Chapter 184
"Because I never trusted Sophia from the start."
Sophia and I had been locked in silent warfare for years. I knew her well enough to understand how she operated.
If she hadn't planned everything in advance, how could she have conveniently appeared at that exact location? And why would she secretly record such compromising footage?
Besides, if she'd really been pregnant, why wouldn't she come straight to me with it? Instead, she'd used her past with Leopold to provoke me, trying to make me back down.
That wasn't her style at all.
And then that baby—so tragically lost in the end.
Every piece of evidence made me question the authenticity of the entire story.
Hearing my words, Leopold fell into deep thought.
Suddenly, another person came to mind.
"That Jason—he was targeting Sophia from the beginning. Have you looked into their relationship?"
Leopold's gaze flickered. "No. I assumed he was connected to Ethan, so I never investigated his ties to Sophia."
Mentioning the engagement party made me slightly uncomfortable.
"Then... maybe you should look into it. If you're not comfortable doing it yourself."
Leopold leaned closer, once again enveloping my hand in his.
"Cindy, whether it was ten years ago or will be ten years from now, you're the only one in my heart."
"Even though I spent time with Sophia these past three years, I promise you—nothing inappropriate happened between us. If I'd known sooner that what happened three years ago was a misunderstanding, none of this would have followed."
"I've regretted my arrogance every single moment. Whenever I remember how cold and neglectful I was toward you these past three years, I want to destroy myself."
His confession was like a stone dropped into my heart's still waters, sending ripples I couldn't control.
"Actually, I'd already started having regrets. The day I got engaged to Sophia, I'd made preparations. I just didn't expect things on your end to spiral so quickly that I couldn't react in time."
I looked up at him. "What were you planning to do?"
"Kick Uncle David out of the Percy Group. It was the most direct way to minimize the fallout."
I didn't understand business, but even I knew that approach carried enormous risk.
"Weren't you afraid of the backlash?"
Leopold sighed. "Of course, I was afraid. But this way, the backlash would hit me personally instead of the Percy Group. At least I could answer to the board members."
I didn't know what to say.
Leopold seemed calm and composed on the surface, but sometimes he was absolutely reckless.
A knock sounded at the door. Arnold.
"Apologies, but Ms. Wipere's treatment needs to begin. Mr. Percy, I'll have to ask you to step out."
Leopold nodded, but hesitated after standing. "I'm worried. Can I observe? I promise not to interfere with the treatment."
Arnold refused. "No. You can watch from outside the door, but you cannot remain in the room."
I smiled and urged him to go.
Only then did Leopold leave.
Once he was gone, Arnold began connecting the equipment while speaking quietly. "Ms. Wipere, you can't keep running off like that anymore."
"I promised the Marquis I'd restore your health in the shortest time possible. You're making this very difficult for me."
"I'm sorry. Yesterday was unavoidable." I hadn't meant to make things harder for him.
Arnold raised an eyebrow. "Today's treatment won't be as smooth as before. You'll need to endure it."
"Okay."
Though I'd braced myself, I hadn't expected it to hurt this badly.
The moment the device activated, it felt like blades were slicing through the nerves in my legs. Searing pain shot from the soles of my feet straight up to my thighs.
The pain alone would've been manageable, but it came with intermittent waves of tingling numbness that made it unbearable.
Even when I focused all my attention on breathing, I couldn't ignore the agony. Within moments, beads of sweat rolled down from my nose and onto the blanket.
"Three more minutes. Hang in there." Arnold encouraged me from the side.
I gripped the bed rails with both hands, unable to stop myself from asking, "Are you getting revenge on me?"
Arnold laughed at my accusation. "That's actually a good way to redirect your focus."
Seeing him smile somehow made the pain feel worse. I couldn't help tilting my head back, breathing through my mouth.
"Speaking of which, I have good news for you."
Arnold's words pulled my attention back.
I was in too much pain to speak, so I gestured for him to continue.
"Your treatment won't take two years. If you stick with it for one month and your condition doesn't flare up, you can start dancing again in moderation. No competitions or high-intensity training, though."
Joy flooded through me instantly. "Really?"
Arnold pointed his pen at me. "You're the first person to question my assessment."
So it was true, then. Which meant I'd have my freedom back soon.
When the three minutes ended, my entire back was drenched in sweat.
"Truly a dancer. You and the Marquis are both stubborn as hell."
As Arnold removed the sensor pads, I couldn't help asking, "Ethan had the same condition as me?"
"No. He fell off a stage during a competition once and fractured his leg. He made me set the bone on the spot so he could continue competing."
I was stunned. "You agreed?"
Arnold shot me a look. "What choice did I have? Wait around to be hunted by the royal family?"
I clicked my tongue. "That must've hurt way worse than this."
Arnold glanced toward the door, then moved closer while recording data. "The Marquis hasn't been able to reach you. He wanted me to tell you—he might not be able to hold your spot at the Royal Ballet Company much longer. If you can't leave here and report to the company this week, you'll probably lose your chance."
My eyes widened. I'd assumed that opportunity was long gone. I hadn't realized Ethan had been negotiating on my behalf this entire time, fighting to keep that door open for me.
Even though Leopold didn't like him, Ethan had truly helped me so much.
"Okay. I'll find a way."
Arnold nodded. "I'll coordinate with you."
The moment all the treatments finished, Leopold rushed back in.
"Dr. Norman, how is my fiancée's condition?"
Fiancée?
I couldn't help but look at him.
Leopold walked to my bedside and gave me a casual glance. "Why so surprised? Aren't you?"
I didn't respond. Feeling sticky all over, I said instead, "I'm going to change."
Leopold chatted with Arnold while I headed to the bathroom. I'd just changed and emerged when Amelia came bursting in, making a ruckus.
"Cindy! Cindy!"
I stood in the living room holding my dirty clothes. "What's wrong?"
"It's urgent—you have to help me!" Amelia said frantically.
Her voice was so loud it drew Leopold out. He leaned against the bedroom doorframe, asking lazily, "What do you need Cindy for?"
Amelia quickly composed herself and explained. "Crescent Ballet Company booked a performance that was supposed to be on Thursday, but the venue changed its schedule. Now we have to perform tonight, and our choreography is still missing a few sequences. I was hoping Cindy could help."
I'd thought it was something serious. Just choreography, then.
"No problem. I'll come take a look."
"Wait." Leopold stopped me. "You just finished treatment. You can't go out right now. What if your condition flares up?"
"I'm fine. Dr. Norman just said I can move around moderately as long as I'm not doing high-intensity dance."
I shot Arnold a meaningful look. He immediately nodded. "That's correct. Moderate activity will actually benefit Ms. Wipere's recovery."
Only then did Leopold relent. He personally drove us over.