Chapter 5

Sophia's POV

After leaving the hospital, I didn't return to the hillside villa.

With the little money I had left, I rented a basement apartment in the old district. Barely fifteen square meters, sunlight never reaching it.

I wanted to spend the final days of my life quietly in that dark corner.

But Evan wouldn't grant me even that small wish.

On the third night after I moved out, the decrepit wooden door of my basement was violently kicked open.

Blinding flashlight beams struck my face. I instinctively raised my hand to shield my eyes. Before I could see who it was, two burly bodyguards grabbed me by both arms and hauled me up.

"What are you doing?" I struggled weakly, cold sweat breaking out as pain radiated through my stomach.

"Sophia, we apologize. Mr. Blake ordered that you be brought back no matter what." The bodyguard's voice carried no emotion.

Like dragging a lifeless object, they roughly shoved me, still barefoot, into the car.

Half an hour later, I was once again forced to enter that cage-like villa.

The main hall blazed with lights. Evan sat on the sofa, his expression so dark it could drip water. Seeing me thrown onto the floor in such a wretched state, a faint trace of irritation flashed in his eyes.

"Temper getting bigger, is it? Learning to run away from home?" Evan sneered as he walked over, using the tip of his shoe to lift my chin. "Did you think hiding in that rat hole would keep me from finding you?"

I was forced to lift my head, my eyes as hollow as a soulless puppet.

"What does Mr. Blake want with a suspended quack like me?"

"Stop being sarcastic!" Evan suddenly grabbed my shoulder and pulled me up from the floor. "Clara's condition is unstable. She can't keep regular medication down. She vomits everything. Go prescribe medicine for her and use that treatment protocol you're best at to help her recover."

So it was for Clara.

My heart had already gone numb. I looked at Evan quietly, a mocking smile curving my lips. "What if I refuse?"

"Refuse?" Evan laughed coldly. "You can try. If you dare refuse, tomorrow morning you'll see your precious brother thrown out of his care facility and left to die in a garbage dump on the news."

That move again.

He always knew exactly where to drive the knife deepest.

"Fine. I'll prescribe medicine for her."

I closed my eyes, hiding all the despair and desolation in their depths.

Over the following days, I was completely reduced to Clara's personal maid and physician.

I was assigned to live in the cold, damp servants' quarters. Every day at four in the morning, I had to get up to prepare Clara's special liquid diet. The formula required extremely precise temperature control. I couldn't leave the stove for even a moment.

Between the late nights and exhaustion, my cancer symptoms grew increasingly severe.

Late one night, while I was tending the stove, my stomach suddenly felt like countless dull blades were slicing through it simultaneously. An explosion of excruciating pain.

My legs buckled and I crashed hard onto my knees on the hard tile floor.

Pain. Too much pain.

Cold sweat poured from my forehead in large drops. I bit down hard on a dish towel, refusing to let myself make a sound. The metallic sweetness churning in my throat could no longer be suppressed. I bent over the sink and vomited a large mouthful of crimson blood.

Bloody threads swirled down the drain, shocking to behold.

Just then, the kitchen door opened.

Evan walked in wearing a robe. Seeing me kneeling on the floor, body trembling, he frowned.

"Sophia, what are you pretending to be now?" His tone was full of impatience. "Is the medicine ready? Clara is waiting to drink it."

I frantically rinsed the blood from the corners of my mouth with cold water and struggled to stand, bracing myself against the sink.

"Almost... ready." My breathing came in tremors.

"Stop pretending. Didn't you use this pathetic act to deceive Grandfather back then? Get out of my sight. Bring it up as soon as it's done." Evan turned and left coldly.

I watched his back, slowly sliding to the floor and burying my head between my knees.

So this was true heartbreak. It made no sound at all.