Don't Be a Tease, Mr. Blackwood

Chapter 53: Chapter 53: Know Yourself and Your Enemy, and You Will Never Be Defeated

Sophie Shaw cried for a long time, so long she felt dizzy from a lack of oxygen. She ended up passing out against Alaric Blackwood’s shoulder.

Every second she spent crying was torture for her.

But in all that time, Joseph Shaw never came after her, nor did he send her a text or give her a call.

This undoubtedly confirmed what she had said: she was no longer important to Joseph Shaw.

Her sobs stopped, and after a while of silence, Alaric Blackwood realized she had fallen asleep.

He gently laid her down in the back seat, then quickly got out and returned to the driver’s side to start the car.

He took Sophie Shaw back to Maplewood Estate.

He carried her out of the car, into the house, and up the stairs, but the woman in his arms remained completely unconscious.

It wasn’t until he laid her on the bed that Alaric Blackwood had a nagging feeling something was wrong.

He patted Sophie Shaw’s face, but he couldn’t wake her at all.

A call brought the family doctor over, and only then did he learn that Sophie Shaw hadn’t just fallen asleep—she had cried herself unconscious.

"Does she need to go to the hospital for this?"

Alaric Blackwood’s brow was furrowed so tightly you could have killed a fly in the crease.

The family doctor shook his head. "Miss Shaw’s condition was likely caused by extreme emotional distress. She just needs to rest."

"Are you sure she’s okay?"

The doctor couldn’t give a one-hundred-percent guarantee. "If you’re worried, Mr. Blackwood, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to take her to the hospital for a checkup."

Alaric Blackwood didn’t hesitate for a second. He immediately scooped the woman off the bed and took her to the hospital.

When Sophie Shaw woke up, her eyes opened to a pristine white ceiling.

It was already broad daylight. freёwebnoѵel.com

She lay in bed, dazed for several minutes, before bolting upright. To her surprise, she found herself in a private hospital room.

Her last memory was of Alaric Blackwood carrying her to the car, where she had cried unrestrainedly in his arms...

She couldn’t remember anything that happened after that.

She sat on the bed and tried her best to remember, but nothing came to mind.

Just as she was spacing out, the door to her room was pushed open, and a woman walked in. freewēbnoveℓ.com

It was Assistant Wynn, whom she had met before.

The woman was carrying a takeout breakfast. Seeing that Sophie was awake, she walked over with a cool expression and placed the breakfast on the bedside table.

"Mr. Blackwood asked me to bring this."

Sophie said, "Oh," before adding, "Thank you."

"How are you feeling, Miss Shaw? Do you need me to call a doctor?"

"No, that’s alright. May I ask, where is Alaric Blackwood?"

"Mr. Blackwood is in a meeting at the company."

"..."

’The wedding is tomorrow, and he’s still working!’

"How did I end up in the hospital?"

Lydia Wynn shook her head. "I’m not entirely sure. I heard from the doctor that you apparently fainted after some kind of shock."

She had been sent over early this morning to bring Sophie Shaw breakfast. Preston Chase had to accompany Alaric Blackwood to the meeting and was too busy, so he’d passed the errand on to her.

Looking at the dazed woman in the hospital bed, her eyes red and swollen, Lydia Wynn felt an indescribable sense of unease. ’This woman in front of me doesn’t seem very bright,’ she thought. ’And with her eyes that swollen, she’s just plain ugly.’

’I really don’t know what Alaric Blackwood is thinking. With his status, he should at least choose a wife from a family of equal standing, right?’

’If his bride were a true heiress from a prominent family, I would accept my defeat. But what is Sophie Shaw? Just a burdensome stepdaughter from a family with no standing. She is in no way worthy of Alaric Blackwood.’

’If I didn’t know they’d already signed a contract for a marriage of convenience, I would never have obediently rushed over here to bring breakfast to my rival.’

"Miss Shaw, if you’re not feeling any discomfort, I’ll go handle your discharge papers."

"Okay. Thank you for your trouble, Miss Wynn."

"You’re welcome."

Lydia Wynn stood up and walked out.

Sophie Shaw didn’t rush to eat. Seeing her coat hanging on the rack, she got out of bed, walked over, and rummaged through the pockets. Her phone wasn’t there.

