The Heiress Switch; A Love Reclaimed

Sophia froze mid-step. Her father, Henry, was seated on the couch, his expression unreadable, but the sharpness in his tone was impossible to ignore.

She turned to face him, her lips pursed. "I went out," she answered simply, as if that was enough explanation.

Henry leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he studied his daughter. His eyes were tired, but not from lack of sleep, but from the constant exhaustion of dealing with her reckless behavior.

"You went out?" He repeated, his voice calm but carrying the weight of his authority. "It's almost midnight, Sophia. Where exactly were you?"

Sophia rolled her eyes, dropping her handbag onto the couch with a careless toss. "Why does it matter?" she muttered.

"It matters because you are my daughter," Henry said, his patience thinning. "And because I know exactly where you were. You were with Ethan, weren't you?"

Sophia's jaw tightened. She knew this conversation was coming the moment she stepped through the door.

"And what if I was? Have you been keeping tabs on me, Dad?" she challenged, folding her arms as she frowned.

Henry exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "How many times do I have to tell you? Leave that boy alone, Sophia. That relationship should have never happened in the first place."

Her chest tightened at his words. "Why? Because you still see him as Aneira's ex?" Her voice was laced with bitterness. "She doesn't even want him anymore! She's moved on, Dad! Why can't you just accept that I love him?"

Henry's expression darkened, his disappointment evident. "Love? Do you even understand what love is, Sophia? You didn't love Ethan. You stole him. And now you're clinging onto him like you have something to prove."

Sophia's fists clenched at her sides. "That's not true," she snapped. "Ethan chose me!"

Henry scoffed, shaking his head. "Did he? Or did you just take advantage of the fact that Aneira was too heartbroken to fight for him?"

Sophia's breath hitched. She wanted to argue, to scream that he was wrong, but deep down, a part of her feared there was some truth to his words.

Just then, footsteps echoed down the hallway, and Haisley appeared from the staircase, her silk robe flowing behind her. Her expression was a mix of concern and exhaustion, her gaze shifting between her husband and daughter.

"Sophia, where have you been?" Haisley asked softly, though the worry in her voice was evident. "Do you know how late it is? You could have at least called."

Sophia let out a frustrated sigh, rubbing her temple. "I was with Ethan, Mom. And before you both start lecturing me again, let me remind you that I am not a child. I don't need your permission to see him."

Henry stood up, his towering presence making Sophia feel small despite her defiance. "If you're expecting me to sit back and watch while you take the wrong steps, then you're wrong. I will not let you bring disgrace upon this family."

Sophia's heart pounded in her chest. "What? Dad, Aneira is not a child, either," she shot back. "She doesn't care about Ethan anymore! If she did, she wouldn't have married Jaxton!"

Henry's expression turned cold. "And if you were truly happy with Ethan, you wouldn't feel the need to justify yourself every time his name is brought up."

Silence fell between them.

Sophia felt her throat tighten, but she refused to back down. Instead, she turned her glare toward her mother, searching for support. But Haisley only sighed, her expression conflicted.

"Sophia, your father is only trying to protect this family," she said gently. "Ethan is not a bad person, but the way you both started this relationship… it wasn't right."

Sophia swallowed hard. "I don't care," she said, her voice quieter now. "I love him, and nothing you say will change that."

With that, she turned on her heel and stormed toward the staircase, her heart pounding. She could feel her father's gaze on her back, but she refused to look back.

Henry sighed heavily, running a hand over his face as he sat back down. Haisley sat beside him, her hands clasped together.

"You think she'll ever see the truth?" she asked softly.

Henry didn't answer immediately. Instead, he stared at the space where Sophia had just been, his eyes filled with something unreadable.

"She will," he finally said, his voice low.

"Eventually."

—

Sophia slammed the door shut behind her, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she leaned against it. The conversation with her father replayed in her mind, his words cutting deeper than she wanted to admit. 

She clenched her fists. 

Why does he always take Aneira's side? Why does everyone always take Aneira's side?

A bitter chuckle escaped her lips as she pushed herself off the door and walked further into the room. The walls, decorated with expensive paintings and delicate floral wallpaper, felt suffocating tonight. She sat on the edge of her large bed, her fingers gripping the silk sheets beneath her. 

She didn't know if she should cry or not. 

At this point, she wasn't even sure what she was feeling. Frustration? Anger? Pain? 

The only person she had left, the only person who had stood by her side no matter what was Ethan. He was her safe place, the only one who made her feel like she was enough. But lately… something had changed. 

Sophia swallowed hard, staring blankly at the wall in front of her. She remembered Ethan's reassurances. 

"I don't care if you're the real heiress or not, Sophia. That doesn't change how I feel about you."

He had said that to her.

At that time, those words had meant everything to her. They had been her anchor when the truth about her birth had shaken her world. But now, as she sat alone in her room, doubts crept into her mind. 

Did he really mean it?

Aneira was the real heiress, the true daughter of Haisley and Henry Grigoras. That reality had changed everything. Sophia had grown up believing she was special, that she was destined for the life of privilege she had been given. But all of that had been a lie. And Ethan… he had once loved Aneira, hadn't he? 

Her throat tightened. 

What if I'm just his second choice?

The thought made her stomach turn. 

No! She didn't want to believe that. She was the one who took him away from Aneira, so she can't possibly be his second choice.

Come to think of it, none of this would have happened if that woman…her so-called birth mother hadn't come back into her life. 

A sudden wave of hatred surged through her. 

That woman. 

The woman who abandoned her. 

The woman who left her to grow up in a family that wasn't even hers. 

If she had never returned, Sophia would still be the perfect daughter of the Grigoras family. She wouldn't be feeling like an outsider in the only home she had ever known.

Tears burned the back of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Instead, she took a deep breath, pushing down the emotions threatening to consume her. 

No. 

She wasn't going to cry. 

She wasn't going to let them see her as weak. 

She would prove to everyone…her father, her mother, even Aneira that she belonged here. That no matter what bloodline she came from, she was still Sophia Grigoras. 

And she wasn't going to lose.