Chapter 183: Sophia Never Bows Her Head
The private hospital under the Smith Group glowed with lights in the ward section.
Sophia walked into the elevator in her heels, her fingertip pressing the top-floor button.
When the elevator doors opened, Harrison was already waiting with his men.
"Is Emily awake?"
"Just woke up. John's inside," Harrison said in a low voice. "But there's someone else."
Sophia raised an eyebrow. "Who?"
"Andrew."
A flash of surprise crossed her eyes. She gestured for the bodyguards to stay outside and walked alone toward the hospital room.
Through the glass window in the door, she saw John standing beside the bed while Andrew sat on the sofa with a dark expression.
Emily's weak voice drifted out, "Andrew, John, I really didn't know I was George's illegitimate daughter. For the sake of us being half-siblings, won't you please help me?"
Sophia let out a cold laugh and pushed the door open.
All three turned their heads at once.
Andrew's eyes darkened. "What are you doing here?"
"Came to watch the show." Sophia leaned elegantly against the doorframe, her gaze sweeping over Emily's pale face on the hospital bed. "I got the notification call about her admission, so wouldn't it seem heartless if I didn't stop by?"
John smiled meaningfully. "Didn't know you had such a compassionate side."
Sophia scoffed and walked slowly to the bedside. She suddenly reached out and gripped Emily's chin. "I wasn't wrong about you last time. You're even braver than I imagined."
Emily's pupils constricted sharply. Remembering Sophia's terrifying nature, her fingers unconsciously clutched the bedsheet. "It... it had nothing to do with me..."
John stepped forward. "Let go. This is a hospital, not Celestial Peak Hotel."
Sophia released her grip and straightened up, immediately glaring at John. "I haven't settled accounts with you yet, and here you are lecturing me first. You gave her the drug, didn't you?"
John raised an eyebrow. "What drug? What reason would I have to target Michael?"
Sophia curved her lips in a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "When have you ever needed a reason to do anything?"
John avoided Sophia's gaze, his posture casual. "I really don't know what's so special about that guy that makes you protect him like this."
Sophia answered bluntly, "Because when everyone in the Smith family was targeting me, he was the only one who protected me."
John choked on his words. His eyes trembled slightly, and for once he fell silent, not arguing back.
Andrew, who had been unaware of what happened at the birthday party, suddenly understood. He shot to his feet, his eyes sharp as blades fixed on Emily. "You drugged Michael?"
Emily's face went deathly pale. She shook her head frantically. "Andrew, no, I..."
Sophia slapped Emily across the face without hesitation. "Still lying? You think just because John's helping you, I can't find evidence?"
She'd come here to confront John face-to-face because she already knew the truth. She had no intention of sending John to join George and his son behind bars—this was purely a warning.
If Emily refused to admit it and tried to weasel out of responsibility, Sophia wouldn't mind making her suffer in other ways.
Andrew cast Emily a cold glance, showing no trace of sympathy, then turned to interrogate John. "Were you involved in this?"
John shrugged, looking completely indifferent. "Who knows what crazy scheme she cooked up?"
No one noticed the sinister gleam that flashed in his eyes as he turned his face away.
He'd gotten someone to procure the drug. He'd given it to Emily.
Sophia might live at the Johnson Manor and acknowledge that family, but Michael was her greatest source of confidence and support.
Only by driving a wedge between Sophia and Michael could he get her to obediently return to his side!
After years of fraternal conflict, how could Andrew not see whether John had been involved?
He too wanted to pull Sophia away from those worthless insects, but he didn't approve of going after Michael.
Sophia was proud, stubborn, and unyielding. Coming at her by trampling on her bottom line would only corner her—and a cornered rabbit would bite.
Sophia watched the brothers' performance with cold eyes, too lazy to engage. She pulled a transparent evidence bag from her purse—inside was the button. "Emily, care to explain why Lucas's button was found at the Smith Manor?"
Emily trembled all over, tears instantly welling up. "I... I really don't know..."
"Don't know?" Sophia suddenly slammed her phone on the bedside table. The screen displayed a surveillance video.
The footage clearly showed Emily meeting with Lucas at a coffee shop the day before yesterday.
Andrew grabbed the phone and glanced at it. His eyes narrowed, his expression growing even darker. "You contacted Lucas privately?"
"I... I didn't..." Emily stammered incoherently, suddenly grabbing Andrew's arm. "Andrew, let me explain!"
Andrew shook off her hand with disgust and coldly spat out one word, "Get out."
The atmosphere in the room grew explosive.
Just then, Emily's monitor suddenly emitted a piercing alarm. Her breathing became rapid, and her entire body began convulsing.
"Doctor! Get a doctor!" John pressed the emergency call button, but his eyes held a meaningful look as they turned to Sophia.
Sophia watched this farce with cold detachment. As medical staff rushed in, she bent down and whispered in John's ear, "You think faking illness will let you off the hook?"
John's lips curved in a cold smile. "Who knows? Maybe she really was frightened."
Sophia walked out of the hospital room, her heels clicking crisply against the marble floor. She had just pressed the elevator button when her phone vibrated.
A message from Michael: [Just got word—George's case will be sentenced tomorrow.]
Her lips curved slightly as her fingertip tapped the screen: [Maggie's show should be far more entertaining than this.]
The elevator doors opened. As she was about to step in, Andrew's voice suddenly came from behind her. "Sophia."
She turned to see Andrew standing at the end of the corridor, impeccably dressed in his suit, his face stern.
"Does Mr. Smith have more instructions?" She leaned lazily against the elevator door.
Andrew walked closer, lowering his voice. "All the Smith family troubles have been resolved. Come back home."
"Back?" Sophia raised an eyebrow with a light laugh. "Mr. Smith, that's a curious choice of words. I reminded you years ago—I stopped being a Smith a long time ago."
Andrew stared at her face, his eyes growing even more intense. "You may not bear the Smith name, but you shouldn't waste your time on people who don't matter. I've warned you many times—you cannot bow your head. Ever. Others must accommodate you. You will never accommodate them."
These were words Andrew had spoken to Sophia when she was three years old.
The memory had long since faded, worn down by subsequent coldness, cruelty, and their battles against each other. Now, hearing these words again, Sophia's heart trembled sharply.
In a daze, scattered fragments of memory surged into her mind.
Those moments between her and Andrew—moments of fleeting beauty that should never have existed.