Chapter 180 Have You Seen Emily?
"Hello, are you a friend of Ms. Emily Smith? She suffered blunt-force trauma to the head and is currently undergoing emergency surgery. Please come to the hospital immediately."
Sophia hadn't expected the call about Emily's hospitalization.
After a moment's hesitation, she asked, "Do you know what caused the injury?"
"We're not entirely sure. We're only responsible for saving lives. You'll need to speak with the police for details when you arrive."
"Alright, thank you." Sophia said politely, then ended the call.
She immediately phoned her assistant, Tony, instructing him to go to the hospital and assess the situation.
Sophia pocketed her phone and returned to her room to finish blow-drying her damp hair.
She had no interest in wasting energy on people she considered unimportant. Sending Tony was purely about satisfying her curiosity over what disaster had befallen the Smith family and put Emily in emergency care.
Once her hair was dry, Lucas knocked on her door.
"Sophia, you wanted to see me?" Lucas entered, clearly confused. He wondered why she'd insisted he shower before coming over just to talk.
"Sit," Sophia said, setting down the hair dryer and offering Lucas the vanity chair while she perched on the edge of her bed. Meeting his bewildered look, she said calmly, "Let me be clear—I don't like dogs. So if you want to keep Snowball, we need to establish a few ground rules."
Before Lucas could reply, she continued, "First, Snowball cannot enter my bedroom or study. Second, he must be bathed and groomed regularly—kept clean and odor-free. Third, I'll have a doghouse built in the backyard. When I'm home, Snowball must stay out there. He cannot appear anywhere near me."
The harsh demands made Lucas frown. He couldn't bear the thought of Snowball alone in the backyard. "Sophia, Snowball is verywell-behaved. He doesn't bite or bark. If you just spend some time with him, I'm sure you'll—"
"If you can't accept these terms," Sophia cut him off, her tone severe and unyielding, "I'll have Snowball removed immediately."
Lucas froze, his jaw clenched. After a long silence, he finally nodded.
Only then did Sophia's expression soften slightly and her voice become gentler. "Good. It's late. Go get some rest."
"Okay." Lucas mumbled his response and trudged back to his room.
As soon as Lucas left, Tony called.
"Ms. Johnson, the situation is... complicated." Tony said in a hushed voice. "Emily was struck with an antique mantel clock by George. The injury is serious, but she's not in immediate danger. Police have opened an investigation, and the Smith family appears to be completely bankrupt."
Sophia's fingers tapped lightly against her knee, her tone remained neutral. "Any other findings?" she asked.
Tony hesitated. "They found a gold button at the scene. The garment it belongs to is a limited national edition. We've traced it—it appears to belong to your brother James..."
Sophia's fingers froze mid-tap and her eyes went cold.
How could James possibly be connected to this?
"Who has the button now?" she asked.
"The police took it as evidence, but..." Tony paused. "Andrew's people are also investigating the incident."
A sardonic smile curved Sophia's lips as a flash of icy calculation crossed her eyes. "Understood. Thanks for making the trip. Go home for the night."
After hanging up, she went to James's room. When she knocked, he opened the door in silk pajamas, seated at his vanity doing his skincare routine.
Seeing Sophia, James broke into a warm smile. "Sophia, perfect timing! My agent just called with good news! All my endorsement deals are back on. Tomorrow I'm returning to set to film the scenes I missed."
He was clearly in high spirits.
Sophia's words died on her tongue. She curved her lips into her usual expression. "Congratulations on continuing to grace the entertainment industry with your brilliance," she said.
"Ethan teasing me is one thing, but now even you won't let me off?" James joked before returning to business. "What brings you by?"
Sophia hesitated, then asked, "James, I remember you have a limited-edition jacket. Could I borrow it for a moment?"
"Of course," James replied, immediately standing and searching his closet. After several minutes of fruitless searching, he paused and thought for a moment. "It's not here. Lucas must have borrowed it."
Sophia's expression darkened. James instantly noticed the change in her mood. "What's wrong? What happened?"
After a moment's consideration, Sophia decided to tell him the truth. "Emily suffered blunt-force trauma to the head. She's stable for now. George's fingerprints were on the weapon—he's been confirmed as the attacker. They also found a button from your jacket at the scene."
James froze. That meant Lucas had been at Smith Manor—and might be connected to the incident.
"Don't worry too much—it's just a button. It doesn't prove anything. I'll handle this." Sophia patted James's shoulder reassuringly, then added, "Don't mention this to Mom and Dad yet; there's no need to worry them."
She turned to leave, but James called after her. "Sophia, did you already know the Smith family would collapse?"
Sophia's steps faltered. She didn't answer.
James's voice trembled. "Andrew and John worked together to destroy the Smith family. Did you help push them over the edge?"
She turned back at last, a cryptic smile playing at her lips. "James, I have neither love nor hate for the Smith family. Why would I waste time and energy on irrelevant matters?"
James stood frozen—for the first time uncertain whether he should believe her. Even though he was the closest to her in the family, he realized he couldn't truly read her.
He stepped closer and gently gripped her shoulders; his hands trembled slightly. "Sophia, I don't understand the cutthroat world of business, but you're my family. I just want you to be carefree and happy."
Sophia's expression remained unreadable. After a long pause, she raised one corner of her mouth in something like cold mockery. "James, I'm an adult. What adult in this world gets to be carefree?"
She patted his shoulder lightly and offered a small, gentle smile. "Get some rest. You've got filming tomorrow."
Leaving James's room, Sophia went straight to Lucas's.
When she pushed the door open, Lucas sat on his bed petting the dog. Startled by the unexpected visitor, Snowball leapt from Lucas's lap and dove under the bed.
With the dog out of sight, Sophia felt less repulsed; she still remained in the doorway.
She leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, fixing Lucas with a sharp look. "Have you been to Smith Manor these past few days?"
Lucas froze for a moment, then shook his head vigorously.
Sophia pressed on. "Have you seen Emily?"
Lucas's eyes flickered. He pressed his lips together and lowered his head.