She remembered that Anne’s flight back to Kingsport was arriving at ten this morning, and she had promised to pick her up.

After getting dressed, she returned to the bed and sat down, only to find she had no shoes to wear. There was only a pair of disposable slippers under the bed.

When Lydia Wynn returned with the discharge papers, Sophie slipped on the slippers, grabbed the breakfast Lydia had brought, and followed her out of the room and into the elevator.

"Excuse me, what time is it?"

Lydia Wynn lifted her wrist and glanced at her watch. "It’s a quarter to nine."

Sophie Shaw felt her pockets. They were empty. She didn’t have a single cent on her.

When the elevator reached the ground floor, she decided to follow Lydia Wynn out of the inpatient wing and all the way to the parking lot.

"Could I trouble you to give me a ride back to my place?"

’My phone and bag were probably left at Maplewood Estate by Alaric Blackwood...’

Lydia Wynn glanced at the slippers on her feet and reluctantly nodded.

"Address."

"Maplewood Estate."

Hearing those two words, Lydia Wynn’s hands, which were gripping the steering wheel, stiffened. A nameless fire ignited in her heart.

’They haven’t even had the wedding yet, and this woman is already living with Alaric Blackwood?’

She suppressed the rage in her chest, started the car, and drove Sophie Shaw to Maplewood Estate as fast as she could.

She didn’t leave right away, getting out of the car after Sophie Shaw.

The gate to the estate was locked.

’This is a problem!’

Sophie Shaw couldn’t open the gate. She scratched her head in frustration. "If I contact Alaric Blackwood now, will I be interrupting his meeting?"

"Yes."

"...Alright."

Sophie Shaw was out of options. To get her bag, phone, and car keys so she could get to the airport to pick up Anne, she had no choice but to climb the wall.

Lydia Wynn stood by her car, watching as Sophie walked to the base of the wall, grabbed the top with both hands, and tried to pull herself up.

"Miss Wynn, could you give me a hand? Just give me a boost from down there?"

Sophie Shaw asked for help, embarrassed.

Lydia walked over with a cold expression, used both arms to hoist Sophie’s legs, and pushed her up toward the top of the wall.

Both of Sophie Shaw’s slippers fell to the ground, but thankfully, she made it over the wall. Once she was in the yard, she ran barefoot to the front door, unlocked it with her fingerprint, and successfully got inside.

She didn’t see her things on the first floor, so she went to check the room on the second floor. She found her bag on the nightstand and quickly opened it to check its contents.

Her phone and car keys were both there.

She breathed a sigh of relief. Then she went into the bathroom and brushed her teeth and washed her face faster than she ever had in her life. She casually tied her hair into a low ponytail, changed her clothes, grabbed her bag, and ran downstairs.

She put on her shoes in the entryway, ran outside, and got into her car. But before she could even drive out of the yard, the car slowly came to a stop.

’I forgot to get gas...’

"Sophie Shaw, you’re so stupid."

Furious with herself, she slammed a fist on the steering wheel.

Lydia Wynn still hadn’t left. She watched in confusion as Sophie got out of her Cayenne.

Seeing her hurried expression, Lydia Wynn asked thoughtfully, "Miss Shaw, where are you off to in such a rush?"

"I’m rushing to the airport to pick up a friend."

"What time is the flight?"

"Ten o’clock."

"Is your car broken?"

Sophie Shaw gave an awkward smile. "No, it’s out of gas. I’ll just have to take a taxi to the airport."

’There’s still time.’

"If you don’t mind, Miss Shaw, I can give you a ride."

"Wouldn’t that be too much trouble for you?"

A faint smile touched Lydia Wynn’s lips. "No trouble at all."

"Then thank you so much."

Sophie Shaw got into Lydia Wynn’s car with a grateful expression.

She made it to the airport just before Anne’s flight landed. Lydia Wynn didn’t have much to do back at the office, and since she’d already taken the opportunity to strike up a conversation with Sophie Shaw, she decided to learn more about this woman, including her circle of friends. So, she simply waited in the parking lot, planning to give them another ride once Sophie had met her friend.

’As they say, know your enemy and know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles without defeat.’