Chapter 293: She Was the Villain

Chapter 293: She Was the Villain

Sophia hastily closed the file in her hands and tossed it to Michael beside her, rising to head toward the elevator bank. Michael hooked her bag over his shoulder and hurried after her, stuffing the folder inside as he walked.

Marcus's wife and daughter—Lauren Patel and Calla Peterson—jolted awake from their drowsy vigil and scrambled to follow Sophia.

The elevator ascended one floor to the hospital's rooftop.

The helicopter descended slowly onto the landing pad, its cabin door sliding open.

Two bodyguards in heavy tactical vests jumped out first, then helped Dr. Roberts down. Finally, several men carefully maneuvered a portable stretcher bearing Marcus onto solid ground.

The hospital's medical staff rushed forward with a gurney, taking over the patient as the attending physician conferred briefly with Dr. Roberts about his condition.

One of the bodyguards approached Sophia, his posture respectful. "Ms. Johnson, Mr. Smith instructed us to safely escort Mr. Peterson back. Mission accomplished. We'll take our leave now."

"Wait." Sophia stopped him. "You know where Andrew is, don't you?"

The bodyguard hesitated, then ultimately shook his head. "I'm afraid not, ma'am. Mr. Smith only contacted us by phone, and we remained at the safe house the entire time. We have no knowledge of his whereabouts."

Sophia pressed her lips together, forcing out a strained smile. "I understand. Thank you for your service."

"Just doing our job, ma'am." The bodyguard nodded farewell and departed with the others.

Michael stepped forward, draping an arm around Sophia's shoulders. "You know exactly where Andrew is, don't you?" he said softly.

Sophia's pupils trembled almost imperceptibly.

She refused to admit she understood Andrew that well. Doing so would mean acknowledging that all these years, she'd been fully aware of his devotion and care for her—yet had deliberately pretended ignorance while continuing to resent him.

As if she were some villain who knowingly exploited others' emotions, extracted their value, and refused to reciprocate.

"Sophia, whatever you decide, I support you." Michael gently stroked her hair. "No matter what happens, I'm right here beside you."

Sophia murmured a subdued acknowledgment.

After Marcus underwent a series of tests, he was transferred to a VIP suite.

Lauren sat beside the hospital bed, clutching her husband's hand as tears streamed down her face. Their daughter stood nearby trying to comfort her, though worry and heartache filled her own eyes.

When Sophia and Michael entered, Calla immediately rushed over, her questions tumbling out: "Ms. Johnson, what was my father doing? Why is he hurt this badly?"

Her tone carried an accusatory edge.

Sophia clenched her jaw. "He went abroad alone to investigate an illegal pharmaceutical research case and gather evidence. They tried to silence him."

"Because of you!" Calla's voice shot up, her fury-filled gaze stabbing into Sophia like knives. "He got hurt helping you!"

Sophia fell silent, offering no defense.

Marcus was her friend. If she hadn't entrusted him with Maggie's case, he wouldn't have gotten involved, wouldn't have ventured abroad, wouldn't have been shot.

He was a conscientious, principled attorney. Perhaps when he first discovered Smith Pharmaceuticals' irregularities, he'd been driven by his conviction to uncover the truth and bring the guilty to justice—that's what led him overseas.

But ultimately, if not for her, Marcus would never have entered this game.

"Calla!" Lauren cut off her daughter's disrespectful outburst.

Calla was restrained by her mother but continued glaring at Sophia, eyes reddening. "Mom! Dad almost didn't make it back! He nearly—"

Died in a foreign land.

Her voice broke, unable to finish.

Lauren patted her daughter's hand, then turned to Sophia, her tone calm but tinged with exhaustion. "Ms. Johnson, Marcus's incident—it is connected to you, isn't it?"

Sophia didn't evade the question, meeting her eyes directly. "Yes."

Michael stood beside her, his fingers gently squeezing her shoulder in silent support.

Lauren drew a deep breath and asked, "Then what's his condition now? Honestly."

Sophia looked toward the hospital bed where Marcus lay, his face ashen, chest wrapped in thick bandages, breathing shallow but steady.

"The bullet was removed in time by Dr. Roberts. It missed vital organs, but he lost significant blood. He regained consciousness yesterday but insisted on returning immediately. The long flight put tremendous strain on his body. He'll need extended rest."

Lauren nodded, silent for a moment before letting out a bitter laugh. "That's Marcus for you. Once he's set on something, no one can pull him back."

She turned to look at the man whose breathing was barely audible, her emotions conflicted. "Truth matters more to him than his own family. Though... I suppose that sense of justice is what drew me to him in the first place."

Sophia lowered her lashes, her voice quiet but firm. "I'll take full responsibility for Mr. Peterson's injuries. Medical expenses, rehabilitation, all losses from this investigation—I'll cover everything."

"We don't need your money!" Calla snapped, her tone sharp. "We just want to know what my father was investigating! Why would someone try to kill him?"

The room fell silent.

Sophia and Michael exchanged a glance, seemingly weighing whether to reveal the truth now.

Just then, a weak cough came from the bed.

"Dad!" Calla immediately rushed to his side.

Marcus slowly opened his eyes, his gaze unfocused at first but quickly settling on his wife and daughter.

He managed a faint smile, his voice hoarse. "I'm... okay..."

Tears spilled from Lauren's eyes as she gripped his hand tightly. "You scared us to death..."

Marcus gave her hand a gentle squeeze, signaling he was alright, then turned his gaze to Sophia, his expression complex.

"Ms. Johnson, this was my decision to act alone. It's not your fault—you shouldn't blame yourself. In fact, I should thank you. Even in such a dangerous situation, you didn't abandon me."

He hadn't gone abroad for Sophia's sake. The case had led to new evidence of a massive conspiracy—he couldn't possibly have walked away.

Rather than saying Sophia had harmed him, it was more accurate to say she'd saved him.

The scene had been chaotic, with multiple people trying to silence him and destroy his evidence.

Despite the enormous risk he posed, Sophia had insisted on bringing him out of that estate.

If anything, the blame shouldn't fall on her shoulders.

She too was someone who took responsibility seriously, who valued loyalty.

Sophia clenched her fists, her eyes reddening as she fought to suppress her vulnerable emotions. "Mr. Peterson, your priority now is recovery. Don't worry about anything else. I'll handle what comes next. The truth you're seeking—I'll get to the bottom of it all."