---
Lucius: There’s something I need to tell you… and you might not like it.
Sophia's grip on her phone tightened. Something about his words sent a cold shiver down her spine.
Sophia: What is it?
Lucius: First, promise me you won’t get mad.
Sophia rolled her eyes. That was never a good way to start a conversation.
Sophia: Just say it, Lucius.
Lucius: …I found out something about your past.
Her breath hitched.
Sophia: My past? What do you mean?
Lucius: Your aunt. She didn’t just sell you… She was paid extra to make sure you never came back.
Sophia’s entire body went still.
Her fingers trembled as she typed.
Sophia: What are you saying?
Lucius: She made sure no one would ever look for you, Sophia. She erased you.
Sophia felt like the air had been punched out of her lungs.
She already knew her aunt had sold her. That much wasn’t news. But to hear that the woman had gone out of her way to erase her existence—to make sure she never returned home—was a different kind of pain.
Sophia: …How do you know this?
Lucius: I have my ways.
Sophia: That’s not an answer.
Lucius: Because I’ve been looking into your past, alright?!
Sophia stared at the message, her anger bubbling up.
Sophia: Without telling me?!
Lucius: I was going to tell you when the time was right.
Sophia: And you thought NOW was the right time?!
Lucius: I didn’t mean to—
Sophia: You had no right, Lucius!
She was on her feet now, pacing the dorm. Her hands clenched into fists.
Lucius: I just wanted to protect you.
Sophia: Protect me? By digging into my past behind my back?! By telling me something this painful through text?!
Lucius: I didn’t want to lie to you.
Sophia: But you DID lie. Keeping the truth from me IS a lie.
Lucius: Sophia—
Sophia: I need space.
She turned off her phone before he could reply.
Her chest heaved, her eyes burned, but she refused to cry.
Lucius had always been secretive, but this? This felt like a betrayal.
She needed to breathe. She needed to sleep.
She needed to forget this conversation ever happened.
---
The Next Day
The sun was shining, birds were chirping, and Sophia?
Sophia was sleep-deprived and still pissed.
She sat in class, her notebook open, but she wasn’t taking notes. She was staring blankly at the board, thinking about last night’s argument.
She hadn’t checked her phone since then. Had Lucius messaged her? Called her?
She wouldn’t know. She wasn’t ready to face him yet.
"Sophia."
She blinked. "Huh?"
Jisoo nudged her with a smirk. "You’ve been staring into space for like, ten minutes. You good?"
Sophia forced a smile. "Yeah. Just tired."
Jisoo wiggled her eyebrows. "Ohhh, is it because of your boyfriend?"
Sophia nearly choked. "Wh-What?"
"Come on," Jisoo grinned. "You were totally texting him last night, weren’t you?"
Sophia rolled her eyes. "Mind your business, Jisoo."
Jisoo laughed. "Fine, fine. But—" She leaned closer. "Did you know you have a secret admirer?"
Sophia blinked. "What?"
Jisoo nodded toward a small, neatly folded note on Sophia’s desk.
Sophia frowned and picked it up.
It read:
"You look beautiful even when you're lost in thought. I hope today treats you kindly."
There was no name. No hint of who had written it.
Jisoo wiggled her eyebrows again. "Oooooh, someone has a crush on you!"
Sophia felt her heart skip a beat.
She wasn’t sure if it was from excitement… or dread.
Because if Lucius found out about this?
It would not end well.
YOU ARE READING
SMITTEN BY HER (unedited)
Romance"Beyond Shadows" In a world where darkness whispers secrets and power knows no bounds, a young orphan's dreams of becoming a veterinarian are crushed by the cruel betrayal of her own blood. Sold into an unforgiving fate, she finds herself in the eni...
