Chapter 449

Sophia clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms as she forced herself to speak. She repeated everything she had overheard the night before to the male doctor.

The doctor froze.

Then, his face flushed red with embarrassment.

As a medical professional, he prided himself on maintaining a dignified image.

Yet his private life was… unconventional.

"Don’t worry, Doctor," Liam said smoothly, stepping forward. "My sister and I won’t breathe a word. We swear on our honor. Every relationship deserves respect. We just need to know about our relative—whether he’s alright."

The doctor exhaled in relief.

"It’s a specialized hospital overseas," he admitted. "A cutting-edge facility, jointly funded by several nations. I trained there for a week, but I wasn’t qualified to stay. However…" He hesitated.

"There was a young man there. Paralyzed from the waist down, nerve damage. After surgery, he could walk again—slowly, with support. It’ll take years of rehab, but… he’ll recover."

Sophia’s breath hitched.

"Where is this hospital?" she demanded.

The doctor shook his head firmly.

"That’s classified. The medical community keeps it confidential—it’s not public knowledge yet. I’ve already said too much." His tone turned sharp. "Frankly, I only mentioned this because I was drunk last night. If you hadn’t overheard, I wouldn’t have told you a thing. Now, please, don’t interfere with my work."

Liam quickly apologized and pulled Sophia away.

Outside, Sophia trembled.

"My brother’s alive," she whispered. "He can walk again. He’s alive… Is this real?"

Liam’s chest tightened with bitterness.

He envied Noah.

Once, Liam had been the one closest to Sophia. He could’ve been the man by her side.

But he’d lost his chance.

Now, Noah—his own brother—held her heart. Whether as family or something more, it didn’t matter. The depth of her concern for Noah was enough to make Liam’s stomach twist.

Still, he swallowed his jealousy.

"Sophia," he said gently, "the hospital has its rules. But knowing Noah’s alive—that he’ll walk again—isn’t that enough for now?"

She nodded slowly.

She was good at controlling her emotions. Liam was right. The hospital’s secrecy didn’t change the miracle: Noah was alive.

Her brother.

Walking again.

Her thoughts drifted to Ethan.

That afternoon, she didn’t wait for him outside her office. Instead, she went home early and called him.

He answered immediately.

"I’m… waiting for you at home," she said softly.

Silence.

Ethan had planned to pick her up early for driving practice. Why had she left without him? Had something happened at work?

"Four Lord?" Nathan prompted when Ethan didn’t respond.

Ethan snapped back to attention.

"What’s wrong?" he asked, voice low. "Why’d you go home so soon?"

"I’ll be waiting," she repeated, then hung up.

Ethan stared at his phone.

Nathan cleared his throat. "Should I take you to her office first? I can pick up Lily alone."

"Go," Ethan ordered.

He needed to see for himself why Sophia had left early.

Nathan wisely didn’t point out that showing up unannounced would terrify her coworkers into silence.

They arrived just as a group of women exited the building, chatting loudly near Ethan’s car.

"That Sophia is unbelievable! She doesn’t even wear makeup, dresses like she’s from the countryside—yet every man falls over her!"

"First Julian Montgomery flirts with her, then Olivia Kensington’s brother-in-law. Even the men in our department defend her! It’s disgusting!"

A third woman smirked. "Oh, I’ve got dirt. Last week, I saw her at the driving school—practically in the instructor’s lap while he ‘taught’ her."

Ethan’s grip tightened on his knee.

Nathan stiffened in the driver’s seat.

The women laughed, oblivious, until their taxi arrived. One sighed dramatically, "Honestly, what does she have that I don’t?"

"Everything," another snorted.

The car door slammed.

Silence.

Ethan’s jaw clenched.

Nathan didn’t dare speak.

His boss only believed what he saw himself.

And today, he’d seen enough.