Chapter 220

Chapter 220

Sawyer's face was ashen, his gaze darting away.

A leaden weight pressed on his chest.

If he'd known it would come to this, he never would have covered for Michelle. Never.

Elysia was still watching Victoria, waiting for an answer.

Sawyer drew a ragged breath. "Mom… let me be the one to explain."

Elysia turned to him, stunned. "Sawyer—you knew about this?"

His expression was tortured, his voice thick. "Yeah. I handled it at the time."

"You handled it? Why would you get involved in someone else's family matter?"

The question left her lips, and then something clicked. Her mouth fell open, her voice shaking.

"So—it was Michelle?"

There was no other reason Sawyer would have involved himself in the Smith family's affairs. None except Michelle.

Sawyer squeezed his eyes shut. "Yes."

One word. It took everything he had.

The color drained from Elysia's face completely.

"How could you be so foolish?"

Her voice trembled. She stared at Sawyer as though seeing a stranger.

The son she'd always been so proud of—how could he have done something so reckless?

Sawyer had no answer.

Elysia couldn't bring herself to look at Victoria.

When Victoria first learned that Percival had been poisoned and nearly died—what must she have felt?

When she found out Michelle was hospitalized and Sawyer had been the one to take her there—what was she supposed to think?

The more Elysia considered it, the sharper the pain grew, until it was unbearable. Her eyes rolled back and she collapsed.

"Mom!"

Sawyer lunged forward to catch her, his face stricken. "Someone call an ambulance!"

Victoria's heart seized. She fumbled for her phone, rattling off the address at breakneck speed. Her face was bloodless, her voice cracking.

"I'm sorry, Sawyer. I didn't know you were here—"

"This isn't your fault."

Sawyer cut her off before she could finish.

He gripped his own hair with white-knuckled fists, eyes burning red. "This is on me. If I hadn't covered for her—if I'd told Mom the truth sooner—none of this would be happening."

He'd had countless chances to come clean.

Every single time, he'd chosen silence.

Now the truth had detonated, and there was no taking it back.

---

While they waited for the ambulance, Charles approached, his expression dark.

He stared at Victoria, his voice bitter and raw. "You got what you wanted. Happy now?"

Victoria met his glare with ice. Said nothing.

Charles's gaze slid to Hugh at her side, and his lip curled. "So when did you two start screwing around?"

He sounded like a betrayed husband catching his wife in the act.

Victoria almost laughed. "Charles, in case you forgot—we've been divorced. What I do is none of your business."

Charles's jaw worked. His eyes seethed with resentment.

"You think you'll be happy with him?"

"Percival is my son! You really believe he'll treat him like his own?"

"That's between us."

Hugh stepped forward, placing himself between Victoria and Charles.

His voice was calm, his gaze unwavering. "I love Victoria. Her child is my child."

Charles scoffed, clearly unconvinced.

Hugh took Victoria's hand and held Charles's stare. "You can leave now. This is family time."

The word 'family' hit Charles like a slap.

His pupils dilated. He pinned Victoria with a cold glare. "You're really okay with him playing stepdad to Percival? Do you even know who he really is?"

Victoria's patience snapped. Her brow furrowed, her voice cutting. "My life is not your concern. Send me Percival's birth certificate and all his documents. After that, we're done."

Every word was a door slamming shut.

Charles opened his mouth to argue, but the wail of an approaching siren drowned him out.

Victoria didn't spare him another glance. She and Sawyer lifted Elysia into the ambulance.

Hugh lingered a moment, his gaze settling on Charles with quiet contempt. A low, dismissive laugh escaped him. "If I were you, I wouldn't have the nerve to come near Victoria ever again."

The ambulance was small—no room for everyone. Dena held Percival and rode with Hugh, the three of them following close behind.

---

In the hospital room, Elysia lay pale and still against the white sheets. Even unconscious, her brow was furrowed tight.

Sawyer sat at the bedside, raking his fingers through his hair over and over, drowning in guilt.

Victoria stood nearby, her expression conflicted.

She wanted to say something comforting. The words rose to her lips and died there.

When Michelle had poisoned Percival, Victoria would have gladly dragged the entire Johnson family down with her.

But then she'd learned the truth—the Johnsons were her real family.

Both Sawyer and Elysia had shown her nothing but love.

Twenty-some years of lost family bonds, finally beginning to heal.

Victoria had considered letting it all go. Moving forward with Percival. Building a life with the people who truly cared about her.

But then Michelle had shown up at the Johnson Villa, bleeding and broken, threatening to die on their doorstep.

And today—today Victoria hadn't seen Elysia in that courtroom.

The only sound in the room was Sawyer's muffled, anguished breathing.

Victoria exhaled heavily and slipped out.

---

Hugh was leaning against the wall outside. He didn't ask questions. He simply said, "Want to take a walk?"

Victoria nodded.

They walked side by side toward the elevator.

The doors opened—and there stood Michelle.

Bandages still wrapped her wounds. Her face was gaunt and colorless.

The moment she saw Victoria, something ugly twisted across her features.

But she said nothing. She strode past them toward the room.

Victoria glanced at Michelle's retreating figure, then turned away and stepped into the elevator with Hugh.

Only after the doors closed did she let out a long, heavy breath.

Hugh watched her, aching. "If you need to lean on someone, my shoulder's right here."

Victoria looked up at him and managed a thin smile. "I'm okay, really. I'm not that fragile."

Hugh pulled her into his arms without asking permission. "But I want you to lean on me."

His steady heartbeat filled her ear. Slowly, the tension in her body began to unravel.

She blinked, her voice barely a whisper. "Honestly? I keep thinking—if I hadn't lost my temper in court, maybe Mom wouldn't have collapsed. If something happens to her because of me, I'll never forgive myself."

Elysia had been so good to her. She'd filled the void left by a lifetime without a mother's love.

No matter how much Victoria hated Michelle, she could never turn that hatred toward Elysia.

Right now, all she wanted was for Elysia to wake up.

Hugh tightened his arms around her. "This isn't your fault. None of it."

---

Back in the hospital room, Michelle stepped inside.

Sawyer didn't look up. He assumed it was Victoria returning.

"Victoria, just—go. I need a minute alone."

"…Sawyer."

Michelle's voice was small and careful.

Sawyer's head snapped up. His eyes were glacial.

"What are you doing here? Get out."