Chapter 377

Sophia Laurent followed Gavin Winslow into the lounge.

The lock clicked shut behind them, muffling the noise from outside.

She exhaled deeply, her tense shoulders relaxing slightly.

"Ms. Laurent, I'm truly sorry about today..."

Gavin's voice was thick with regret.

Sophia shook her head, cutting him off. "It's not your fault."

If Gabrielle Winston had been determined to expose this, it would have happened eventually.

It was just unfortunate timing—right during the Starlight Design Awards.

"You should go. I need some time alone."

As the head of Versini Couture, Gavin had his hands full today.

He hesitated before nodding. "Call me if you need anything."

Pregnancy was a private matter, and as a man, he knew better than to pry.

The room fell silent once he left.

Sophia rested a hand on her abdomen, her expression conflicted.

She had planned to keep this child completely separate from Ethan Winston.

But Gabrielle had interfered.

Rubbing her temples, Sophia sighed.

Neither the Valdemars nor the Winstons were families she could afford to cross.

Now she'd managed to offend both at once.

She pulled out her phone, checking the online backlash.

The moment she logged into her social media, her inbox flooded with messages.

Her phone froze for a full thirty seconds before recovering.

A quick scan of the comments made her blood run cold.

The scandal was spreading faster than she'd anticipated.

In just fifteen minutes, it had already reached the bottom of the trending list.

And the numbers were still climbing.

She immediately dialed Oliver Granger. "Take down the hashtag. Now."

Outside the lounge, the audience buzzed with gossip.

Meanwhile, in the hotel parking lot, two luxury cars pulled in simultaneously—a black Rolls-Royce and a white Bentley.

Two tall, imposing men stepped out.

Their eyes locked.

"Cousin."

"Alexander."

The air turned icy after the brief greeting.

Ethan broke the silence first. "What a coincidence. What brings you here?"

Alexander Valdemar's expression remained unreadable. "I'm here for my wife."

The term made Ethan stiffen.

Alexander said it so naturally, as if it were an indisputable fact.

Ethan's voice sharpened. "So you're just accepting this arranged marriage? Marrying someone who doesn't love you?"

Alexander's gaze turned glacial. "Watch your tongue."

"Sophia is my wife. This was decided by both families."