Chapter 49
Chapter 49:
“That can’t be right… Why would Mom confide in Michelle but leave you in the dark?” Sophie’s voice came out soft, almost in disbelief.
With a quick sip of coffee, Kolton tried to mask the flicker of surprise on his face. “Of course I know what’s going on,” he replied, his tone steady but strained.
He carefully set his mug down, forcing composure. “What I meant is—what exactly is happening with your mom p>
Relief finally swept over Sophie. It made sense that Kolton would already know about her mom coming back. Clearly, the real shock for him was learning about her illness.
“My mom’s been diagnosed with end-stage kidney failure,” Sophie admitted, her words shaking. “She needs half a million for the treatment. Can you help me out and lend me the money p>
She kept her eyes on the floor, afraid to meet his gaze.
Kolton pretended to look anguished. “I had no clue things were that serious. Michelle and I should go see her soon p>
After a heavy sigh, he continued. “Sophie, you know how things are at work right now. Money’s tight, and Michelle’s in charge of everything we have p>
“A hundred thousand would be enough,” Sophie chimed in quickly. “Let me borrow that. I’ll even write an IOU if you want p>
Kolton tapped his fingers on the desk, lost in thought. “Alright, you can have it p>
He pulled open a drawer, digging out a bank card. “This has a hundred thousand on it. That’s my own savings. Just promise me you won’t mention this to Michelle p>
𝗥ea𝖽 𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗇𝗒 𝖽𝖾𝗏i𝖼е oո
Sophie took the bank card, relief written all over her face. Her immediate worries eased for now. After a few quiet words of gratitude, she hurried out.
Kolton stood by his office window, watching Sophie disappear down the street. The moment she was gone, he rushed back home.
He didn’t waste any time. Pulling Michelle into the study, he confronted her in a sharp whisper. “Why was I the last to know my sister’s still alive p>
Michelle stared at him, startled. “How did you even figure it out p>
“Sophie asked me for money,” Kolton retorted with a bitter laugh. “I never would have known a thing if she hadn’t brought up your name p>
Trying to hold her ground, Michelle snapped, “Well, you’re the one who let that kid into the company in the first place p>
Kolton slammed his palm on the desk, making the room jump. “Are you really that careless? She knows about our secret. If she ever decides to expose the truth about the substitute marriage, the Knights won’t blame her—they’ll turn on us p>
He stepped in close, his glare sharpening. “So, what are you up to p>
Michelle’s eyes flickered with uncertainty. “I saw someone who reminded me of your sister and thought maybe I could get some cash out of Sophie. That’s all p>
Kolton shook his head, his voice hard. “That was reckless. You kept this from me p>
Michelle twisted her hands. “I figured you’d just shoot down the idea p>
She eyed him warily. “Did you end up lending her the money p>
Kolton scoffed. “I gave her a hundred thousand p>
Michelle’s lips curled into a sly grin. “Let me make this clear—I’m not repaying a single cent. If you want that money back, take it up with Sophie p>
Kolton shook his head and made for the door. “Think before you pull something like this again,” he warned, pausing at the threshold. “You really expect to squeeze money from someone who can barely keep herself afloat p>
Michelle huffed and waved him away. “Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just keep your nose out of my business from now on p>
Money in hand, Sophie rushed straight to the hospital, collected her mother’s account information, and wired the hundred thousand right away.
Only when she saw the successful transaction did she finally let out a long breath. At least the first stage of treatment was covered.
Still, the looming debt of four hundred thousand pressed on her shoulders like a weight that refused to budge. But at least she had bought some time.
There was no choice but to make money, and fast.
Wasting no time, Sophie hurried back to the office, revoked her leave, and threw herself into her work. She said yes to everything—projects her coworkers avoided, demanding clients with endless requests, even boring tasks like redrawing old sketches. She accepted them all without complaint.
Back at home, Sophie locked herself away in the study and worked well past midnight, sometimes not stopping until the early morning hours.
Most nights, dinner meant whatever was quick and cheap. Cooking felt impossible and takeout too expensive, so she lived on bagels.
That night, after finishing yet another design, Sophie wandered to the living room to look for a bagel.
She stopped short. “Why did Adrian toss all my bagels in the garbage p>