Chapter 66 The Truth
William hasn't come back since he left that day.
These past few days, Sophia has been busy with work in the mornings and spending afternoons playing with the three children. Life has been peaceful and warm.
Since birth, Emily has had to stay at the ZN Laboratory for half a month every three months due to her health condition.
Cute and sweet-talking, she's truly the beloved darling of everyone here.
She takes James and Michael running around everywhere. With bodyguards following them, Sophia feels reassured, though she finds them in different places each time.
This time, she finds them in the small garden outside Raymond's hospital room.
He's teaching the three children an arithmetic game.
James and Michael, both naturally bright, pick it up immediately after hearing it a few times.
Seeing Emily sitting on Raymond's lap, they eagerly prepare to teach her elementary school math problems.
Emily blinks her innocent eyes and says to James, who's trying to teach her, "James, I don't know how."
James says patiently, "It's okay Emily, I can teach you."
Raymond also gently pats her little head with a tender expression, "Emily, if you'd like, I can teach you."
Michael enthusiastically joins in, pointing at a problem, "Emily, look at this one. Add this and this together, then..."
Emily looks at James and Michael, then turns back to look at Raymond. Seeing that none of them have realized one point, she feels a bit deflated.
She points at her own cheek to remind all three of them.
"But I'm only one year old."
One year old! She's still a one-year-old baby!
Why would she learn elementary school math problems?
This is the first time Sophia has seen such a speechless and silent expression on Emily's face. She calls out Emily's name.
Emily immediately climbs down from Raymond's lap and runs toward her with light little steps.
"Mommy, Mommy."
At this moment, Sophia seems to see what Emily will look like coming home from school in the future.
She shakes her head inwardly, bends down to catch Emily running over, holds her in her arms, and kisses her cheek.
"Did Emily play any fun games with James and Michael today?"
Emily counts on her fingers, telling her about all the games they played today, not mentioning the math lesson at all.
Lying on Sophia's shoulder, she spots William in the distance. "William."
Sophia turns around. The stern-faced man stands under a tree, his well-tailored suit making him look even more handsome, radiating the calm composure of someone in power.
There's always a type of person whose mere presence makes everything around them fade into the background.
William is exactly that kind of person.
The smile in Sophia's eyes disappears the moment she sees William.
His face is cold, his eyes distant. His gaze sweeps past Raymond and lands on Sophia, who's closer.
He naturally notices the change in her expression, too.
William arrived at the garden almost at the same time as her, and personally witnessed Sophia's gaze when she saw Raymond playing with the three children - there was a moment of being stunned.
At that moment, his heart suddenly tightened. He didn't even dare to examine what that expression meant.
James and Michael also see their dad and run happily toward him.
"Daddy, you came to see us!"
"Daddy, James and I learned several new math problems today. Raymond taught us."
The two children don't notice the emotional changes between the adults and enthusiastically share what's been happening these past days.
William also shifts his attention back to the children.
He crouches down to quietly listen to them. His handsome, aloof face softens, making his deep eyes appear even more clear and refined, with a touch of casual laziness mixed with his noble bearing.
It's almost dinner time.
Raymond has been playing with the children for so long. As their mother, Sophia should thank him, both emotionally and logically.
She invites Raymond to dinner, and he doesn't refuse.
William's face suddenly turns cold.
James and Michael naturally take his hands and walk toward the dining room. Emily is held in Sophia's arms.
Raymond sits in his wheelchair, watching the backs of their family of five, his mind racing with thoughts. Although Sophia hasn't said anything, based on his knowledge and understanding of her, there's a very high probability that Emily is William's child.
Whether it's the timing of their divorce or the child's age, everything matches up.
But William doesn't seem to know that Emily is his daughter? Realizing this, Raymond feels a thought that's been suppressed in his heart for years beginning to emerge.
He looks at his legs, his hand gripping the wheelchair controller unconsciously tightening.
He needs to get better quickly to be worthy of her.
At the long dining table.
Sophia and Emily sit on one side, with Raymond sitting next to them.
He takes the initiative to peel shrimp for Emily, quickly helping her escape from the terror of arithmetic problems.
Before long, she starts sweetly calling him "Raymond."
William sits across from them with James and Michael. Hearing Emily's voice, he looks up at the opposite side.
Raymond is talking to Emily with his head lowered, his tone gentle.
As a fellow man, he understands Raymond's feelings clearly.
Seven years have passed, and the man before him has shed his youthful exterior, but his feelings for Sophia have never stopped.
William's gaze grows colder and colder.
He hasn't forgotten the "cuckold" Raymond made him wear!
Noticing his stare, Sophia shoots him a warning look.
In his eyes, this is her protecting Raymond. A cold, icy gleam flashes through his dark eyes.
After dinner.
Sophia has just seen Raymond off when William pulls her to the stairway corner.
She glances at the children in the living room, wanting to break free from his grip but unable to, no matter how hard she tries.
Sophia lowers her voice: "William, what are you doing!"
His tall figure is half-hidden in the shadows of the stairway corner, making him look even more noble and mysterious.
His eyes are deep and sharp, as if they can see into people's hearts.
William's gaze attempts to penetrate directly into Sophia's soul as he asks her quietly, "I should be asking you that. Letting Raymond get close to the three children - what are you trying to do?"
Sophia gives him a strange look. "He kindly played with the children. What's the problem?"
William's anger rises from his heart. "Kindly? Don't you know that he has feelings for you..."
Certain words hidden in his heart for years almost slip out.
Realizing the anger in his voice just now, he stops in time, preventing himself from exposing his concern and embarrassment in front of Sophia.
His eyes are as hot as lava, and the hand gripping her wrist tightens slightly.
His long lashes lower slightly. William finally asks the question that has been bothering him deep down and that he can't ignore.
"Five years ago, on Raymond's birthday night, were you with him?"
This thorn!
Has been stuck in his heart for over eighteen hundred days and nights!
Hearing his question, Sophia is stunned. She still doesn't understand why he keeps bringing up Raymond.
Since marrying William, she hadn't seen him again.
As for what he mentioned about five years ago... that year was indeed her busiest year.
The children had just been born and only recognized her and William. He often worked late into the night.
She not only had to take care of the children but also prepare for laboratory matters, keeping her extremely busy.
She had no time to manage her own appearance.
It could be said that it was the most overwhelming time of her life.
Most importantly, something very regrettable happened that year.
It ended a woman's innocent and tragic life.