Chapter 2

• Her words freeze the blood in Sophia's veins, and her face stiffens even though she keeps her smile in place. She hates how it's all she is ever known as, wherever she goes. She's not Sophia Andres, the pretty brunette with bright eyes, a warm, good smile, and a decent IQ. She's Leon Hale's bride-to-be, overshadowed even as a child, and it's all anyone ever cares about. She is considered worthless because she's a girl, and Leon is the Prince of this city because his family is ranked as the fifth richest in this country... Sophia's is too, but he's a boy.
• "Yes, that's correct. They have grown up together, and we already see Leon as our son. Our families are very close. It's only natural we chose him to ensure Sophia's happiness as an adult." Sophia's mother pats her back and squeezes her, and Sophia is aware of the other girl's bright and happy face now turning sour as she sizes her up. Sophia has seen this look on girls many times before. The nasty turn. Once they know who she is and her relation to Leon, all friendliness evaporates.
• In their world, girls are raised to seek out the most affluent and influential son to marry and make their families proud while benefiting their wealth and status. It's almost an obsession for some, and Leon would happen to be in the platinum variety of future sons-in-law. No one marries for love anymore; it's all about money. And it's a massive personal failure and blow to a girl's self-esteem to not bag the Leons of their world.
• "Must be nice to have your future all set and laid out. You can put your feet up and just focus on staying pretty and healthy." Her words bite, her tone fake and high-pitched cheerful. The other woman is still acting kind, but her words don't fool Sophia even if they pass under her mother's naive radar.
• "I'm not going to be a stay-at-home wife. I have shares in POLO Enterprises as the only child of my family. I intend to take up my position at my father's right hand when I finish with school and my studies." That inner anger that has always lived within Sophia shows face, her tone a little condescending, and her mother clears her throat awkwardly. She is too soft, but Sophia is her father's child under this sweet face.
• "Yes, Sophia takes after her father in the brain department. She's at the top of her class and very academic. Her father has high hopes that one day she'll be the vice president by Leon's side." Sophia's mother gushes proudly, being the one of their family who always struggled with school and lessons despite ending up as a teacher. But Sophia is bilingual in four languages, has a photographic memory when it comes to most subjects, and won awards in mathematics at a very young age. She's not stupid or incapable. She's ambitious and wants to stand in their family company one day, doing something important for its future.
• "Not just a pretty one then. How nice for you." Liliana Masters seems to develop a pinched expression, and her coolness is overbearing. Even Sophia's mother picks up on it and gestures a passing server for some glasses of champagne as a distraction method. Sophia stands tall and proud by her side and catches Odette glaring at her. The kid is unattractive and unintelligent. Leon wouldn't look twice at her, even if she were the child from the wealthiest family in this country.
• "Mother, Leon is looking for me; I have to go over there." Sophia points out her group, who are now several more teens from Leon's friendship circle, and Johnny looks lost standing aside while they talk. Looking for an out now the true nature of these women is on display. Sophia doesn't waste time on this kind of fake.
• "Of course, darling. Go on, don't keep him waiting. Let him know I'll come to wish him a happy birthday soon." Sophia's mother gives her a light hug and sends her on her way. Sophia walks with pride towards Johnny, her little brother in all but blood, to save him from feeling isolated. She catches sight of the Hales and her father heading towards her mother. All three of them smile at her with genuine affection and pass by without any interference.
• "Ahhhh. Sophiaaaa. There you are, my sweet girl. You look adorable." Sophia is suddenly grabbed around the shoulder by a muscular arm and pulled into a broad chest. Her face is pinched, and she struggles to get out of Andy Wilson's annoying grip. She squirms and protests while he pokes at her and pulls her around. He crushes her in his embrace and laughs heartily at her protests. Andy is another one of her self-appointed big brothers.
• "Andy, stop it." Sophia pushes at him to no avail because he's a sixteen-year-old powerhouse with the body of a much older man on steroids. "Let me go, you brute." He's not the sharpest tool in the shed but has a good heart and an over-bearingly expressive way of showing affection. He doesn't care about where they are or how to behave, and as usual, he is the source of chaos and energy in Leon's group.
• Sophia is yanked out of his arms and pulled against a warm, hard, and wall-like body. She's straightened up so fast it makes her dizzy, and she loses her footing. She's caught by the person who had just pulled her over. She turns just enough to see Leon eyeing her over her shoulder, and he doesn't look impressed at all. He pats down her dress, gestures with a chin nod at her hair, and pushes her off of him coldly.
• "Go fix yourself. My mother will lose it if she sees you guys acting like kids. Your finishing school classes are seeming pointless lately." His expression is sour, and Sophia scowls at him, sneering in an unladylike manner.
• "I am a kid! I'm allowed to have a night off from being a flat and boring lady while I'm still only a child!" Sophia pouts back at his frosty tone, the urge to kick him in the shin mighty today with how cold and superior he's being. This is how they are sometimes, and Sophia thinks he hates that he does not intimidate her in the slightest.
• Leon narrows his brow, his handsome face seemingly more mature when he gets all serious and sulky, and Sophia bites on her lip, anger rising because he can always make her feel so bad with very few sentences.
• "Can you try not acting like this for my birthday? I don't want to babysit. I do it all year round." He lets Sophia go and pushes her slightly away, slicing her heart with his words, and she swallows the sudden urge to cry. She hates him for always making her feel like a nuisance child around him when he used to be the one who carried her on his back and put band-aids on her cut knees. Leon used to be the one to lift her over fences, hand her food, take care of her, and protect her from everything in the world.
• If she hadn't been thrust upon him in this manner, perhaps they would still be close, and he wouldn't be constantly erecting this icy barrier between them.
• "Don't worry, I'll take Johnny and stay out of your way. We can hang out together, and you'll only have to look after yourself." Sophia swings away and grabs Johnny's hand, aware of the wide-eyed innocent way he's watching them with a slightly crushed expression. He hates when they argue and is too gentle and kind to know how to intervene. For a twelve-year-old, he's more like a child half that age at times, and Sophia pulls him along protectively. Using him to distance herself from Leon and simmer down her bad mood caused by his arrogant attitude.
• "She's turning your brother into a little cry baby who follows her around like a puppy." Sophia hears one of Leon's friend's voices as they walk away and suppresses the urge to turn around and shout something insulting back. Pulling Johnny, who follows without any resistance, she heads towards the buffet. She's aware of eyes on them, so she stands taller and prouder, suppressing the immature and defiant part of her.
• "Shut up. Leave them alone. Johnny is fine, and she cares about him like he's her own kid brother. She's doing me a favor by taking him away. They're closer in age than we are, so naturally, he wants to be around her more than me." Leon's voice soothes Sophia's temper a little, and she gets a reminiscent glimpse of how caring he used to be. Before responsibility and hormones hit him.
• Being sent to a public all-boys school to focus on his future hardened him, but occasionally the deeper part of him shows face, especially if someone insults his little brother. He will never stand back and hear one bad word about Johnny. Or Sophia, at times. Leon is the only one allowed to be harsh to Sophia as he doesn't let anyone else be.
• Sophia glances back at Johnny's crestfallen expression, having heard them call him a cry baby, and gives him a bright smile and pats him on his head lovingly. Putting on her most radiant expression.
• "Come on, cutie. Let's get you some chocolate cake and ice cream. Then we can go eat it in the greenhouse and watch the fairy lights on the fountain." Sophia tugs him along, glad to see the sadness break, and he beams and speeds up his walk to follow her to the food.