Chapter 7

Jason's gaze swept over her, as if checking for injuries, before he finally sighed in relief. "What happened these past three days?" Maya's lips twitched, blood seeping from her cracked lips. "Nothing much." She cut straight to the point. "About the wedding you promised me, when will it happen?" Sophia immediately looked up. "What wedding?" Jason was quiet for a moment. "She and I are going to have a proper ceremony." Seeing Sophia's eyes instantly well with tears, he quickly explained, "It's just a formality, Sophia. You're the only one in my heart." Sophia forced a smile. "I understand. I'm not angry. You're only doing this because you had to save me." She suddenly looked at Maya, her voice gentle. "Ms. Coleman, why don't I help you pick out your wedding dress?" For the following days, Sophia stuck to Maya's side as she tried on wedding gowns. Maya stood before the fitting mirror in the bridal boutique. The pristine white gown highlighted her slender waist while Sophia hovered behind her, personally inspecting every dress and critiquing every detail. "This neckline is too low." Sophia fussily tugged at Maya's collar. "Try something more conservative." "The waistline doesn't flatter your figure." She held up another dress. "How can Mrs. Reid wear such an ordinary style?" Maya cooperated quietly throughout, like an emotionless doll. Finally, when the last wedding dress was selected, Sophia dropped her mask in the empty fitting room. "So you haven't been indifferent all this time. You've just been playing hard to get." She suddenly grabbed Maya's wrist, her nails digging deep into the flesh. "Let me make it clear. Don't think you can steal Jason away with these tricks. He belongs to me and only me!" Maya didn't even look at her, simply pulling her hand back calmly. There was no playing hard to get or any deliberate attempt to steal Jason. She wanted to leave more than anyone, desperately hoping this farce would end quickly. But what she didn't expect was that Sophia, convinced Maya was competing for Jason, began looking for trouble again. The night after they went shopping, Jason suddenly kicked open her bedroom door. "Did you lock Sophia in the fitting room?" His face was dark with anger. "Don't you know she has claustrophobia?" Maya closed her eyes wearily. "I didn't." "Still lying?" Jason yanked her to her feet. "Looks like you still haven't learned your lesson!" Ignoring her struggles, he had his bodyguards lock her in the dark, damp basement. In the darkness, Maya sat huddled in the corner. At midnight, she suddenly heard rustling sounds. Then a bag of live rats was thrown inside. She screamed and jumped up, frantically pounding on the iron door. Her nails cracked and bled, but no one came to rescue her. The next day, Jason opened the door with a cold expression. "Just one night in confinement, and you cried the whole time?" After an entire night of torment, Maya's face was white as a sheet. "Sophia put rats in here…" Jason scoffed. "Sophia would never do something like that." He turned on the light. "Where are these rats you're talking about?" Maya froze. The basement was spotless. There wasn't even a single rat hair in sight as Sophia had already cleaned up all the evidence. She opened her mouth, then said nothing. Jason said coldly, "The wedding is in three days. I'll be spending time with Sophia until then. I'll only show up on the wedding day." He gave her a warning look. "Don't cause any more trouble, or the wedding's off."