Chapter 1368
Chapter 1367:
Lowering his voice, Cole spoke carefully. “Dad, this isn’t your burden to carry. Mom never stopped blaming herself for leaving without telling you the truth. She told me she wants to come clean about everything this time. If you don’t shut her out, she wants to stay with you and make things right p>
“That’s good. That’s really good!” Emotion washed over Jarrett, and his eyes filled as he nodded.
For many years, resentment had quietly taken root in Jarrett’s heart, and he had aimed it at Sophie more than once. He blamed her for keeping her pain hidden, and he blamed her for vanishing without a single explanation, leaving him lost in grief and unanswered questions. Now that he knew she was ready to bare everything to him at last, a deep calm settled over him, easing emotions he had carried for far too long.
Early the next morning, Sophie finally touched down in Ublento and bolted straight for the hospital, her mind fixed on nothing else.
Jarrett was still lost in sleep, so Sophie made her way to Ruben and Diane first—to face them, to offer what words she could.
The hospital gleamed with exclusive privilege, all polished surfaces and hushed corridors. Jarrett occupied a luxury VIP suite, and the Evans family had claimed the entire floor for themselves—a fortress of privacy. Ruben and Diane had taken the adjoining room, close enough to reach Jarrett in seconds if he stirred.
Ruben and Diane had known Sophie would arrive today. They’d risen before dawn and waited, tension coiling in the silence between them.
The moment Sophie crossed the threshold and saw them standing there, she dropped to her knees. Her voice cracked, splintering around the edges. “I’m so sorry p>
Years ago, Ruben and Diane had wrapped Sophie in warmth she’d never expected. They’d resisted the marriage at first—of course they had—but once she became family, they’d embraced her wholeheartedly. Even when illness had ravaged her later on, when everything had fallen apart, they had never abandoned her. They’d searched relentlessly for specialists across the globe to seek treatment for her, refusing to let her face the battle alone.
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 gⱯ𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝗍𝖊𝗅𝘀・ⅽ𝗼𝗺
Sophie had never forgotten their kindness, and her heart swelled with gratitude.
Still kneeling, Sophie stripped away her hat and mask as tears carved paths down her face.
Elliana’s treatment over the past few weeks had worked small miracles. Sophie’s color had returned, some vitality seeping back into her frame.
But Sophie hadn’t undergone reconstructive surgery yet. Her face remained a battlefield. When the disguise fell away, it revealed everything. Angry scars slashed across her skin in jagged lines, a map of suffering etched into flesh.
Ruben and Diane had steeled themselves for this moment, but preparation meant nothing when confronted with reality. The sight landed like a blow, stealing their breath.
Sophie bowed her head, bracing for their recoil. For the inevitable step backward. But it never came.
Ruben’s and Diane’s shock passed, melting into something softer. Heartache bloomed in its place—raw and aching for what she’d endured.
“Sophie, please. Get up.” Diane moved forward and helped Sophie to her feet. She then wrapped both hands around Sophie’s trembling one and patted it gently, over and over, like soothing a frightened child. “You’re back now. That’s what matters. Our family is whole again p>