Chapter 191

Alexander's voice was strained. "It's not because of Sophia..."

"What does your aunt have to do with this? That woman only vaguely resembles her! You claimed Sophia looks like your aunt, but I could say the same about Ethan's fiancée, Isabella!" The old man's face darkened, his cane trembling with barely restrained fury.

"Benjamin... what?" William Thornton turned sharply toward his son.

The elder Thornton exhaled heavily. "You know how ruthless Ethan can be—he never hesitates. When he returned, the Thornton family supported him. Especially Benjamin's daughter, Isabella. She... sacrificed herself for him during his most vulnerable moment. She ended up carrying his child."

His grip tightened on the cane. "Ethan may be cold, but he takes responsibility. He won't abandon his own blood, nor let them suffer as his mother did. But love? No. He doesn’t love Isabella."

His glare returned to Alexander. "Yet here you are, bewitched by that Sophia, ruining Ethan’s wedding! Have you lost your mind? Where is she hiding? She must answer for this!"

"Father!" William finally pieced it together—Ethan was set to marry Benjamin Thornton’s daughter, Isabella.

"Father, you're saying... Ethan was marrying Benjamin’s daughter? Isabella?" William’s pulse quickened.

"What of it?" The elder Thornton frowned.

William’s mind raced. "For three months, we searched for traces of my sister. We discovered she once worked at a factory and fell in love with a man named Benjamin Thornton."

"Benjamin?" The elder Thornton froze.

"Benjamin is from Harborview City. And didn’t you say Isabella resembles my sister?" William pressed.

The elder Thornton fell silent.

"Could it be...?" William’s words hung in the air.

Alexander, standing behind them, felt his stomach twist.

Such a coincidence? Isabella is my cousin?

No. He refused to believe it.

Every encounter with Isabella had left him with nothing but distaste.

The elder Thornton, momentarily distracted from disciplining Alexander, turned his focus to Benjamin. The two men delved into heated discussion.

Seizing the moment, Alexander dialed Noah’s number again.

If he recalled correctly, Sophia was the adopted daughter of the Thornton family.

Sophia bore an uncanny resemblance to his aunt. She was adopted by the Thorntons. And Benjamin had once been involved with his aunt.

Too many coincidences.

The call went straight to voicemail.

On the other end, Sophia had already powered off her phone—Noah’s doing.

After her first call with Alexander, Sophia had rushed to a payphone and dialed emergency services. The ambulance arrived swiftly. As they loaded Noah onto the stretcher, he stirred, his eyelids fluttering open.

Seeing Sophia’s tear-streaked face, his first words were hoarse but firm. "Sophia, don’t cry. I’m not dying."

She nodded, swallowing hard. "Noah, thank you. You risked your life for me. Alexander called... Ethan is hunting us. I ruined his wedding. He won’t let me live. If that truck didn’t kill me, he’ll find another way. And you—you’ll suffer because of me. I’m sorry..."

Noah’s brow furrowed. "Alexander called?"

Sophia nodded.

"Turn it off. Now. Don’t answer any more calls. Harborview City is behind us. None of it matters anymore. Turn it off!" His voice was weak but urgent.

Tears spilled over. "But... your parents—"

Noah managed a faint smile. "Ethan is ruthless, but he doesn’t harm the innocent. My parents never crossed him. In fact, they helped him and Victoria once. Because of that, Sterling Holdings crushed my family. That’s why we fell so far."

His breath hitched. "Ethan won’t touch them."

Exhausted, he slumped back. His fever burned through him, his left hand grotesquely swollen, the wound necrotic and festering.

"Don’t talk anymore. You need treatment."

The ambulance sped to the hospital. The doctors worked tirelessly—first stabilizing his fever, then debriding the necrotic tissue. What should have been a minor injury required hours of surgery.

By dawn, Noah was out of the operating room, his hand heavily bandaged, his face ashen.

Sophia forced a smile. "The doctor said you’ll recover. A few days of rest, and you’ll be fine. Thank you."

"Phone still off?" he rasped.

"Yes."

"Throw it away. My number is dead. Once I’m discharged, we’ll buy a house in the countryside. Somewhere quiet. You’ll raise your child in peace." His gaze softened.

Sophia’s tears returned. "Noah, I barely know you. Why are you doing this?"

"Afraid I’ll play you like Liam did?" He chuckled weakly.

She didn’t answer.

Noah sighed. "You have every right to be wary. But I won’t."

His voice grew steadier. "I watched you care for Victoria for months. That wasn’t an act. I saw how hard you worked at Montgomery Designs—how you never complained, even on the construction sites. I saw you repay Liam’s cruelty with kindness."

A bitter smile. "Meeting you was the luck Liam squandered in eight lifetimes."

Sophia’s throat tightened. "I never loved him. I knew he was toying with me. But he was the only light in my darkness. I just... wanted to believe in someone."