Free Web NovelChapter 77: Chapter 77: Let Go of the Savior Complex, Respect Others’ Fate
Alaric Blackwood stopped in his tracks and slowly turned his head.
Seeing the man coughing into his hand and smelling the foul scent of blood, he furrowed his brow. He clenched his jaw, his gaze turning sharp.
Just as Damian Morgan was about to apologize, Alaric suddenly lifted his foot and kicked him hard in the stomach.
Damian hadn’t expected Alaric to get angry enough to resort to violence over an unintentional act. He took the brutal kick, and the momentum sent him stumbling backward.
THUD—
He crashed heavily to the floor, landing flat on his back and gasping in pain.
"Damian!"
Vianne Kane let out a sharp cry, then scrambled to her feet and rushed toward him.
Seeing that he had coughed up blood and been kicked, the woman instantly burst into tears, a picture of sorrow.
"Damian, are you okay?"
He leaned weakly in Vianne Kane’s arms. His pale lips parted and closed without a sound before he "fainted" in her embrace.
"Call an ambulance! Hurry up and call an ambulance!"
Vianne Kane screamed for help in a panic.
Joseph Shaw started dialing for emergency services.
Alaric Blackwood ignored them. After kicking Damian, he simply carried Sophie Shaw downstairs.
Bianca Kane was still lost in grief over Mr. Kane’s passing, being consoled by the butler, while the servants bustled about with their tasks. In this house, no one cared whether Sophie Shaw was okay, or even if she lived or died.
After returning to the country, Alaric had investigated and learned that Sophie wasn’t treated well in the Kane Family. But he had underestimated their indifference. They were capable of ignoring her completely.
He held the woman in his arms a little tighter, when he suddenly heard a THUD.
It was the phone Sophie had been clutching; it had fallen to the floor.
He glanced at the phone on the floor and felt the arms wrapped around his neck go limp. Just a second ago, Sophie’s arms had been holding him tightly; now, they went as soft as noodles and slid from his shoulders.
"Sophie?"
He lowered his head and stared at the woman in his arms.
Sophie’s forehead was beaded with cold sweat. Her eyes were shut tight; she had lost consciousness.
His heart clenched with anxiety. He immediately knelt down, resting Sophie on his lap so he could free a hand to pick up the phone from the floor.
Tucking the phone into his coat pocket, he lifted Sophie into his arms again and strode out.
He sped all the way to the nearest hospital. After an examination, it was determined that Sophie Shaw had no major injuries, but they couldn’t rule out psychological issues.
"I recommend you have her see a psychologist."
The doctor finished, handing him a couple of wet wipes and gesturing toward the specks of blood on Alaric Blackwood’s cheek.
"Thank you."
Alaric took the wipes, cleaned the blood from his face, and his gaze fell upon the unconscious Sophie on the hospital bed. "What kind of psychological conditions could be triggered by being locked in a dark, confined space?" he asked the doctor curiously.
The doctor paused for a couple of seconds before saying, "The most typical is claustrophobia. Does Mrs. Blackwood normally show any unusual behavior when riding in elevators, driving through tunnels, or entering small rooms?"
Alaric thought about it carefully. The only thing he could be sure of was that Sophie was fine getting in and out of elevators.
"When Mrs. Blackwood sleeps, or goes into the restroom or bathroom, does she have a habit of leaving the door open?"
"No."
"Then it might not be claustrophobia. But it’s not certain. Perhaps her symptoms are mild. It would still be best to consult a psychologist."
An emergency room doctor wasn’t a professional psychologist; there wasn’t much they could do to help.
Alaric nodded and tossed the used wipes into the trash can.
He stood vigil by Sophie’s bedside for over an hour. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm
When Sophie woke up, she felt awful all over. Her entire back was damp with the cold sweat that had broken out while her nerves were stretched taut in the dark room.
Seeing Alaric sitting beside her, his hand holding hers tightly, she quickly pulled her hand away and sat up in bed.
"How are you feeling?"
She shook her head. "I’m fine now."
"Who locked you in the attic?"
Sophie didn’t answer. Instead, she asked, "The video I sent you earlier, is it still on your phone?"
"It is."
"Let me see it."
Alaric took out his phone, unlocked it, and handed it to her.
Sophie took his phone, immediately went into the photo album, found the video of Damian Morgan and Yara Valentine’s affair, and deleted it. She didn’t forget to clear the recently deleted folder as well.
"Did you keep any other backups?"
Alaric was a little surprised that she was so concerned about the video the moment she woke up. After a moment’s thought, he told her the truth. "There’s a backup on the computer in the study."
"Then let’s go home."
With that, Sophie tried to get out of bed.
She had overestimated her physical condition. The moment she stood up, her legs gave out, and she nearly fell to the floor.
Alaric caught her just in time, pulling her into his arms and settling her firmly onto his lap.
"What’s the rush?" frёewebηovel.cѳm
She took a few quick breaths, looked at Alaric’s unsmiling, serious face, and said dismissively, "I’m not rushing. I just want to go home."
"You still haven’t answered my question."
"What question?"
"Who locked you in the attic?"
"..."
Sophie didn’t know what to say.
’Your childhood sweetheart?’
’The one you love?’
’What good would it do to say it?’
’It would only hurt my relationship with Alaric.’
She didn’t want to burn bridges with Alaric. Right now, all she wanted was to destroy all the evidence of Damian Morgan’s affair that Alaric had, leaving only the copy Anne possessed to keep Damian in check.
As for whether Vianne Kane was being cheated on, or whether Damian had anything to do with Mr. Kane’s death, she no longer cared.
Her kindness had earned her solitary confinement. Her heart had grown completely cold.
Struggling out of Alaric’s embrace, she sat back down on the hospital bed. After catching her breath, she said to him, "I’m going back to Maplewood Estate. Are you coming with me, or are you going to the Kane Family’s house?"
"About Mr. Kane’s death..."
"I don’t care anymore. I don’t care how he died."
Sophie’s gaze turned cold.
She ought to thank Vianne Kane. It was Vianne’s extreme actions that reminded her of how Mr. Kane used to torture her.
The only thing she needed to do now was to let go of her savior complex and respect the fate of others.
Before Alaric could say anything else, she got up and walked out.
Outside the emergency room, she noticed Alaric following behind her. When he saw her look back, he quickened his pace, caught up, and grabbed her arm, pulling her toward the parking lot.
He pushed her into the passenger seat, then silently got into the driver’s seat and started the car.
The car didn’t head toward the Kane Family’s house but in the opposite direction.
Half an hour later, they arrived back at Maplewood Estate.
Sophie walked in, changed into slippers, and immediately went upstairs straight into the study.
Filled with doubt, Alaric followed her in and saw her sitting at the computer, searching for the video backup he had saved.
"Are you sure you want to delete the backup?"
She had already deleted the video from his phone. If she deleted the backup, she would no longer have any leverage over Damian Morgan.
"I’ve already regained control of the Heart of the Ocean project. There’s no point in keeping the video anymore."
"You’re not going to expose Damian Morgan’s true colors anymore?"
"His true colors have nothing to do with me anymore."
Alaric fell silent. He had a nagging feeling that her being locked in the dark room in the attic had something to do with Vianne Kane.
After all, at first, she had been so eager to expose Damian, to make Vianne see his true face. She even thought there was something suspicious about Mr. Kane’s death.
But now, her attitude had changed so quickly.
He leaned over slightly. His large hand covered Sophie’s on the mouse, his index finger gently pressing down on hers. He guided the mouse, pulling up the video backup on the computer.
"If you want to delete it, then delete it."
