Chapter 194: Returning Your Childhood to You
Andrew was not the only one who'd noticed. John had seen it too.
They had to admit—they cared about Sophia. They'd never said it out loud, never figured out how to show it properly, but every now and then they thought about that little girl who used to trail after them everywhere.
Sophia had become the vessel for whatever capacity for feeling they still possessed.
When they realized she was starting to think like them—twisted, broken in the same ways—that's when it finally clicked. Everything they'd done, thinking it would make her stronger, had been wrong from the start.
And the people responsible for that mistake were George and Jane.
Growing up in a house with no love and no warmth had warped them beyond repair. They'd wanted Sophia to be resilient, independent—but all they had done was warp her into something just as damaged as themselves.
That's when Andrew and John formed their alliance, without ever having to discuss it outright: destroy the Smith family. Dismantle Smith Group from the inside out.
Only the two of them knew the real reason. They hadn't even told Joshua.
It didn't matter anymore. With Andrew & John Corp in Joshua's hands, they could focus on what really mattered—getting Sophia away from the Johnsons and back where she belonged.
……
In a cramped, damp little room, Maggie pulled on a surgical mask and a baseball cap, then wrapped herself in a trench coat. She was covered from head to toe, only her eyes visible, before she finally stepped outside.
She wound through the narrow alleyways, taking turn after turn until she reached a small corner store. Without hesitation, she grabbed a few cups of instant noodles and two bags of chips, then tossed a fifty-dollar bill on the counter.
The shopkeeper blinked, a little surprised, but didn't ask questions. He made change, stuffed everything into a plastic bag, and handed it over.
"Thanks," Maggie said, deliberately lowering her voice. If she'd stayed silent while dressed like that, it would've drawn more suspicion.
She took the bag and stepped outside—but froze the moment she heard the audio from a short video playing on the shopkeeper's phone behind her.
"Smith Group officially declared bankruptcy today. Former chairman George has been sentenced to prison for assault. CEO Andrew has launched a new company, Andrew & John Corp, with Joshua appointed as president..."
Maggie's breath caught. Her feet stopped moving.
Smith Group… was bankrupt?
And Joshua—Andrew had acknowledged him. Made him president.
Tears blurred her vision. Her plan… after more than thirty years, it was finally complete.
All the emotions she'd been suppressing for decades found their release in that single moment. The crushing weight she'd carried for so long crumbled to dust. Maggie couldn't hold it together anymore. She sank to the ground and sobbed.
The shopkeeper heard the crying and stepped outside, confused. He hesitated, debating whether to check on her—but before he could say anything, she suddenly stood up, wiped her eyes, and strode off down the street.
When Maggie got back to her hiding place, she tore through everything she'd just bought—instant noodles, chips, all of it—in what felt like an act of vengeful indulgence. She ate until she couldn't stand the smell anymore, until she felt physically sick.
Then she pulled a thick envelope out from under her pillow and retrieved all her identification documents from the closet, shoving everything into her backpack.
She turned on her phone and called Sophia.
To her surprise, Sophia picked up almost immediately, as if she'd been expecting the call.
"Maggie. You got what you wanted."
The cool, detached voice came through the speaker. Maggie took a deep breath, forcing down the emotions surging in her chest.
"Sophia. Let's meet."
"You're a fugitive. Why would I risk meeting you in private?"
"I carried out your revenge for you."
Sophia's gaze stilled for a fraction of a second.
"Where?"
"The café across from the police station."
"Fine."
The call ended. Maggie slung her backpack over her shoulder and left her hideout for the last time. As she passed a trash can, she tossed her phone into it.
Every step felt lighter than the last. For the first time in thirty years, the sky looked bluer. The air felt cleaner. The wind tasted like freedom.
An hour later, Maggie walked into the café across from the station. Sophia was sitting in a corner booth, sipping coffee with that same infuriating composure—like nothing in the world could ever rattle her.
Maggie stared at her for a long moment, something bitter flickering in her eyes. She'd spent years pretending to be a high-society matron, and still, she couldn't hold a candle to Sophia.
She walked over and sat down.
Sophia set her cup down and glanced briefly at Maggie's backpack before looking away again.
"What do you want?"
"I need a favor." Maggie didn't bother with pleasantries. She was about to turn herself in—there was no point in dancing around it now.
She unzipped her bag, pulled out the thick envelope, and slid it across the table. Her expression was earnest, almost pleading.
"Please give this to Joshua."
Sophia studied the envelope for a moment.
"What is it?"
Maggie's gaze dropped. A faint, helpless smile crossed her face, and her eyes glistened.
"It's… the last gift I'll ever give him."
The raw sincerity in her voice was unmistakable. Sophia picked up the envelope and pulled out the contents.
Photographs. Pictures of Joshua as a child.
They documented his entire childhood—his growth, his emotions, the milestones no one else had bothered to record.
There was one of him crying as a toddler. Another of him squinting after biting into an ice cream cone. One from elementary school, standing on stage to accept an award.
In every single photo, Joshua was alone. Maggie was nowhere to be seen.
Sophia's expression shifted slightly. She slid the photos back into the envelope.
Maggie must have known this day would come—or maybe she'd planned for it all along. She knew Joshua might hate her. That's why she'd never appeared in any of the pictures herself.
This was her final gift to him: after he returned to the Smiths, she would give him back his childhood.
"I'll make sure he gets it," Sophia said simply.
"Thank you." Maggie's smile was the most genuine Sophia had ever seen from her. Without another word, she stood, shouldered her bag, and left.
Sophia watched her go.
The figure crossed the street, walked straight into the police station, every step steady and unburdened.
Sophia found herself thinking back to something she had said to Michael once, curled up together at Applewood Estate while watching one of James's new films.
There's no such thing as a purely evil person.
Maggie had done terrible things. Everyone assumed Joshua was just a pawn to her—something she'd discard the moment he stopped being useful.
But what if, for Maggie, Joshua had been the only family she'd had in all those years?
What if she really had loved him like a son?
Sophia glanced down at the envelope in her hands, then picked up her phone and called Joshua.
"Maggie turned herself in. She asked me to return your childhood to you."