Bound by fate

ontgomery Enterprises on the Brink of Collapse: A Scandal of Betrayal and Financial Ruin." Sophia sat in her office, her phone buzzing relentlessly as she watched the hea

ha

way he had once made her feel like the center of his universe. They had been in love, or so s

ever trusted him. Ethan had been the perfect man on paper: charming, successful, and completely invested in her

d: "Never mix business with personal

as living proo

her. She hesitated for a moment, knowing the conversation would only deepe

was rough, strained with stre

ce cold. "It's Ethan, Dad. He'

before her father let out a heavy sigh. "I wa

phone. "How could he do this? Aft

"He wanted control. When I refused to bring him into the business, he must have seen it as an insult.

ed by someone she once trusted so completely. Ethan had used her, wormed his wa

ked, the weight of the situ

with the arrangement with Damian. Ethan's already poisoned our

marrying Damian, some alternative to being sold off to save her fami

er bubbling to the surface. "He doesn't care about u

etrayal has put us on a fast track to ruin. Damian's offer is the only thing tha

g Damian's pawn, but Ethan's betrayal had cornered her. There was no longer a way out tha

Sophia said finally,

n't have," her father replie

another way, the reality was staring her in the face. The Montgomery name w

he had to co

-

She had replayed the moment over and over again in her head-the moment she realized it had been him all along. Ethan, the

stop her, and burst into Ethan's office. He sat behind his de

back in his chair. "To wh

You leaked the information a

innocence. "It's just business, Sophia. Your family was goi

retended to care about me, all so you

u're too naive, Sophia. This is how the g

had never felt so betrayed, so utterl

eyes dark with triumph. "I don't think so. The Montgomery family is

eply he had wounded her. But deep down, she knew he wa

above this-whether it was thr

nside her, the sheer rage at how easily he had discarded her, their relationship, and everything they'd shared. Ethan

w and trembling with barely restrained fury. "You rui

ver left his gaze. "Business is war, Sophia. Your fat

nto fists at her s

family was a stepping stone to something bigger. Don't

, her voice gaining strength. "You lied to me for months. You pretended to care,

it was gone as quickly as it came, replaced by that familiar cold calculation. "You were u

ort, angry bursts. "You're a coward," she hissed.

You're not in any position to talk about power plays. Your family's empire is

here. Not now. She straightened, forcing herself to meet his cold gaze head-o

really don't understand how this works, do you? By th

stranger. The person standing in front of her was a soulless, calculating shell of t

aid, her voice cold, steady. "But mark m

thing that looked like doubt. But he quickly masked it with

the last, but her mind was clear on one thing: Ethan wasn't going to get away with this. He might have brought her family to

hia allowed herself a moment to breathe, to let the anger settle. But i

t and saw a message from her father: "Damian Bla

d to face. But now, after Ethan's betrayal, her options were dwindli

n hardening her resolve. She wasn't g

her last chance, but she w

her. There was no turning back now. Ethan had set the stage for her downf

in this fight-even if it meant mak

is hand, but she wasn't going to crumble. Not now. The city's skyline stretched above her, a constant reminder of the life she was desperately try