Rise Above The Betrayal (Sophia and Tristan) novel Chapter 28

Chapter 28 

Ethan’s fists were clenched so tight his knuckles tumed white, his body trembling with barely contained i like a jagged blade. 

voice, hoarse and ragged, shot out 

“Mr. Years!” He yelled, “Don’t be uken in by her looks and her act! This woman’s got an agenda–the’s not what she seems!” 

Staring at Tristan’s eyes, he sneered, venom dripping from every word. “You probably don’t know the truth, but this woman’s a joke in this circle. She’s been nothing but a plaything for me, crawling at my feet, willing to do anything just to get a taste of the high life. A woman like her… she’s nothing but trouble. You’d be a fool to trust her!” 

“Bang!” Tristan’s punch landed hard, caning Ethan off mid–sentence. His head snapped to the side, pain crashing through his skull like a wave, and blood began to pour from his nose. For a split second, his mind went blank, his world spinning as his body reacted to the blow. 

Then Chloe’s frantic voice pierced the haze: “Ethant” 

Ethan wiped the blood from his lips, staring at his hand as if he couldn’t believe what was happening. After a long pause, he finally lifted his head, eyes wide with disbelief, locking onto Tristan’s cold, unrelenting gaze. 

Tristan stood there like a force of nature, exuding an icy, almost otherworldly aura. His eyes, dark and brooding, were to break. 

e like stor 

storm clouds threatening 

It was a look that cut straight through Ethan, freezing him in place. A wave of helplessness washed over him, and for a moment, it felt like his body was betraying him, leaving him powerless. 

But when his eyes flicked to Sophia, his breath caught in his chest. She was standing there, completely unshaken by the blood on his face. She didn’t even spare him a glance, no flicker of concem. She was as cold and indifferent as the man standing next to her. 

Sophia…. had some serious nerve. Ethan thought with rage. Was this her big play? Using Tristan to make him regret everything? To get under his skin? To make him want her back? She was playing a dirty game, but what stung the most was how effortlessly she seemed to do it. 

“Ethan your face—there’s blood” Chloe’s voice trembled with feigned panic. She shot Tristan a pointed look, a mix of fear and false indignation in her voice. “Mr. Yeats, I understand you’re the head of the Years Family, above everyone else, but that doesn’t mean you have the right to lay a hand on someone like this!” Her words dripped with a mix of manipulation and accusation, an attempt to stir up trouble while pretending to shield Ethan from harm. 

Sophia could hear Chloe’s voice trembling, but she couldn’t help the faint smile tugging at her lips Chloe’s transformation from sweet, demure little lady to the tough–as–nails “don’t mess–with–me” art was almost comical. 

Did she think this was how she’d win Tristan’s favor Playing the role of the fragile flower? It was cute, in a pathetic sort of way. If Chloe thought. pretending to be the innocent, suffering woman would get her anywhere, she was seriously deluded. 

“To speak so cruelly of your ex–fiancée–Ethan, your character really leaves much to he desired, Tristan remarked coldly. He lifted his hand with a casual motion, and rubbed it gently. Those Hazel eyes narrowing slightly as he looked down at his palm. 

Ethan’s face turned ghostly pale. He opened his mouth, about to retort, but then Tristan suddenly hissed sharply cut him off, his brow furrowing dightly in irritation 

“What’s wrong? Did you hurt yourself?” Sophia immediately stepped forward, seizing his large hand and pulling it gently towards her. 

Tristan’s hand was long and sculpted. His pale skin made the faint redness on his palm stand out in stark contrast. 

Sophia furrowed her brow, concern flashing across her face as her lingers brushed over the reddish mark. “Why act so impulsively? People aren’t worth lifting a finger for. 

e like that 

Tristan’s eyes softened briefly, a flicker of light passing through his usually cool gaze as he watched her holding his hand. The warmth of her breath on his skin seemed to seep straight through him, igniting something deep within 

Her touch was soft, softer than cotton, almost like a breeze brushing past. A subtle tightening in his throat. He looked down at her again, his expression unreadable as he spoke in a low, relaxed voice. “Is fc. Doesn’t hurt 

But when his eyes shifted toward Ethan, the corner of his mouth lifted in the faintest of smiles, laced with a touch of mockery. 

“It’s already red,” Sophia said. “Might swell up later. Her brow furrowed again, studying the mark on his hand. The pale skin and the reddish seemed almost glaring, especially on someone like him–so pristine, so polished, so.. fragile–looking 

What if it left a scar? She thought nervously. He was a man who lived in a world of perfection, where even the smallest imperfection could be an 

eyesore. 

1/2 

Dreame Road Romance… 

Open 

11:49 AM 

Chapter 28 

Without missing a beat, she took his hand in hers and moved toward the private room. “Let’s go back to the room. I’ll put some medicine on for you and wrap it up.” 

Her movements were swift and decisive, curting through the tension like a hot knife through butter. 

She didn’t even spare Ethan a glance, striding past him with an air of nonchalance, her back straight, her steps firm. There wasn’t a trace of hesitation, as if she had already closed the door on the past, 

Lihan stood frozen, his eyes locked on the hand they shared, still clasped together, as Sophia disappeared into the room. His mind went blank. He didn’t even notice the blood still dripping from his nose. He just stared after her, his body rigid, unable to move. The way she walked away withour so much as a backward glance–it was as if she had completely erased him from her life