That morning seemed normal.
Sophia was getting ready to attend a small meeting with one of the education foundations that had previously collaborated with her mother's company. She chose a simple dress, soft-colored, not flashy. Her hair was left to fall naturally.
She wanted to look professional. Calm. Stable.
Not a conglomerate's wife.
Not a pregnant woman caught in the middle of a war.
Just Sophia.
Adrian stood behind her, watching from the mirror's reflection.
"I'm still coming with you," he said firmly.
Sophia smiled slightly. "It's just a casual meeting."
"Nothing is casual anymore."
Sophia sighed softly. "Adrian… if I keep being hidden away, they win."
Those words left Adrian silent.
He knew what she meant.
If Sophia stopped appearing in public out of fear, it meant the pressure had succeeded.
Finally he nodded. "Security team will stay outside."
Sophia moved closer and kissed his cheek gently. "Thank you."
An hour later, their car stopped in front of the meeting building.
No strange signs.
No suspicious crowds.
Sophia walked in confidently.
But fifteen minutes after the meeting started, one of the foundation board members' phones kept buzzing nonstop.
She looked visibly uneasy.
"Sorry, Mrs. Sophia… this… you might need to see this."
Sophia took the phone.
A new online article had just been published.
The headline was big. Sensational.
"Adrian's Wife Turns Out to Be Heir to an Old Scandal?"
Sophia's heart felt like it dropped.
She read quickly.
The article stated that her mother's company had once been entangled in allegations of patent manipulation and money laundering. It also said the case was "mysteriously closed" after her mother's death.
Then came an even sharper line.
Is Sophia's relationship with Adrian just a strategic move to secure a problematic business inheritance?
Her hands trembled.
This wasn't just an attack.
It was character assassination.
Outside the building, news notifications exploded.
Other online media started quoting the article.
Some even added speculative opinions.
The security team immediately informed Adrian, who was taking an important call in the car.
"What?" his voice turned cold.
He opened the article.
His jaw tightened.
"Who spread this?"
"We're tracing it now, Sir. The domain is new. But distribution is fast. Looks like it's being pushed through bots."
Adrian hung up the phone.
He went straight into the building.
In the meeting room, Sophia sat in silence.
She could feel the gazes shift.
No longer respectful.
But doubtful.
One of the board members spoke carefully, "We… didn't know about this issue beforehand."
Sophia lifted her head.
"Neither did I."
And that was true.
Her mother had indeed faced a patent lawsuit years ago. But the case was never proven.
This article presented it as an established fact that had been covered up.
The door opened.
Adrian walked in.
His gaze swept across the room.
"I apologize, but this meeting must end now," he said calmly yet firmly.
He took Sophia's hand.
And for the first time, Sophia felt like she wasn't herself.
Not a strong woman.
But someone who had just been stripped bare in public.
At Ethan's office, a large screen displayed search trend graphs.
Sophia's name had risen dramatically.
Vivian stood beside him.
"You really attacked her reputation."
Ethan didn't answer right away.
"I attacked Adrian's weakest point."
"He can fight back with evidence."
"Let him try," Ethan smiled slightly. "The more defensive he gets, the more the public will suspect him."
Vivian looked at him for a long moment.
"And what if Sophia breaks mentally?"
Ethan was silent for a few seconds.
"That's not my concern."
In the car, Sophia stared out the window without speaking.
Adrian held her hand tightly.
"This isn't true," he said.
Sophia let out a small laugh a laugh that sounded more like empty breath.
"True or not, people will still read it."
Adrian turned to her. "I'll destroy the source."
"And after that? The article has already spread."
She finally looked at Adrian.
"Do you doubt me too?"
The question was like a slap.
"Don't you ever ask that," Adrian replied sharply.
Sophia nodded slowly.
"I just want to know… will my mother's past shadow always chase me?"
Adrian took a deep breath.
"We'll clear everything up."
That night, the pressure grew stronger.
Some investors began questioning the integrity of Adrian's family.
One sponsor pulled out of a charity event Sophia was supposed to attend.
Media outlets demanded official clarification.
Rafael entered Adrian's workspace.
"If we don't release a statement, the rumors will grow."
"And if we do?"
"Risk still remains."
Adrian stood up.
"I won't let my wife's name be destroyed."
Meanwhile, in their room, Sophia sat alone.
She opened the article again.
Re-read every line.
There were details no outsider could possibly know.
Details from old archives.
Someone with internal access.
Her heart beat faster.
She took her phone and opened an old folder digital documents inherited from her mother.
Her hand stopped on one name.
The company's former lawyer.
Who then… disappeared after the case was closed.
Sophia felt her stomach tighten.
Not just from stress.
But from a hunch.
This wasn't just random slander.
It was planned.
And possibly connected to something far bigger.
Adrian entered the room.
He saw Sophia's pale face.
"We'll hold a press conference tomorrow," he said.
Sophia shook her head.
"No."
Adrian was silent. "What?"
"If we deny it outright, they'll say we're panicking."
"Then you want to stay quiet?"
Sophia stood up slowly.
"We'll turn this around."
Adrian narrowed his eyes.
"What do you mean?"
"We'll re-open that old case. Officially."
Adrian was surprised. "That could open old wounds."
"Let it," Sophia replied quietly. "If something was indeed hidden, better we find it first."
She placed a hand on her stomach.
"I don't want our child to grow up with the shadow of half-truths."
Adrian looked at her for a long moment.
There was courage there.
Not anger.
But determination.
"Are you sure?"
Sophia nodded.
"If they want to attack my mother's name, then I will stand in defense of it."
Elsewhere, Ethan received word that Adrian hadn't released an official denial yet.
Vivian smiled slightly. "They're silent."
Ethan narrowed his eyes.
"Adrian is never silent without reason."
A few minutes later, a new notification appeared.
Not a denial.
But an official announcement from Adrian's law firm:
A request to re-open the investigation into the patent case of Sophia's late mother's company, to be conducted transparently.
Ethan was silent.
Vivian turned quickly. "He… re-opened the case himself?"
Ethan smiled slowly.
"Interesting."
Instead of being defensive, they counterattacked with transparency.
The game had become more complex.
And more dangerous.
On the mansion balcony, the night felt quieter than usual.
Sophia stood with Adrian.
City lights sparkled as always.
But the world felt different.
"I'm scared," Sophia admitted quietly.
Adrian pulled her close.
"So am I."
They were silent for a few moments.
"Whatever comes out," Adrian said softly, "we'll face it together."
Sophia nodded.
She knew one thing.
Today's attack wasn't the end.
It was an opening.
And if re-opening the past meant uncovering the truth about her mother's death…
Then this war might change direction.
No longer just about business.
No longer just about reputation.
But about secrets that had been buried all this time.
And someone behind the scenes.
Might have been waiting for this very moment.