her stomach dropped. She sprinted forward and saw three teenage punks surrounding Ethan, their expressions malicious.
“Hey, kid,” sneered the tall, bald one. “We’re broke. Be a good boy and hand over your cash.”
“I—I don’t have any!” Ethan stammered, trembling.
“No money?” the bald one laughed. “Then crawl between our legs and maybe we’ll let you go.”
Ethan’s face went white. “Help! Help me!”
Before one of them could grab him, Sophia’s voice rang out like a whip.
“Let him go!”
She charged forward, shoving one of them aside and planting herself in front of Ethan.
“Well, look what we’ve got—another one with a death wish,” one of them jeered.
Sophia’s eyes narrowed. “Death wish? Sweetheart, I’ve already died once. You’re welcome to try.”
Before the thugs could react, she kicked the leader square in the chest, sending him sprawling. Two more lunged at her—three quick blows later, both were on the ground groaning.
“Get lost,” she snapped.
The punks scrambled away.
Sophia turned back to Ethan, who was crouched in the corner, shaking.
“Get up. We’re going home.” She grabbed him by the arm like a misbehaving puppy and marched him back toward the car.
“Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?” she scolded once they were home. “You could’ve been hurt—or worse! What were you thinking?”
“I didn’t need your help!” Ethan shouted, tears of humiliation stinging his eyes. “Mind your own business!”
“You little—if I hadn’t shown up, you’d be in a hospital bed right now!”
Before she could finish, a cold voice cut through the air:
“Enough.”
Alexander stood at the doorway, his expression dark.
“No one disciplines my son without my permission.”
Ethan immediately ran to his side. “See, Dad? She’s awful! She yelled at me!”
Alexander’s anger deepened. After the morning’s confrontation with Nathan, any remaining goodwill toward Sophia was gone.
Sophia just stared at the two of them—father and son united against her.
She’d saved the boy, and somehow she was the villain?
For a moment, her chest tightened painfully. The memories of her previous life flickered back—how she’d once been the “trophy mistress” of a man who never chose her, how she’d lost herself trying to please him.
Not again. Not this time.
She took a breath, forcing down the anger. Her voice softened, though her eyes glistened.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Kane. I was just worried about him. He was in danger, and I— I overreacted. It won’t happen again.”
Tears shimmered in her lashes as she looked down, twisting the hem of her shirt nervously.
Then, almost imperceptibly, she gave a bitter smile.
“Don’t worry, Mr. Kane. From now on, I won’t interfere with your son’s life.”
Her voice trembled, but her words were steady. “You can hire another tutor. I quit.”
She turned away before anyone could see the pain flickering behind her calm façade.
Alexander watched her go, his eyes narrowing.
That woman again. What was she playing at this time?
