Chapter 28 The Red Marks on the Neck
Alice's words dripped with intimacy about their relationship.
She raised an eyebrow, looking triumphantly at Sophia, as if she had already married into the Smith family and become James and Michael's stepmom.
Sophia stayed cool and indifferent.
Alice thought Sophia would blow up when it came to James and Michael. She was ready to cry and run to William if Sophia snapped at her. But Sophia just ignored her.
Sophia guided James and Michael to the car.
James and Michael hugged Emily and said goodbye to Sophia, clearly not wanting to leave.
James said, "Emily, I'll come play with you next weekend."
Michael chimed in, "Me too, me too!"
They waved goodbye to Sophia, and Alice eagerly opened the car door for them, sliding into the back seat with them.
William watched her, wanting to say something, but held back.
Seeing James and Michael get into the car with the woman she disliked, Emily turned and ran into Sophia's arms, reaching out her chubby hands.
Emily nestled in Sophia's embrace, rubbing her cheek against Sophia's neck, and said in a sweet, childlike voice, "Mommy, let's go home."
Sophia patted her back. "Okay."
William suddenly spoke up, "Hold on a sec."
He retrieved a new pink fox toy from the front passenger seat and handed it to Emily.
William said, "I got this just for you. Do you like it?"
Emily was tempted at first, but quickly shook her head.
Emily refused, "Thanks, but I don't want it."
She looked at the rolled-down window of the car.
Alice's provocative eyes stared directly at Sophia.
Emily buried her head in Sophia's shoulder, feeling dejected: He's bringing that bad woman to upset Mommy again...
Feeling the little hands gripping her tightly, Sophia gently stroked Emily's hair, silently comforting her.
Sophia spoke, "Thanks for the kind gesture, Mr. Smith, but I'll buy toys for Emily myself. You can keep this for your girlfriend."
William's face turned cold.
"What are you talking about? I don't have any..."
Sophia's gaze sharpened.
She held Emily tightly, not wanting to hear any more, and headed straight back to her car.
Emily's small face rested on Sophia's shoulder.
Her eyes, usually bright like obsidian, no longer showed the usual closeness to William. He wanted to approach, but Alice called out to him.
"William, don't forget we have things to handle. It's getting late; we should head back."
William gripped the pink fox toy tightly, his long eyelashes lowered, lips pressed into a thin line.
In the back seat.
James sat in the middle, while Michael held a new toy.
Both James and Michael were unusually quiet today.
Especially James, who remained distant no matter how much Alice tried to get close or speak kindly to him.
Alice felt a bit disheartened. She wanted to build a relationship with Michael, but recently, Michael had also started to distance himself from her, which made her very displeased. Her plans needed to be sped up.
Another car from the Smith family followed behind.
William walked towards the car behind them, but after taking a few steps, he heard the sound of a car door opening. James, holding Michael's hand, ran over.
James looked up at him. "Dad, we want to ride with you."
William naturally wouldn't refuse.
Alice, left in the first car, clenched her dress into a ball, her expression becoming increasingly sinister as she tried to mask her frustration.
The driver in the front seat was startled and quickly turned away, pretending not to notice.
The two cars drove towards the Smith Mansion, one after the other.
Suddenly, there was the sound of a crash up ahead. A severe accident had occurred not far in front of them.
As the cars turned, James, peering out the window, exclaimed, "Dad, that's Mommy's car!"
William's eyes narrowed, and he shouted, "Stop the car!"
James and Michael wanted to get out, too, but William held them back. "Stay in the car, be good. I'll go check."
He softened his voice, "Listen to me."
Within a minute, William was striding towards the accident scene, where a crowd had gathered, murmuring.
"This is terrible!"
"The car was hit by a big truck. It's hard to imagine anyone surviving that. How did this happen?"
"The family of the driver must be devastated."
William thought of Sophia just a few minutes ago, with Emily nestled adorably in her arms, and his heart clenched painfully.
He stumbled a couple of steps, and the bodyguard behind him quickly supported him, but the next second, William was already rushing into the accident scene.
The bodyguards called out, "Mr. Smith!"
Inside the black Maybach on the roadside, Alice's face was half-lit, half-shadowed, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction.
Sophia, that wretched woman, was finally dead!
No one would stop her from being with William anymore.
But seeing William rush into the accident scene, jealousy and hatred surged within Alice.
William, you still care about that woman!
But not for long... The dead can never compete with the living!
The driver in the front seat glanced at Alice's deranged look in the rearview mirror and quickly averted his gaze. Alice looked truly terrifying.
The black car, sandwiched between two large trucks, was crushed beyond recognition. Survival seemed impossible, and even finding an intact body would be a stretch. Realizing this, William's mind went numb with pain.
Thousands of ants seemed to be gnawing at his sanity. He clutched his throbbing chest, struggling but determined to move towards the wrecked car.
But before he could reach it, he coughed up blood and collapsed.
The bodyguards quickly caught him and rushed him to the nearest hospital.
James and Michael were taken back to the Smith Mansion by a designated person. They didn't see the unconscious William, but Alice did.
She followed them to the hospital and waited outside the operating room. When William finally came out, she tried to stay with him, but Tony blocked her.
"Ms. Rivera, I've arranged for a driver to take you home."
"I want to stay with him."
"Mr. Smith needs rest. Please don't make things difficult for us."
"Tony, you know about my relationship with William. This is when he needs me the most."
"Sorry, Ms. Rivera, we're just following orders."
"You!"
With Tony and the bodyguards standing guard, Alice had no chance to get close to William and had to leave.
As soon as she got into the Rivera family car, she dialed a number, her voice filled with undisguised joy and excitement.
"Mr. Rogers, you did a great job."
"Now, about James and Michael, wait for my instructions. Deal with them as soon as possible."
In the silent hospital room.
William lay pale on the bed, his face tight even in unconsciousness, his lips dry, and his forehead sweating.
In his dreams, flames roared. One moment, Sophia was playing with Emily, and the next, they were trapped in the car...
William suddenly opened his eyes and sat up in shock.
Tony quickly asked, "Mr. Smith, are you okay? Do you feel unwell? Should I call the doctor?"
William's voice was dry and hoarse, laden with exhaustion.
He asked Tony, "Where are Sophia and Emily?"
Tony had already arranged for someone to investigate upon receiving the news.
He looked at William, hesitant to speak.
William's heart sank, his hand gripping the bedsheet tightly, eyes deep and faintly panicked.
William demanded, "Tell me the truth."