Chapter 2

Benjamin whirled around, his pupils contracting sharply, staring at his assistant in utter disbelief. "What did you just say? Repeat that."

He failed to notice the slight tremor in his own voice.

The assistant struggled to continue. "Mr. Brown, it's been confirmed that Mrs. Brown died from an infection while in custody. Her body has already been sent for cremation."

Benjamin's tall frame faltered slightly. Unbidden, his mind flashed back to Sophie lying in a pool of blood that day, desperately reaching out to him, silently begging for help.

He had been consumed by rage then—furious that Sophie had repeatedly tried to harm Olivia, even attempting to kill her unborn child.

But he had never actually wanted Sophie dead.

Now, hearing this news, he unconsciously raised a hand to his chest, feeling an unexpected hollowness there.

He should have been relieved that Sophie was finally gone. Olivia's baby had survived after all, and he had originally planned to retrieve Sophie from prison once Olivia's condition stabilized.

But now...

Five years later, Sophie walked out of the airport, holding a beautiful child by each hand.

Though she wore only light makeup, her natural beauty made her look like a movie star. Flanked by her two exquisite children, the strikingly attractive trio immediately turned heads.

Sophie gazed at the familiar city where she had lived for so many years, hatred flashing beneath her beautiful eyes.

'Luminous City, I'm back!' She thought to herself.

"Mommy, are we going to see Uncle Frank now?" Timothy asked, looking up with his grape-sized eyes full of curiosity.

"Uncle Frank said he has a surprise for us," Thomas added eagerly.

Sophie smiled warmly at her sons. "Yes, we are. But first, let's visit my new photography studio."

Frank Turner and Benjamin were business rivals, but Frank had become one of Sophie's closest friends.

When she had been facing certain death in prison, it was Frank who had used his connections to help her escape, substituting the identity of a deceased inmate to get her out.

Without Frank, she and her children would likely be dead.

"Yay! We get to play with Uncle Frank!" Thomas exclaimed with unbridled excitement.

Sophie's smile deepened as she gazed at her sons.

She never expected to be carrying twins when she fled abroad.

As the boys grew older, their features increasingly resembled Benjamin—the same strong jawline, the same penetrating blue eyes.

Yet unlike Benjamin's cold, detached demeanor, Thomas was extraordinarily vivacious, while Timothy was the more thoughtful, quiet one.

Sophie opened the car door. Thomas climbed into the passenger seat while Timothy settled in the back.

After giving birth overseas, Sophie had returned to her original passion—photography.

Back when Sophie made a name for herself in the photography world with that incredible photo of a cheetah sprinting in the wild, people couldn't stop saying she was truly blessed by God.

Even her casual snapshots could possess a unique signature quality.

But she had foolishly abandoned her passion for Benjamin, and the once-celebrated photography prodigy had disappeared from the professional scene.

Looking back, Sophie could only conclude she'd been utterly delusional.

The worst mistake she ever made was sacrificing everything for so-called love. Thankfully, she always had the courage to start over—even when her spirit was crushed, she found ways to rebuild herself.

Sophie drove slowly, windows down to let the boys enjoy the scenery of Luminous City.

Thomas was scrolling through the news on his phone.

At a red light, Sophie glanced over at his screen and noticed he was watching a business news interview.

The host was enthusiastically introducing their guest, "We're honored to have with us today the CEO of the globally-ranked Brown Group, Benjamin Brown..."

Before the host could finish, a small hand reached over from the back seat and swiped away from the video.

Thomas immediately pouted, looking back at his brother with annoyance. "Timothy, why did you do that?"

"I hate him," Timothy answered without hesitation.

Sophie raised an eyebrow, curious. "Timothy, you've never even met him. Why do you hate him so much?"

"Because he hurt you," Timothy replied with unwavering conviction. "Thomas and I came into this world to protect you. Anyone who hurts you becomes our enemy."

Thomas nodded vigorously. "That's right! Nobody gets to hurt our mommy while we're around."

Sophie blinked, feeling a wave of warmth wash through her heart.

Her precious boys had grown up to be not just her vulnerability, but her strength—her impenetrable armor.

"I know. But..."

Sophie's voice trailed off with uncertainty. She had never discussed their parentage with the boys, though they had asked before.

After she deflected their questions a few times, both Timothy and Thomas seemed to sense her discomfort and never brought it up again.

Now their comments made her wonder if they already knew more than she thought.

Timothy's next words confirmed her suspicions.

"Mommy, Thomas and I already know what you've been hiding."

Thomas pointed at his own face. "Mommy, we're not stupid."

Sophie was momentarily speechless.

Benjamin's influence had reached its peak. Even though they weren't living in Luminous City, news about Benjamin frequently appeared on their feeds.

With the boys being exceptionally bright, how could they not notice the striking resemblance between themselves and the man in those news stories?

The traffic light turned green, and Sophie started driving again.

She held the steering wheel with one hand, still thinking about their conversation.

"Thomas, Timothy, if one day..." Sophie chose her words carefully.

But before she could finish, both boys interrupted without hesitation. "Mommy, there won't be such a day. We'll always be by your side."

Sophie's gaze trembled with emotion. Sometimes, certain things didn't need to be explicitly stated.

"Alright," she said, her eyes filled with happiness and contentment.

They approached a left turn. Sophie rotated the steering wheel and continued forward after the turn, completely unaware of the occupant in the Rolls-Royce waiting at the traffic light nearby.

Benjamin stared in disbelief at Sophie's face as her car passed by.

For a moment, he doubted his own eyes. Wasn't Sophie supposed to have died in prison? How could she still be alive?