I Ctrl+Alt+Deleted My Ex and Ctrl+C'd His Uncle novel Chapter 98

**Through Silent Meadows We Trace Stories Left Behind Yesterday by Asa Rowan Flint**

As Sophie lifted her gaze, her eyes were drawn to the unmistakable mark she had inadvertently left on the man’s skin. A wave of humiliation washed over her, so intense that she wished for nothing more than to find a deep, dark hole to disappear into.

“Won’t Mr. Morgan just wipe it off?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, the embarrassment suffocating her.

With a sly grin, Marcin followed the direction of her pointed finger, his tone laced with mischief. “I’ll have to shower again anyway; might as well save it for one wash.”

Sophie felt her cheeks flush, and she forced herself to look away from that spot, her heart racing. This was not how she envisioned her day unfolding. She cleared her throat, steeling herself to adopt a more professional demeanor.

“Everything I’m doing now is to successfully break off my engagement with Liam. I haven’t broken my promise to you, so I hope you won’t suddenly appear and cause trouble in the future,” she stated firmly, trying to maintain her composure.

“Ha,” Marcus scoffed, lifting his wine glass to his lips, taking a deliberate sip as if savoring her words. “First, you showed favor to Liam, then you became ambiguous with Ryan. Now you’re telling me all this is for breaking off the engagement?”

Sophie nodded, her resolve unshaken. “These are all facts. If Mr. Morgan doesn’t believe me, there’s nothing I can do.”

“I’ll temporarily not doubt the truth of your words,” Marcus replied, setting his wine glass down with a soft thud, his expression hardening. “Sophie, you’re smart. Can’t you see that what you’re doing now is hurting the enemy a thousand while damaging yourself eight hundred?”

“So what if it is?” Sophie’s voice trembled slightly, but she stood her ground. “Does this have anything to do with Mr. Morgan? Isn’t it enough that he knows I haven’t broken my promise?”

In the depths of her heart, she sensed that Marcus’s relentless questioning stemmed from his inability to accept being deceived by a woman like her. If that was the case, she decided, it was time to lay her cards on the table.

“I’ve given Mr. Morgan the explanation you wanted. I hope Mr. Morgan won’t disrupt my rhythm and life anymore,” she declared, her words carrying the weight of finality.

Her intent was clear: she wanted to establish firm boundaries. Yet, the amusement in Marcus’s eyes faded, replaced by a flicker of irritation.

“The one-month deadline is approaching. I can’t keep that land for you forever,” he said, his tone clipped.

Sophie’s expression tightened, anxiety creeping into her voice. “I will definitely gather the money within a month.”

“Sign this contract, and I’ll sell you that piece of West City land at a low price,” Marcus proposed, sliding a contract across the table with a decisive gesture.

Sophie’s heart sank as she glanced at the document. It was a contract drafted by Morgan Group’s legal department, binding her as a designer for three long years. For any designer, this would be a golden opportunity, a dream come true. But for Sophie, it felt like a treacherous swamp she desperately wanted to avoid.

She had fought tooth and nail to distance Liora from Morgan Group, yet here was Marcus, insisting she sign with them under her real name. The irony was almost too much to bear.

“I won’t sign,” Sophie declared, her voice resolute.

“There’s something you might not know,” Marcus replied, crossing his legs and leaning back in his chair, his demeanor shifting to one of calculated seriousness. “Since your father woke up, he’s been having his secretary inquire about that land.”

Sophie’s heart plummeted. Her father had not mentioned this to her or Ethan, deliberately keeping it from them to spare them worry. She never anticipated he would be so concerned about the matter.

“Liora’s wildness shouldn’t be controlled by any company,” Sophie argued, her eyes fierce. “A wild horse that’s domesticated will eventually lose its wildness.”

Over the years, although she hadn’t publicly appeared as Liora, she had been acutely aware of everything that transpired in Liora’s world. Whatever competitions Morgan Group wanted her to enter, she was forced to participate in. And those deemed unsuitable? She wasn’t even given a chance to try.

The executives euphemistically called it choosing the right path for Liora—ensuring that as long as she followed their prescribed route, her fame would endure. But Sophie was unwilling to conform. She didn’t want to be restricted to a single style; she didn’t want to be a puppet dancing to the strings pulled by the executives.

In the past, when she was wholly devoted to Liam, she had considered resisting but quickly dismissed the thought. Now, however, with her resolve to reclaim Liora, she refused to allow anyone to dictate her path.

Marcus’s gaze on Sophie deepened, a complexity swirling in his expression that she couldn’t quite grasp. It was as if Liora held a significance for him that transcended mere professional interest.

“But if you’re willing to sign with Morgan Group, then whether Liora stays isn’t that important,” he stated, his voice steady.

A glimmer of hope sparked in Sophie’s eyes. “Are you serious?”

“My reputation isn’t as good as Liora’s. Are you really willing to not renew with Liora for my sake?” she asked, her heart racing.

Marcus placed a pen in her hand, his expression unwavering. “I never lie.”

Sophie felt the pen slip through her fingers, her heart a tumultuous mix of emotions. She looked up, meeting Marcus’s eyes, and suddenly felt a wave of determination wash over her. “If you want me to sign, add one more clause to the contract.”