Chapter 38 Mr. Smith, Do You Remember the Follow-Up
Sophia furrowed her brow and glared at him.
"Michael's calling you."
William looked down at Michael, who immediately spoke up. "Dad, can I take Emily to see Grandma and Grandpa?"
He was really fond of Emily now.
But James tugged at Michael's hand, sounding a bit anxious. "No, Emily's still little. She needs to stay with Mom."
William looked thoughtfully at James.
Michael's eyes showed disappointment, but then they brightened. "Then why don't Mom and Emily come with us?"
He continued, "Mom's been to Grandma and Grandpa's house before. Mom, come with us to the old house!"
Compared to Michael's excitement and anticipation, James's eyes held a hint of unease.
William's gaze also shifted to Sophia.
Her expression unchanged, Sophia walked over, holding Emily, reached through the back window, and gently patted his head, her tone as soft as a spring breeze.
"Michael, it's not a good time for Mom to go to Grandma and Grandpa's. You and James listen to Dad, and if you miss me, just give me a call."
Michael didn't quite understand but still nodded.
He reached out and held Emily's dangling hand, speaking in a way that was half-understanding, "See you tomorrow, Mom. See you tomorrow, Emily."
James waved too.
William stood by the rear car door, catching a faint whiff of the familiar scent of her body wash.
Her hair fell from her shoulders, a few strands brushing against his wrist, carrying a delicate fragrance with a hint of baby powder sweetness.
He looked down to see Emily in Sophia's arms.
Emily, who hadn't had her hair tied up after waking up, had soft hair that looked very fluffy.
It made one want to reach out and touch it.
William was generally not an approachable person, except for James and Michael; Emily was the only one who wasn't naturally afraid of him.
However, at this moment.
Emily seemed a bit scared of him.
She turned her face away, not looking at him, her cheeks looking much thinner than before, just like her mom, with her heart only for James and Michael.
After comforting James and Michael, Sophia stepped aside with Emily in her arms, a slight smile on her lips, her eyes only for James and Michael.
She didn't spare a glance for William.
Once the car drove away.
Sophia carried Emily back to the Johnson Villa.
Emily hadn't fully woken up and had forced herself to stay awake to see off James and Michael. Now, she was sleeping soundly on Sophia's shoulder.
Sophia changed into her pajamas and slept alongside her until dawn.
The next morning.
Just as the sky brightened, Alice was taken away from the hospital by the police, her face scratched and bruised by gravel, wrapped in bandages, looking both pitiful and helpless.
The evidence Sophia provided was too detailed.
From Duke's connections with the Rivera family to Alice's phone calls with him, and even the surveillance footage obtained through special means, with lip-reading translations of her conversations with Duke.
Every word pointed to Alice's guilt.
As soon as she was taken from the hospital, William received the news.
He knew in his heart.
This matter must have something to do with Sophia.
Yet no matter how Tony investigated, there always seemed to be some crucial evidence missing, inconsistent with what Sophia had found.
This made him increasingly anxious.
It felt as if an invisible hand was obstructing his investigation.
"Mr. Smith, these are the latest findings."
"The Rivera family’s actions were indeed hidden, but upon thorough investigation, it turns out Mrs. Smith's information was accurate."
"Miss Rivera's parents and relatives might not be innocent, but we haven't yet determined what role she played in all this..."
Tony trusted Sophia.
He had thoroughly investigated the Rivera family, but the information on Alice was being verified by another one of William's secretaries, and Tony hadn't intervened.
The latest news that morning was that Alice hadn't been involved in the Rivera family's activities.
But the evidence Sophia submitted suggested otherwise.
Tony hesitated on how to explain this to William.
William stood in his garden, his gaze distant, resting on the carefully tended roses not far away.
The roses were a rare deep purple variety imported from abroad, not only highly ornamental but also emitting a rich fragrance.
Sophia had planted those roses the year they got married.
After several years, they were now in full bloom.
James and Michael were following the gardener, watering the flowers, paying special attention to those deep purple roses.
"Mr. Smith? Mr. Smith?"
William's gaze wavered, not realizing he had been lost in thought.
Until Tony raised his voice to call him.
He pulled his gaze away from the roses, his face darkening, his words carrying a hint of indifference.
"Keep investigating."
"If she's innocent, arrange for a lawyer to bail her out."
Tony hesitated, "What about Mrs. Smith..."
Silence from the other end.
He knew this was a sign of William's displeasure.
After a few words, Tony quickly hung up, forgetting even the doctor's instructions.
James and Michael finished watering the garden and bounded over to William, telling him that Sophia would be picking them up soon.
"Dad, Mom said she's taking Michael and me to the amusement park."
"Louis said he would come too."
Hearing Louis's name, William immediately thought of his father, the handsome blond man with blue eyes who was very kind to Sophia.
Speak of the devil.
Sophia's car didn't drive into the Smith Mansion.
It stopped outside the gate.
She got out holding Emily, feeling a sense of inexplicable heaviness as she returned.
The guards at the gate recognized her and called out, "Mrs. Smith."
Sophia replied coldly, "Don't call me that. I have nothing to do with Mr. Smith now."
Though a bit far, William couldn't hear what Sophia and the guards were saying, but from their body language, he could guess the conversation.
In the morning sunlight, his handsome features darkened, his thin, soft lips pressed into a tight line, his refined profile showing his displeasure.
Today, Sophia was wearing a light blue top and white wide-leg pants, her hair tied back.
She looked both bright and elegant.
Emily, in her arms, wore a dress in the same color scheme, her little pigtails longer than before.
As she waved at James and Michael, they bobbed up and down, making her look even more adorable.
"Mom's here!"
"Emily—"
James was the first to see them, waving as he ran to grab his backpack from the living room.
Michael followed closely.
They ran past William, not forgetting to say goodbye to him, then happily ran towards Sophia.
After picking up the kids, Sophia left the Smith Mansion immediately.
Her slender figure radiated an air of indifference, as if the Smith Mansion, just a door away, was a black hole that would swallow her.
William's phone vibrated.
It was Tony.
"Mr. Smith, you have a follow-up appointment at the hospital today. The rash on your neck still needs another treatment to fully heal."
Seeing the message.
William felt the small red marks on his neck under his shirt start to itch again.
However, just as he was changing his clothes to head downstairs, his phone vibrated again, urgently and incessantly.
He had a bad feeling...