That night, Sophia curled up in Lucas’s arms.
When the phone rang, she fumbled for it and answered groggily.
"Hello?"
"Sophia! Your father is coughing up blood!"
She blinked, barely awake. "Oh? He’s coughing blood?"
"Yes! Co right now!" Susan’s shrill voice nearly pierced the receiver.
Sophia hung up and tossed her phone onto the nightstand.
Lucas lowered his head slightly. "Who was that?"
"Susan. Apparently Andrew’s spitting blood and they want there."
Not even a flicker of interest crossed her face.
"Are you going?"
"To hell I am. It’s like three in the morning. They’re really committed to this little performance, huh? Middle of the night and I’m supposed to rush over? If he’s coughing blood... let him keep coughing."
Lucas let out a soft breath and tightened his arms around her.
Silence returned to the room—until thirty minutes later.
The phone blared again.
Sophia lazily reached over and answered, not even lifting her head.
"Sophia! Where have you been?! Your father is critical! Why aren’t you here yet?!"
"On my way," Sophia said flatly—then promptly hung up and powered off her phone.
She sighed. "These days, people fake limps, fake blindness... and now fake internal bleeding."
"Sleep," Lucas murmured, stroking her back. "I’ll go with you tomorrow."
"Okay."
...
anwhile, across the city, Susan had already called thirty tis within the span of half an hour.
"See? Still no answer. And she claims she cares about you? Andrew, do you think she might’ve caught on? What if she’s just toying with us?!"
At 3 a.m., Andrew sat on the bed, staring at a small puddle of stage-blood on the floor, cigarette in hand.
"No. If she’d figured it out, she wouldn’t have taken ho from the hospital. She’s probably just tired."
"Tired? Please. You’d believe the sky is green if she said so. If you’d listened to from the start, we wouldn’t be stuck in this ss. I’ve been at that hospital for days—do you know how much weight I lost?!"
Andrew glanced at her from the corner of his eye.
Not a single pound... plenty of energy though.
"Whatever. Go to sleep," he muttered, stubbing out his cigarette.
Monts after the lights went out, Susan huffed, "What are you doing?!"
"I’m your husband."
"..."
...
The next morning.
Lucas literally dragged Sophia out of the blankets.
"I want to sleep," she grumbled.
"We were going to watch the excitent, rember?"
He walked into her closet and picked out clothes for her.
When his hand touched her pajama buttons, she snapped awake.
"What do you think you’re doing?"
"Changing your clothes."
"Excuse ? Lucas, what kind of pervert—"
She grabbed for the blanket—too slow.
"We’re married," he reminded calmly, catching her wrist.
"Married? Oh, you an the contract marriage? The contract’s gone, buddy. Hands off!"
She rolled away—he pulled her right back.
"Lucas, you wouldn’t—"
He leaned down.
"Don’t—mmph!"
"Lucas! Stop using the hot-guy trap card! It doesn’t work on—"
"Mm—"
Sophia went silent.
...
Thirty minutes later, she unlocked her phone—eyes widening at once.
Twenty-eight missed calls. Nineteen ssages.
"Wow. Susan’s stamina is honestly impressive."
"We heading out now?" Lucas asked, tying his tie.
"What’s the rush? Breakfast first."
By the ti they arrived at the Morgan residence, a full hour had passed.
Morgan Estate.
Andrew sat weakly in his wheelchair, a handkerchief trembling in his hand.
When he saw Sophia walk in, he forced a fragile smile.
"Sophia..."
"Rough night?" she asked, voice flat.
Susan stepped out from the kitchen with a bowl of jujube porridge, shooting Sophia a resentful glare.
"Do you have any idea your father almost—"
"Susan!" Andrew cut her off, breath shallow. "Don’t. I’m fine."
He launched into a dramatic coughing fit.
"Oh right," Sophia drawled casually. "I heard you were coughing blood last night? And yet here you are having red date porridge. You do know you shouldn’t eat jujubes when you’re ’vomiting blood,’ right?"
Andrew’s spoon froze mid-air.
Sophia was talking nonsense — deliberately.
She just wanted to see how long he thought he could fool her.
Clearly... he still planned to drag this farce out.
"Can’t eat jujubes?" Susan blinked, suddenly unsure, and yanked the bowl away from Andrew’s hand.
"Dad..." Sophia suddenly softened her tone.
Andrew’s head jerked up. "W-what... what did you just call ?"
"Dad." She looked at him with a gentle, wounded expression.
"I forgive you. I’m ready to co back and help. Lucas already agreed to reinvest and restart the collaboration he pulled. You can rest, focus on getting better. I’ll take care of the company."
You want to play gas?
Fine.
She could play them better.
If she didn’t strip Andrew down to his last ounce of pride, she’d write her own na backward.
She crouched beside him and whispered, voice trembling perfectly,
"What happened with my mom... it’s in the past. I was too stubborn. I’m sorry, Dad..."
Andrew squeezed out tears and clutched her hand.
"Good! Good, Sophia! As long as you’re willing to co back—your father will give you everything!"
"If you trust ," Sophia continued softly, "let go into the company. I’ll win back every partnership you lost."
Andrew stiffened.
She caught that hesitation imdiately.
"Dad? Sothing wrong?"
"No, no... I just don’t want you to overwork yourself. You still have your own life."
Sophia leaned her head against his hand, tears slipping perfectly down her lashes, "Dad... if it weren’t for you, I might not have lived to see another sunrise."
She could strike soone right in the heart when she wanted to.
If he refused, she’d guilt-flip him.
If he agreed, she walked into Morgan Group with legitimacy.
"Sophia, I—"
"I support her." Lucas’s voice cut in, cool and sharp.
"Sophia will rejoin Morgan Group. And my canceled investnt can resu. As for the other conditions I set... I’ll hold them back, for now."
His gaze slid lazily to Susan, a warning glint in his eyes.
He said for now — aning she would crawl and apologize sooner or later.
Andrew’s thoughts spun wildly.
Lucas investing again ant stability — and if Sophia returned, he could easily keep the real power with Paul.
She’d just be a free workhorse.
"No pressure, Dad," Sophia murmured sweetly. "If it’s inconvenient, forget it."
That smile.
Gentle, understanding... and threatening.
"No," Andrew swallowed. "Sophia, I believe in you. Co to the company tomorrow — I’ll call Paul personally."
Susan looked like she wanted to scream, but no sound ca out.
Sophia nodded gently.
"Okay, Dad. Tomorrow, we’ll go together."
Her lashes lowered, concealing a cold smirk tugging at her lips.
The ga had just resud.
And this ti, she was playing to win.
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