Sophia stood frozen in the dimly lit hallway, her heartbeat pounding like a war drum.
Adrian’s touch still lingered against her skin, the warmth of his fingers brushing her hair away playing over and over in her mind. It had been such a simple gesture—yet it had unsettled her, sent an unfamiliar shiver through her spine.
She exhaled sharply, shaking her head.
What was she doing?
This wasn’t her.
She wasn’t the kind of girl who got flustered over small touches, over boys who looked at her like she was a mystery waiting to be unraveled.
Except… she was.
At least when it came to him.
And that was dangerous.
She had just fought with Lucius—no, broken with him. And now, Adrian was appearing at all the right moments, saying all the right words.
No. She wouldn’t let herself fall into whatever this was.
She straightened, squared her shoulders, and turned back toward the karaoke room.
Jisoo and Minji were still hyped from her unexpected performance. They bombarded her with questions as soon as she stepped inside.
"Where did you even learn to sing like that?"
"Have you considered auditioning for an agency?"
"WAIT, ARE YOU SECRETLY A TRAINEE?!"
Sophia laughed, dodging their energy as she plopped onto the couch. "Guys, relax. I just… used to sing a little. That’s all."
Jisoo narrowed her eyes. "You’re hiding something."
Minji pointed dramatically. "She’s definitely hiding something."
Sophia just rolled her eyes, forcing a smirk. "I hide a lot of things. You’ll have to be more specific."
The conversation carried on, shifting topics as the night went on. But deep inside, Sophia felt a storm brewing within her.
She knew something had changed tonight.
And she wasn’t sure she was ready for it.
---
The next morning, Sophia made a decision.
She wasn’t going to rely on Lucius’s money.
Not anymore.
Even if he was the one paying for her tuition. Even if a part of her knew it was foolish to reject his help.
Even if, deep down, she knew she was only doing this to prove something to herself.
She refused to be owned by Lucius Lee.
And if that meant working part-time jobs, then so be it.
Ji-hyun had once told her about a decent café near campus that was hiring. It was nothing glamorous, just a simple job serving coffee and pastries, but it would give her enough to cover some of her expenses.
She pulled out her phone, searching for job listings, determined to make it work.
---
Meanwhile…
Lucius Lee wasn’t sleeping.
Hadn’t slept properly since Sophia hung up on him.
He sat in his penthouse, staring at his phone, debating whether to call her or let her cool down.
But that night’s words still burned into his skull like a fresh wound.
"Maybe I should’ve just left you where I found you."
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...
