Sophie stepped out of her apartment, her phone buzzing incessantly with calls from Jenna. There were also calls from Adler and Harold, but most were from Colby. Sophie thought about calling Colby back, but Jenna's call popped up again. "What's wrong?" Sophie asked, picking up.

"Sophie, get to the hospital, quick! Mr. Gordon's had an accident!"

Sophie's heart stopped for a moment. Her instincts kicked in, and she was racing to her car before she even realized it, the call ending abruptly as she sped towards the city hospital. The night wind howled around her, and the lingering scent of her perfume intensified her headache. She took a few wrong turns, traffic lights appearing as blurs in her vision.

But hesitation wasn't an option. She pressed the accelerator harder. Only one thought blazed in her mind: Gordon couldn't be hurt. She had so many questions for him. So many puzzles left unsolved.

She remembered their first meeting clearly, Gordon's polite but distant gaze etched in her memory. Why had he helped her-from getting M Corporation off the ground to giving her the Aldridge family crest? Was it just because she was a useful ally? No. It didn't add up. Gordon had always given more. She had always been the one reaping the benefits.

The more anxious she grew, the more frantic her driving became. Suddenly, a car zoomed by, and as she turned the corner, it was too late to stop-her car plunged straight into the lake by Devonport Bridge.

In that moment, her mind went blank. The icy water rushed in, enveloping her entirely. Sophie struggled to unbuckle her seatbelt, choking on water as panic set in.

Painful memories surged back. She

remembered being tossed into a

filthy ship's hold, salty water

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covering her almost entirely. The faces on board were twisted and cruel, like predators. They'd said she was in a water dungeon. If Emerson didn't yield, they'd throw his daughter to the sharks.

She'd seen those sharp teeth, witnessed their brutality. The sea was freezing, and every day in the dungeon felt like a dance with death.

She didn't know how long she'd been there when, on the day of the exchange, she saw her brother arrive alone. To her, he was always invincible-smart, wise, approachable, and gentle.

But that day, they struck her

brother's leg with iron rods. She

screamed in terror, but he looked at her with warmth, soothing her as he limped forward. Those men used everything they had to humiliate the

Aldridge family's genius.

A whip tore through Gordon's white shirt, his legs were shattered, and the path was filled with thorns. They cheered their victory, recording their cruelty.noveldrama

When the rescue team finally

arrived, her brother was in tatters,

yet even with cold sweat on his brow

and his body battered and muddy

his gentle smile never faded. Ha shielded her, holding her with waning strength, ensuring she was safe with the rescuers before collapsing.

As they carried her away, she cried for the unconscious Gordon, calling out for her brother until her frail body gave out, and she fainted. After that, she never woke up as the same child again.