From afar at the hospital entrance, Jonathan spotted Sophie hurrying over with a backpack slung over her shoulder. He was just about to raise his hand in greeting when, to his surprise, his family's business van appeared on the road behind her. Realizing the vehicle was heading toward the hospital parking lot, he positioned himself at the entrance, signaled the driver to stop, opened the door, and—pushing aside his wife Victoria, who was trying to get out—slid into the van himself. He then instructed the driver to leave the hospital and head toward the Harrington & Co. International office building.
"I was already at the hospital—why wouldn't you let me get out? Are you hiding some shameful secret from me?" Victoria accused loudly.
The partition between the front and rear compartments slowly rose, physically isolating the driver's cabin. After activating it, Jonathan said calmly, "What are you losing your mind over now? Why did you suddenly come to the hospital?"
"I saw everything, and you still won't admit it?" Victoria pressed aggressively.
"Saw what? What could I possibly have that's so shady? We're both getting on in years—what could I be hiding from you at this point?" Jonathan maintained a composed tone as best he could.
Victoria stared into her husband's eyes and said venomously, "Refusing to let me investigate at the hospital—that's the real problem. That girl you were pulling along so intimately—what did you bring her to the hospital for? And you even had the household servant come here to take care of her every day. Go ahead, explain it to me reasonably."
"What girl? There's no such thing. What on earth is going through your head? For all these years, you've been the only woman in my life—you know that better than anyone. I'm pushing sixty now; do you really think some young girl would be interested in an old man like me?" Jonathan responded matter-of-factly.
"Hmph, it'd better not be what I'm thinking!" Victoria pondered it carefully and realized the likelihood was slim. Her tone softened involuntarily. "Then why do you come to the hospital every day—and a public one at that? And you have the household servant coming here daily to care for someone. Who is it exactly? Can't you let me know?"
"Sigh, look at you being so paranoid. It was that girl's mother who fainted. The girl is young and didn't know what to do. The street was full of rushing cars—dangerous, and no one was willing to help. The driver and I happened to be nearby and saw it, so we lent a hand." Jonathan downplayed it: "Who knew the girl turned out to be Ned's assistant? She recognized me as the group chairman. I couldn't just stand by and let someone die, could I? So I helped her out a bit more—that's all there is to it."
"Hmph, I bet you've taken a fancy to that girl. You've helped her way too much," Victoria said sourly. In her heart, she still wanted to make a surprise inspection. This man had a history; she absolutely could not be deceived by his sweet talk. What she saw with her own eyes was the truth.
In the hospital, Sarah gently stroked her daughter's soft hair and said softly, "We met twenty years ago and had a very good relationship—. But after I had you, I moved to Manchester and never returned to New York, so our contact was cut off." Her eyes were filled with memories. "Uncle Jonathan was born into nobility, the heir to the family fortune. There are many things he can't control. Our family doesn't belong in the same world as his—we have to stay far away, daughter. Otherwise, you'll get hurt."
Sophie buried her head in her mother's warm embrace and nodded obediently.
"And you don't have to hide it from me anymore. I've already asked the attending doctor about the brain cancer—he told me everything," Sarah said calmly, as if the person with the malignant tumor wasn't her, as if they were discussing someone else's illness. "You and Jonathan went to such lengths to arrange for me to stay in the hospital and even hired a professional maid to take care of my daily needs and meals instead of a regular nurse—how could I not be suspicious?"
"Mom, I'm scared. Please don't leave me." Tears began to well up in Sophie's eyes as she sat up. "If you don't have the surgery, the doctor gave you an ultimatum of only nine months. Mom, don't leave me. Waaah—" The emotions she had been suppressing for days finally burst forth; she threw herself onto her mother's palm and sobbed uncontrollably.
"I don't want to leave you either, but I can't stay in this private room any longer," Sarah explained patiently. "Jonathan's wife is an extremely sensitive and domineering woman. She won't allow any other woman near her husband. We need to switch hospitals as soon as possible."
"Oh, that explains it! Uncle Jonathan suddenly drove off in the business van just now—was his wife coming to the hospital?" Sophie suddenly realized.
Sarah nodded. "So hurry and handle the transfer procedures. I'll listen to you and cooperate with the treatment, but it absolutely cannot be this hospital—we must not let Jonathan's wife know I'm here."
The transfer was processed quickly. By the afternoon of the next day, Sarah had been moved to Ward C of University College Hospital in London—a three-bed room that was reasonably spacious. As soon as they arrived, Sarah was exhausted and fell asleep. Sophie went to the nurses' station and hired a professional caregiver, asking her to devote extra attention to her mother. Then, forcing herself to stay composed, she headed to work at C&C.
Meanwhile, Victoria—her mind heavy with suspicion—also arrived at the hospital. She first approached the nurses' station and asked which room her husband had been visiting daily. The nurse, caught off guard, gave her the room number but immediately added that the patient had just been transferred. Victoria was stunned. She transfers the moment I show up? She pressed the nurse again for the patient's name and the hospital they had been moved to.
"I'm sorry, ma'am. This is the patient's private information. Hospital policy prohibits us from disclosing it to others. If you have any questions, please ask your husband. We are not authorized to provide that information," the nurse replied, now aware of the woman's intentions, giving her a strictly official response.
Unable to extract any further details, Victoria left in frustration and had the driver take her to her husband's office.
"Why are you here?" Jonathan asked, startled to see his wife.
He was already in a low mood, slumped in his chair, brooding as he replayed his earlier conversation with Sarah over and over.
"I've transferred to University College Hospital. Your wife has probably already guessed you're taking care of me at the hospital. I can't let what happened back then repeat itself."
"Then I'll have Angela go there to look after you?"
"Absolutely not. I transferred precisely to stay away from you—so my daughter won't get hurt. Don't do anything more for me."
"But what about your illness?"
"There's nothing to worry about. Sophie will take good care of me."
...