Chapter 85 Sophia's Sacrifice

Chapter 85 Sophia's Sacrifice
“Congratulations, this project officially belongs to Ed Group!”
Applause filled the grand ballroom.
Ariana rose from her seat, forcing her best smile as she walked forward to accept the congratulations. Her eyes sparkled with happiness, but that light dimmed the moment she glanced toward the table that should have been occupied by Crownbridge Group’s representatives.
The table was already empty.
Ariana should have felt relieved that she no longer had to see Christian’s face, yet an unbearable emptiness tightened around her heart. She clenched her fingers together, trying to find logic behind the hollow ache inside her chest.
“Haven’t I already filled my heart with hatred?” she asked herself silently.
“There’s no way I still have feelings for that devil of a man. Absolutely impossible,” she whispered firmly, denying it with all her strength.
The event ended quickly. Ariana stepped out of the lobby elevator alongside Anne.
“I’ll check the flight schedule to Germany right away, ma’am,” Anne said while opening her tablet.
Ariana stopped short when Edward’s car screeched to a sudden halt in front of the lobby. He jumped out hurriedly and ran toward her, his face grim and his breathing ragged.
“Ariana!” Edward shouted from a distance.
“Why are you here? Where are Lucas and Sophia?” Ariana asked quickly once he reached her.
Edward bent over briefly, bracing his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. “Your phone was off.”
“My phone?” she frowned, digging through her bag before pulling it out. The screen was completely black. “But it was fully charged earlier. I was so careless!”
“I tried calling you over and over, but I couldn’t get through,” Edward replied, his voice suddenly weaker. “I thought you were busy, so I came here myself.”
Ariana rubbed her forehead as tension began pounding behind her eyes. “What happened? Where are they now?”
Edward fell silent for a moment, his expression growing even more panicked.
“They’re both at the hospital.”
Ariana’s eyes widened instantly, all color draining from her face.
“What did you say?”

“You both have to be okay. Please, please be okay,” Ariana muttered as she ran through the hospital corridor.
Tears streamed endlessly down her face. The moment Edward told her what happened, she had immediately driven herself at reckless speed, ignoring Anne and Edward following behind her. As soon as she reached the room indicated by the medical staff, she burst inside without knocking.
“Lucas! Sophia!” she cried, her voice hoarse.
Inside the room, the two children turned toward her at the same time.
“Mom!” Lucas shouted, instantly breaking into tears.
Ariana froze for a moment at the sight before her. Her trembling body carried her closer as she stared at Sophia in a hospital gown, her right leg wrapped in thick bandages. Beside her, Lucas sat in a fresh set of clothes, his face flushed red from crying.
“What happened?” Ariana’s voice came out soft, yet sharp with panic.
Lucas did not answer. Instead, he cried even harder while rubbing his swollen eyes.
“This is all my fault, Mom. If it weren’t for me, Sophia wouldn’t have gotten hurt.”
“How could you let your sister get hurt like this?”
“Ariana, calm down. You’re scaring Lucas even more,” Edward said as he entered with Anne. His face looked heavy with guilt.
“They were playing hide and seek in the garden,” Edward began explaining regretfully. “A dog got loose while I was taking an important phone call. It chased Lucas, then Sophia stepped in to hide him and took his place instead.”
Ariana covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes widening in shock.
“I tried to distract the dog, but it was too focused on Sophia. She fell into a hole while trying to get away,” he continued, his voice tightening painfully.
“I’m sorry, Ariana. I completely failed to protect them.” Edward lowered his head deeply.
“I’m okay, Ariana,” Sophia’s small voice broke the tension. She gently tugged at the sleeve of Ariana’s work outfit.
Ariana turned toward her, staring at Sophia’s pale face and warm smile.
“Uncle Edward brought me here really fast. Don’t blame Lucas,” Sophia said softly. “If Lucas got hurt, I would’ve been really sad. I’m happy I could protect my little brother.”
Ariana fell silent, her lips trembling as she fought back even harder tears.
“Only when I’m with all of you do I feel like I’m treated as a real person,” Sophia continued, her eyes growing glossy though they still shone brightly. “I can run around and laugh without constantly worrying about etiquette like Grandmother always demands.”
Ariana exhaled shakily. She sat on the edge of the bed, gently stroking Sophia’s cheek before pressing a long kiss to her forehead.
“You are so precious to me, Sophia. It breaks my heart to see you hurt like this.”
Then she pulled Lucas into her lap, checking the small injuries covered in bandages across her son’s body.
“I’m sorry for getting angry at you earlier.” Ariana kissed both children’s hands one after another before turning toward Edward with a faint smile.
“I owe you again, Edward. Thank you.”

“Are you satisfied now, you bastard?!”
Marley hurled several morning newspapers at Christian’s face. The front pages were filled with headlines about Crownbridge Group’s humiliating defeat in a minor project bid.
Christian remained standing tall, his expression completely devoid of emotion.
“You said you loved Michelle, so why are you acting like a madman over that woman now?” Marley shouted, the veins in his neck bulging with rage.
“Do I owe you an explanation?” Christian replied with a faint, mocking smirk.
“You’ve completely lost your mind!” Marley shoved Christian hard in the chest, but the man did not budge an inch.
“You called me here,” Christian said firmly. “Since I’m already here, I’ll say it again. I have no interest in continuing to lead that company.”
Christian fixed a sharp stare on his grandfather before shifting his gaze toward his mother, Beatriz.
“That company belonged to my wife from the very beginning. You stole it by force. You destroyed the memories of a grandson who loved his grandfather, all because of your own ambition.”
“How dare you lecture me!” Marley roared, pointing a trembling finger directly at Christian’s face. “Without me, you would be nothing!”
Beatriz, who had remained silent with a grim expression until now, began growing uneasy when she saw her father gripping Christian’s collar tightly.
“Stop it! Have you both forgotten that Sophia still hasn’t been found?” Beatriz shouted, trying to redirect her father’s fury.
Without warning, a brutal punch slammed into Christian’s jaw. He did not dodge. He simply allowed his head to snap to the side before slowly looking back at his grandfather with a deadly cold stare.
Beatriz shot to her feet, her body trembling.
“Dad! What are you doing?!”
“I don’t even care that sickly girl is missing!” Marley shouted mercilessly. “I only want our company back!”