Chapter 4: James Is Really a Bit Harsh; How Would I Live with Him in the Future?

James, Michael, and Ava could practically feel Emily's anxiety, and it made their hearts race.

They were all like, 'Wait, what? Sophia got tricked? What's she up to now?'

James, who usually played it cool, felt a surge of anger when he heard Olivia was messing with Sophia. His eyes practically burned with it.

But he quickly got a grip and pushed the anger down.

Luckily, Emily's thoughts gave them a heads-up on Sophia's plan.

Emily: [Sophia's actually gonna help Olivia and take the blame for leaking the price? And Olivia's done so much shady stuff, always using Sophia. Poor Sophia. How do I tell James all this? Even if I want to spill the beans, I got no proof. He won't buy it.]

James kept checking his phone, but still no word from John on what he was digging into.

James thought, 'What's taking John so long?'

Outside the ward, John was busy calling people and piecing together info. He sneezed and rubbed his nose, wondering if the hospital air was too cold.

Emily: [I've been so caught up in this info hunt, I forgot to check on Sophia. Do they think I'm weird?]

Hearing Emily's thoughts, James quickly walked over to Ava and said, "Mom, don't worry. The doctor said Sophia's gonna be okay."

Ava saw James give her a slight nod, signaling her to act like she hadn't heard Emily's thoughts.

Ava wiped her eyes, pretending she didn't know about Emily's inner voice. "Sophia will be fine."

Emily walked over to Michael and Ava. "Ava, I'll make sure to take good care of Sophia from now on."

James looked at Emily, thinking, 'From now on? Weren't you planning to divorce me? Changed your mind?'

James suddenly felt a bit better.

Emily: [I feel so guilty not telling them the truth right away! I need to find a way to tell them later!]

Ava held Emily's hand gratefully. If it weren't for Emily, they wouldn't have known Sophia's next move. But she couldn't let Emily know that, so she made up an excuse, "Sophia just had a little accident; it's not your fault."

Michael and Ava knew Sophia wanted to keep it under wraps. They didn't want Emily to feel bad because they genuinely cared for her like a daughter.

James took Emily to another ward to rest. Seeing that John still hadn't sent any news, James called him, "Any updates yet?"

"Mr. Smith, not yet," John replied, sweating bullets. "That place is pretty remote. It's tough to find evidence."

James hung up, clearly annoyed.

Emily: [James is really a bit harsh! Good thing I'm divorcing him; otherwise, how would I live with him?]