The CEO's Empathy Pregnancy Pains

"What's up with that Sophia? Can you fill me in? Relax, I'm not trying to stir the pot. It's just that I've noticed she's been hanging around my brother Dean a lot lately. He's my only family, and he's still young and naive. He doesn't know much about Emerald City."

Archibald was setting the stage to get Emily to open up.

Emily caught on to his intentions.

After a moment of thought, she decided to be straightforward with him.

"I get it, and I understand. Her last name is Brown. You're smart, so you probably guessed some of it already. She's my half-sister, my father's illegitimate daughter with another woman."

Archibald snorted in response. "No wonder."

"What do you mean, 'no wonder'?" Emily was puzzled by his reaction. She looked at Archibald, who seemed visibly angry.

Was there more to the story?

"She doesn't act like a lady from a wealthy family. Look at her, always clinging to Dean like she's afraid someone will see her. She has no class at all.

"Sneaking around like that is disgraceful! Even if I didn't disapprove as his brother, my parents would never have allowed their beloved youngest son to mix with a woman like her!"

Hearing Archibald's harsh words, Emily realized he must have noticed the tension between her and Sophia. Otherwise, he wouldn't dare speak so ill of Sophia.

"So... is Dean dating Sophia?" Emily took the opportunity to ask the question that had been on her mind.

Archibald turned the steering wheel, making a sharp turn, and replied with frustration.

"How could he? I just pulled him aside to ask him that. He swore to me that Sophia is just someone he met while having fun. She likes to stick around him, but he has no interest in her. It's never serious.

"I warned Dean to break it off with Sophia immediately to avoid any trouble. If he gets himself into a mess, I won't help him out!"

Archibald's tone was as stern as a father's.

Emily could understand. She had seen Michael treat Veda the same way.

They were all children without parental guidance, growing up and having to rely on themselves for every step.

Unfortunately, Veda was a lost cause.

As for Dean...

Emily couldn't fully trust her own judgment, but she could tell that Dean didn't genuinely respect Archibald as a brother.

This trouble was far from over.

With that in mind, Emily felt the need to warn Archibald. "Dean wanted to start a studio... Sophia won't be involved, right?"

Emily guessed that Archibald wouldn't know the final answer, but it was worth bringing up.

Archibald was sharp enough not to be fooled by Dean and Sophia, who were just starting out in business.

The strong smell of smoke filled Sophia's nose.

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But this time, it wasn't her smoking. It was Dean, sitting in the driver's seat of the BMW Archibald had given him, lounging with his legs crossed, chain-smoking.

The constant display of brand logos on his clothes, the random music blaring in the car, the sparkling steering wheel cover, and the overwhelming scent of cologne made Sophia feel extremely uncomfortable.

She had always wanted to point out these flaws, but knowing Dean's temper, she didn't dare speak up.

Now, looking at Dean, she realized she had grown accustomed to someo like Michael, who was always elegant and refined. Dealing with Dean required extreme patience.

Sophia had initially set her sights on Archibald.

But she never expected that the man she couldn't win over would be snatched away by that wretched Emily. Sophia couldn't swallow her anger, but she had to keep it bottled up inside.

The resentment festered within her, spreading like invisible black smoke, filling her surroundings and being inhaled back into her lungs, over and over.

"What are you still doing here? Get out of the car!"

Finally, a shout from Dean made Sophia snap.

She glared at him, revealing her true self. "You think I want to be here breathing in secondhand smoke? Dean, why do you always chicken out when it comes to your brother?

"Remember when you told me about your grand ambitions? I thought you were impressive back then, but now I see it was all talk!

"What about the studio? What about starting your own business? What, he tells you to come home, and you just obey? Do you have any backbone? Forget it, talking to you is a waste of time. I'd be better off figuring things out on my own!"

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With that, Sophia decided to leave.

This wasn't just a tantrum or an act; she genuinely wanted to break free from Dean.

She knew Emily wouldn't speak well of her to Archibald.

Before things got worse, she needed to find a new opportunity.

But to her surprise, Dean locked the car door before she could get out.

"What are you doing?" Sophia started to panic.

Before she could cause a scene, Dean grabbed her, pulling her close.

Dean's hand gripped her slender waist tightly, making it hard for Sophia to breathe.

She could only plead softly. "Let go... let go of me... Dean, you're crazy!"

Dean, seemingly possessed, leaned in close, their faces just inches apart. "You're the crazy one, Sophia. What's your deal with that woman?

"You're so cunning and capable, staying by my side for so long. But the moment you see her, you act like a scared mouse. Why? And now you dare to criticize me? Where do you get the nerve?"

Dean tightened his grip, causing Sophia to nearly suffocate, tears welling up in her eyes from the pain.

Despite this, Dean showed no intention of letting her go.

He continued, "You think I'm weak in front of my brother? If I didn't pretend to be innocent like you, how would my brother ever agree to rent me a studio? How would I ever get money out of him?"