Chapter 92 Confrontation at the Hospital

Chapter 92 Confrontation at the Hospital

While the nurse at the station called Thomas over to settle the bill, Sophia leaned closer and spoke in a low voice, "Susan's going to lose the baby. What your mother put in the soup might have been a small dose, but it was enough to cause a miscarriage."

Henry's gaze darkened. "I know. She told me yesterday while we were discussing the engagement party."

He had no intention of letting Susan marry into the Caldwell Family. Even if his mother had crossed the line, he wasn't eager to press the matter.

"Keep it from Thomas for now," Henry murmured. "Wait until he's in a better state of mind."

They were still talking when a nurse stepped out of the ward, pulling off her mask. "She's awake. Family can go in, but don't agitate her."

Thomas bolted from the station and rushed inside. Moments later, muffled sobs spilled from the room.

Sophia and Henry stayed in the hallway. Sophia leaned back against the wall, eyes drifting toward the window at the far end. "I'm going to dig into John's old crew's email accounts tonight. I might need your help."

"I'm with you," Henry replied without hesitation.

After helping Thomas handle some paperwork, they returned to the Caldwell Family estate by dusk. Sophia shut herself in the study, the computer screen flashing lines of code. 

Henry came in with a mug of hot milk. "Take a break," he said, setting it beside her. "Lila's made soup."

"Almost there," she murmured without looking up. "The Caldwell Corporation's old network uses an encrypted system. More complicated than I thought."

Henry pulled up a chair and sat beside her, watching in silence. Her lashes were long, casting shadows when she blinked. Her nose was straight, her lips pale but stubbornly set.

Time slipped by until she hit Enter. A list of emails filled the screen. She exhaled in relief and took a long sip of milk. "Found it."

Hundreds of messages, the oldest dating back thirty years. Her fingers flicked over the trackpad until she stopped on one labeled "0079."

"This is it." She opened it to find a block of cipher text. "That's my father's code name."

Henry leaned in, his nose almost brushing her hair. A faint scent of gardenia reached him, and his heart skipped. 

"Need me to decode it?"

"Yes." Her fingers tapped quickly. "It's a foreign rail fence cipher. Needs a key." She scanned the list. "It should be in here somewhere."

The night wore on. Dawn lightened the sky. 

Sophia's head grew heavy until it came to rest on Henry's shoulder. He froze, then glanced down at her. She was asleep, breathing evenly, the sharpness gone from her face.

His gaze drifted to her lips—pale, perfectly shaped. A sudden urge pulled him forward, his nose nearly grazing her cheek. She stirred, brow creasing as if in a bad dream. 

Henry snapped back, ears burning. He lifted her gently, carrying her as if she were made of glass.

At the bedroom door, Lila appeared with breakfast, took one look, and quietly stepped back. 

Henry laid Sophia on the bed, tucking the blanket around her. Sitting there for a moment, he realized she had carved out a place in his life without him noticing. 

His hand hovered above her forehead before he pulled it back.

The phone on the desk buzzed. A message from Thomas: [Henry, Susan lost the baby.]

Henry stepped onto the balcony as he called. The sound of shattering porcelain and Susan's ragged screams came through, "My baby! It was Mother! It was Sophia! They killed my baby!"

Thomas's voice shook, "Susan says Mother's soup was poisoned, and Sophia was in on it. They planned it!"

Henry stared at the dew-soaked lawn below. 

His voice turned to ice, "I'm on my way."

When he returned, Sophia was awake, sitting on the bed, rubbing her temples. Sunlight through the curtains lit the faint shadows under her eyes.

"Susan's had a miscarriage," Henry said, pulling on his jacket. "Thomas is making a scene at the hospital."

"Not surprising," Sophia replied, swinging her legs out of bed. "I'll come with you."

"You need rest."

"I'd rather see just how foolish Thomas can get," she said with a faint, cutting smile.

He lowered his head, nostrils flaring, and stormed across the room. "Henry! Arrest this venomous woman! She and Mother killed my child!"

"Thomas." Sophia sidestepped him, her voice calm and cold. "Are you sure that's what happened?"

"Susan told me everything!" he shouted, eyes bloodshot. "She said your mother's soup was tainted, and you saw it but did nothing! You can't stand to see me happy!"

The ward door opened. Susan stood in the doorway, pale as death, hair plastered to her face. 

Her gaze locked on Sophia, and she screamed, "It was you! You knew the soup was poisoned! Why didn't you tell me?"

She lunged for Sophia's hair, but Henry caught her wrist. "You'd better have proof," he said, voice like steel.

"Proof?" Susan's whole body shook with sobs. "My dead child is proof! If it weren't for Megan's soup, my baby would still be alive! You've hated me from the start, haven't you? Thought I wasn't good enough for Thomas or the Caldwell Family?"

Sophia's lips curved into a cold smile. "Miss Simmons, with acting skills like yours, Hollywood would be lucky to have you."

She pulled out her phone and played a video. The footage showed Susan at the Caldwell Mansion's staircase, shoving Megan before strolling back to her room, her pregnant belly in full view.