Upon seeing the stack of documents, Adler's jaw practically hit the floor. He pointed at the pile, struggling to get the words out, "W-what is all this?"

"These are from Ms. Sophie," Tricia explained with a polite nod. "She figured you and Ms. Jenna might get bored, so she thought you could take on today's workload."

Adler couldn't help but grind his teeth. "Sophie is just as cheeky as Colby! They're like two peas in a pod, those two!"

If they had known, they would have dodged the whole scene and avoided this paperwork mountain.noveldrama

"Oh, come on, it's not so bad. Sophie's finally getting a well-deserved break, spending some quality time with Colby's folks. Isn't that sweet?" Jenna smiled, trying to ease Adler's annoyance.

Adler sighed, reminded of the trouble his father had stirred with other families. He nodded, albeit reluctantly. "Once I plow through this paperwork, I'm handing the company over to Sophie and Colby. Then I'll throw you a wedding that'll be just as grand as Colby's!"

"I like most of what you're saying, but... trying to outdo Colby and Sophie's extravagant wedding might be a bit of a stretch," Jenna chuckled, scratching her head.

"What? You doubt your man?"

"It's not that," Jenna admitted with a sheepish grin. "Their wedding was... on another level."

"Who cares! I've got plenty of cash!" Adler boasted, though a flicker of doubt crossed his face.

That wedding had been over-the-top, even streamed worldwide.

Adler cleared his throat awkwardly, dropping his voice to a whisper, "How much did it set them back?"

Jenna leaned in, whispering the figure in his ear.

Adler's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "How much?!"

Later that afternoon, Harold drove with Sophie and Colby to the cemetery. The last time they were there was for Gordon's funeral, and it had been such a rush they hadn't had a chance to visit their parents' resting place next door.

Sophie walked up to her parents' gravestone, where someone faithfully tended to it each year. She gently laid a bouquet of white flowers.

"Mom, Dad, I've avenged you. From now on, your daughter will live well. Colby loves me dearly, and we're really happy," Sophie shared with a heartfelt smile.

She looked down, speaking softly,

"Harold has looked after me... His health wasn't the best, and I hope he's managing okay now. Mom, Dad, if you see Harold, could you keep an eye on him for me?"

Sometimes, Sophie wished life could be as perfect as a dream. If only the Tredgold family hadn't betrayed them all those years ago, there'd be no Silent Shadows, and without them, the kidnapping wouldn't have happened.

While her memories of that dream were fuzzy, she remembered that feeling of bliss.

After everything she'd been through, she realized how precious life truly is.

The world doesn't hand out second chances often. She felt unbelievably lucky to have a loving husband, trustworthy friends, and the best brother anyone could ask for. "What's taking so long?" Colby and Harold were back.

Sophie stood by the gravestone, smiling at Colby. "It's been ages since I visited Mom and Dad, so I stayed and chatted a bit longer."