Chapter 206: You're Coming to Hell with Me
Nate's pupils sharply contracted as he snapped the notebook shut.
The sound jolted Sophia back to awareness, her mind clearing considerably.
She grabbed her sparkling water and took a few sips to calm herself, until she was back to her calm. "Got your results?"
Nate adjusted his wire-rimmed glasses, his expression grave. "What terrifies you isn't the dog—it's 'the person holding the knife.' Andrew is your real psychological trigger."
Sophia's gaze froze momentarily before she accepted this assessment. She knew better than anyone what truly frightened her.
Just as Nate said, the nightmare that had haunted her all these years wasn't the scene from when she was nine—it was Andrew, knife in hand, covered in blood.
The dog was merely a supporting character in that tableau.
She feared becoming a perpetrator like Andrew, yet when triggered, she couldn't control her own violent impulses.
So she constantly suppressed those urges, training herself to maintain emotional stability and avoid fluctuations.
"Been having nightmares recently?" Nate asked.
"Not before—just poor sleep quality. Lately I've occasionally dreamed about childhood." Sophia answered honestly.
Nate reopened his notebook, pen poised to record Sophia's condition. He'd need to consider everything comprehensively when designing a proper treatment plan for her.
But as he looked down, he missed the flash of displeasure in Sophia's eyes.
She truly despised psychologists.
"My condition barely affects daily life, and the episodes have become rare." Thus, Sophia showed she had little interest in treatment.
Before Nate could respond, she pivoted the conversation. "Compared to my PTSD, John's situation seems worse, doesn't it? The question I asked you before—do you have any insights now?"
John was Emerald City's most distinctive figure—not just for his unhinged personality, but for his striking appearance.
Silver hair, white lashes, and skin genuinely the color of snow. Yet his physique wasn't frail—he could handle the intense demands of racing.
What Sophia found strangest was that John hadn't always looked this way.
Eight years her senior, in her early childhood memories John's lashes and irises had been normal, his hair streaked with white, his complexion pale but not so disturbingly so.
This man seemed to be gradually fading.
John didn't have hereditary albinism, but he was born a madman.
This was precisely what puzzled Nate.
No one becomes psychologically twisted for no reason. Sophia, for instance, changed after the trauma at age nine.
But John had been insane from childhood. It made no sense.
"Can't determine the cause yet. Based on John's behavior, it resembles mania. But we'd need a detailed diagnosis of John himself to know the root cause."
Hearing this, Sophia nodded understanding and dropped the subject.
Though she didn't care about John's fate, his constant desire to drag her down with him was rather troublesome.
"John's secondary. I came back for you." Nate tucked the notebook into his leather bag, emphasizing this point.
If Michael hadn't messaged him saying Sophia's condition had worsened lately, he'd still be in a war zone working as a Doctors Without Borders volunteer.
Sophia rolled her eyes. "You're a psychology PhD. You could open a consulting practice here. Why rush off to war zones?"
At those words, Nate's gaze froze momentarily, as if suppressing some surging emotion. He didn't respond.
Seeing his expression, Sophia realized she'd misspoken and changed topics. "Have you eaten?"
"I heard you opened a hotel." Nate's lips curved slightly, his meaning clear.
"Alright, I'll let you sample my hotel's cuisine."
Michael drove as the three of them headed through the night toward Celestial Peak Hotel.
River City, a private racing track.
John finished reading Victor's message, his eyes dancing with excitement.
Interesting.
The race had ended, but the game seemed far from over.
He dialed Sophia's number. A lazy voice answered: "Mr. John Smith has quite the leisure time. Did you receive some news?"
"My Sophia, interested in playing something big with me?" His voice carried an inhuman excitement, trembling slightly as if he could barely contain it.
Hearing that tone, Sophia set down her spoon, appetite completely gone. "Are you planning to make me stand at the finish line this time, or drag me skydiving?"
"No, let's play something more thrilling!"
John's lips curved upward, thin and red as if stained with blood, making him look like a demon escaped from hell against his snow-white complexion.
He gripped his car keys tightly, enunciating each word: "I'll give you a grand gift. You come to hell with me."
Sophia snorted coldly. "Doesn't sound like anything good."
"No?" John tugged at his sweater collar, the skin of his neck flushing slightly red. "I think it'll be very interesting."
I'll ruin your reputation, turn you into my kind.
Then no one will ever be able to separate us again.
Sensing he was plotting another catastrophic event, Sophia's eyes darkened. "You know my boundaries, and you know Andrew's. Are you sure you want me to play along?"
John lazily ruffled his short hair, leaning back casually. "Ah... Sophia, you're becoming so boring."
Sophia took a long, irritated sip of her ice-cold Coke. "I'm not a Smith. If you're bored, go play with Joshua. Don't harass me."
She hung up.
Hearing the dial tone, John murmured Joshua's name as if suddenly remembering the man.
After a moment's thought, he shook his head with a light laugh, muttering to himself: "Smart enough, but no fun."
Only Sophia in this world dared to strike at him, genuinely trying to kill him. That was interesting.
Pity she'd become so dull since returning to the Johnson family.
More and more like... a normal person.
Sophia hung up and immediately went back to her usual demeanor as if nothing had happened.
A faint smile played at her lips as she looked across the table at Nate. "Dr. Kerr, is the food to your liking?"
Nate slowly withdrew his observing gaze and nodded. "Her palate is refined, so naturally her hotel excels in cuisine. No wonder Celestial Peak Hotel became one of Emerald City's top five-star establishments in just a few years."
Sophia smiled gently, looking serene and lovely, before suddenly shifting topics. "You've asked me so many questions tonight. My turn now, isn't it?"
Nate looked up.
Sophia smiled softly. "Do you still have nightmares?"