Chapter 170 Her Suspicion
When night fell, Aria carried the deeply sleeping Jasper home.
Lance helped settle the medicine kit and carefully went over the key points for nighttime observation. Seeing the exhaustion in her eyes that wouldn't fade, he quietly slipped out the door, leaving only a trusted subordinate to keep watch downstairs, ready to notice any unusual activity.
Aria sat by the bed, her fingertips gently brushing over the fading red rash on her son's neck, still feeling a bit of lingering warmth.
The panic from earlier still weighed on her heart. Right after the collision at the amusement park came this allergic reaction. How could there be so many coincidental accidents? She gazed at the heavy darkness outside the window, unease rising within her like a tide.
Meanwhile, in Arthur's study, the cold white light was glaring. He gripped his phone, his finger scrolling through investigation updates just sent by his subordinates, his eyes filled with an impenetrable coldness.
The leads from the kindergarten finally had some direction, though not as straightforward as he'd initially suspected.
His people had discovered that the pet rabbit a child brought to kindergarten was found through a familiar flower shop owner, arranged by the child's mother.
And the batch of dried flower packets with pollen that suddenly appeared in craft class was purchased by the school's logistics staff from a small general store outside campus. The person who handled it was a cleaning lady who'd only recently started working there.
Several leads pointed to two people: the flower shop owner and the cleaning lady. They seemed completely unrelated, their identities so ordinary they couldn't stir up any suspicion. Yet every single link coincided perfectly with moments when Jasper was exposed to allergens or encountered danger.
Arthur's fingertip tapped heavily on the desk edge, the coldness in his eyes deepening.
These people were definitely not the masterminds. Someone behind the scenes was pulling the strings, paying people off, making connections, making everything look accidental without leaving any direct links.
He immediately sent a message to his subordinates.
Thoroughly investigate these people's recent financial transactions and communication records. Check everyone they've been in contact with. Don't miss a single word.
After sending the message, he leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples.
The person behind this was too meticulous, calculating every step precisely. They knew to use people with ordinary identities as cover, so even if discovered, it would be hard to trace back to the real mastermind.
Sophie's face flashed through his mind again—her completely innocent, gentle appearance during the day, deliberately crafted in every way.
But without evidence, none of these leads connected to her yet. All his suspicions remained just that—suspicions.
He picked up his phone and sent another message to his subordinates.
Focus on investigating any connections these people have with the Smiths, including Sophie's assistants and relatives. Don't overlook any clues.
He was certain Sophie's shadow lurked behind these people. She was just hiding too deep. It would take time to tear away her disguise bit by bit and uncover evidence of her manipulation.
On the other side, Lance also received investigation feedback from his subordinates. The content was nearly identical to what Arthur had found—seemingly unrelated ordinary people, with no trace of the core mastermind.
He leaned back in his car seat, looking at the lit window of Aria's apartment, his fingertip tapping the steering wheel. He sent Arthur a message.
What we found are all small players. Someone's orchestrating from behind. Let's share information and not miss any details.
Arthur replied almost immediately: Okay.
At this moment, they remained allies in protecting Aria and Jasper. Even with their own considerations, they were both determined to drag whoever was behind this out from the shadows.
In Aria's room, the light was dimmed low. She watched her son's peaceful sleeping face and reached out to tuck the blanket around him.
Her phone vibrated. It was a message from Lance.
The leads point to some small players. Someone's behind them. Arthur and I are investigating. Just focus on staying with Jasper. I'll tell you immediately if there's any news.
She looked at the message, her fingertip gently rubbing the screen, the unease in her heart dissipating slightly.
She turned off the light and lay down. The blanket still held the warmth of the day's sunlight, yet she felt cold all over, as if submerged in icy water.
She hadn't told Lance, and didn't dare let anyone know, that deep down she already had a name—crystal clear.
Sophie.
Since returning, she hadn't even seen Sophie once, but Sophie's existence had always been a thorn in her heart.
Five years ago, and five years later too.
What Sophie did five years ago would never be erased from her memory.
She knew better than anyone that during the five years she was gone, the person by Arthur's side was Sophie.
She didn't know what kind of relationship Sophie and Arthur had now, and she didn't care. After all, five years ago she'd already decided to let him go.
Before, she left for the child's sake.
Now she'd returned, with Jasper.
Even though she had no intention of getting back together with Arthur, in Sophie's mind—
She was an ex who suddenly appeared, bringing a child with Grant family blood. To Sophie, what did that mean?
A threat, an obstacle, a thorn piercing through all her stability.
In this world, no one else had more motive or capability than Sophie to target her and Jasper.
The rabbit at kindergarten, the allergen-filled dried flower packets, the deliberate collision at the amusement park...
One after another, precise, hidden, leaving no trace—exactly what someone plotting to eliminate a threat would do.
Using the most irrelevant small players to hide the deepest malice, doing it cleanly and efficiently, leaving no direct connection to investigate. It perfectly matched Sophie's style—flawless on the surface, ruthlessly cold behind the scenes.
Aria gently gripped the blanket corner, her fingertips ice-cold.
She wasn't making wild guesses. All the logic, all the motives, all the possibilities pointed firmly to the same person.
But she couldn't say it.
She couldn't be too direct with Lance, and definitely couldn't ask Arthur.
She didn't even dare think too carefully about whether Arthur's lack of news meant he truly hadn't reached the core yet, or...
Had he already vaguely realized, but because of those five years together, because of Sophie's outward gentleness and propriety, and because of lack of solid evidence, he could only suppress it, delay it, hide it?
At this thought, her chest tightened.
She wasn't afraid of fighting an enemy in the shadows. She was only afraid that while she fought with everything she had to protect Jasper, the person who should be on their side might hesitate because of the past five years with that person hiding behind the scenes.
Beside her, Jasper breathed softly. Aria slowly turned and gently drew her son into her arms.
She'd already guessed who the most dangerous person was.
But every step forward, she could only tread carefully, not daring to make a scene or even reveal what she knew, because her child—the child she'd once risked everything to bring into this world—she couldn't afford to gamble.
She couldn't bear any possibility of losing her child.