The message was from the same unknown number as before.Agitated, Sophie stared at it. Three years, it said. The time frame was too coincidental. Could it be...An incredulous thought flashed through her mind.Could it be her?No… No way. Sophie kept reassuring herself, but the fear in her heart continued to grow.Where was Mitchell now? Had he received the message too?Her hands trembled as she dialed Mitchell's number. However, all she heard was a tone indicating that the line was busy. The call wouldn't connect.Why couldn't it connect?Normally, she would have stopped calling after the first unsuccessful attempt. But this time, she kept calling Mitchell over and over again like a madwoman.Yet, the call never went through.The fear that had been building up inside Sophie reached its peak.Suddenly, her phone vibrated again, and a notification popped up. Someone had sent her an email.The attached image showed a man lying peacefully on a bed with a faint smile on his
Startled, Sophie immediately snapped back to reality."Help—"She wanted to cry out, but a hand covered her mouth."Shh, don't be afraid. It's me." A familiar and gentle voice reassured her.Xavier?Sophie calmed down upon recognizing his voice. Then, the person behind her released her, and she turned to see Xavier.It seemed that someone had informed Xavier when she had run out of the hospital, prompting him to follow her."What were you doing?" Xavier frowned, his eyes betraying a hint of panic.But Sophie didn't notice. She just stared at him blankly, murmuring, "I... I need to see him."Xavier's eyes flickered. "Who?"Sophie didn't respond and turned to leave."Wait." Xavier grabbed her and said, "Tell me, who do you want to see? Where are they? I'll take you there."His voice was soft and sounded like he was coaxing her. He was worried that she might become agitated again.Sophie's eyes lit up at his offer. "You'll take me to see him?"Xavier nodded. "Yes.""Great!
Mitchell's eyes darkened immediately.Seemingly unaware, Sophie continued, "You said that even if we were to divorce, you'd be the one to bring it up. So, go ahead. I'm waiting."At this point, Mitchell's gaze had hardened completely. "Sophie, using the same trick twice isn't fun. My patience is limited. You'd better behave and stop testing my limits!"Sophie looked at him and felt a weariness she had never experienced before. She was simply exhausted and couldn't find it in her heart to continue.All she wanted was a divorce. Why couldn't he understand?Taking a deep breath, she said calmly and earnestly, "Mitchell, I'm serious. I'm not trying to test your limits, nor do I have any ulterior motives. "I've just made up my mind and decided to let go. To set you and myself free. That's all."It finally dawned on Mitchell. He stared at Sophie for a long time, trying to discern something from her expression. However, all he saw was determination.She was serious.His fingers curl
Sophie froze as Mitchell entered the room, his face dark and brooding. He had a medical kit in his hand.She avoided his gaze and murmured, "That's not necessary."The physical pain couldn't compare to the pain in her heart. Perhaps enduring it would numb her nerves, allowing her to forget everything else."Are you intentionally delaying it, hoping the injury worsens so you can avoid going to court tomorrow?" Mitchell towered over her, his tone dripping with mockery.Faced with his suspicion and ridicule, Sophie felt drained. "Then, I'll have to trouble you."She didn't want to defend herself, nor did she have the strength to do so. Turning away, she let Mitchell help her clean her wounds.The wounds on her back were swollen and gruesome from prolonged soaking in the bath. Several freshly torn stitches were oozing blood.Unable to see what was happening behind her, Sophie could only sense a sudden heaviness in the air, making it hard to breathe.For a moment, Mitchell remained
"Mandy!" Sophie suddenly yelled.Mitchell froze, his expression darkening in a blink of an eye. It seemed as though his sullen eyes could tear her apart.Sophie breathed a sigh of relief. She knew mentioning Mandy would be effective. Yet, a bitter feeling lingered in her heart. Only Mandy could affect him so deeply and make him hesitate."How could you do this? What about Mandy? Have you ever considered how she would feel if she were to find out?"Sophie's words struck a nerve, prompting the typically aloof Mitchell to shove her away."You have no right to speak of her!" he snapped vehemently before storming out.Sophie slumped onto the bed, finding no solace, even though she had narrowly escaped the situation. Her heart was heavy with sadness and sourness. She closed her eyes, allowing her tears to flow freely.Finally, it was all coming to an end. Perhaps what had happened three years ago was a mistake from the start. She shouldn't have agreed to that thing out of greed, and n
Sophie was dazed as she was led away.When she saw the familiar building, she wasn't surprised. The only person who could have her taken from Warner Residence was Gertrude, the matriarch of the Warner family.Sure enough, she was soon brought before Gertrude.Gertrude was seated on the large couch. Her face was stern and cold as she looked at Sophie, who had been thrown to the floor."Do you know why I brought you here?" Gertrude's voice was sharp."No," Sophie replied honestly, though her heart couldn't help but pound.Gertrude wasn't one to make a fuss without reason. If she had summoned Sophie in such a manner, it was clearly out of anger.Was it because of her divorce with Mitchell?Sophie quickly dismissed the thought.Even if she and Mitchell were officially divorced, she had never had control over the situation. Gertrude should be well aware of that.If it was about the divorce, Gertrude should talk to Mitchell instead of her."Ha! What ignorance!"Gertrude grabbed s
The door to the punishment room was suddenly kicked open from the outside. As the person saw the unconscious Sophie lying on the ground, a terrifying look appeared in his eyes."Mr. Warner..."Beside him, Shane couldn't help but whisper, not daring to look at the person's expression.The man was none other than Mitchell. He lifted Sophie into his arms in one swift motion and walked right out of the room.Shane followed behind, not daring to make a sound.In fact, it wasn't until that moment that he understood what had happened.The night before, Mitchell had looked distraught after seeing a message on his phone. He had immediately chartered a private jet back and wordlessly headed straight to Warner Manor.Shane had anxiously speculated whether something had happened to Gertrude. Now that he had finally seen the unconscious Sophie, he grasped the situation.Shane couldn't help but sigh.He had been observing them for the past few years, but he still couldn't figure out what Mi
In the hospital, Mitchell gazed at Sophie, who was lying unconscious in bed.It had been three days since he had brought her there from Warner Manor, yet she still hadn't regained consciousness. The doctor said it was because she refused to wake up.Mitchell clenched his fists.Why wouldn't she want to wake up? Was it because she didn't want to face reality? Or perhaps she felt there was nothing left in this world worth waking up for?The possibility weighed heavily on his mind.Nobody knew that Sophie was struggling in her unconscious state, trapped in her endless nightmare. …When she finally woke up two days later, the scent of antiseptic greeted her, leaving her thoughts hazy.She couldn't recall what she had dreamed of, only the overwhelming sensation of blood and gore. She couldn't fathom why she had dreamed of such horrors.In her early days at the orphanage, she used to have those nightmares regularly. They were possibly linked to the memories of her lost childhood.