As Natalie spoke, tears fell from her eyes. "Marcus, Sophia shouldn''t have been vited by Shane. She is heiress of the Sinir family, Sky''s fiancée, and even your savior. But why did she have to go through something like this?"
Her voice choked with emotion. She wasn''t someone who easily showed her feelings, but after seeing the photos Shane had taken, along with the blood- stained bedsheet and itsbeled evidence, she couldn''t hold back.
As a woman, she despised nothing more than such brutality against another
woman.
"I''m sorry. It''s my fault." Marcus stayed by her side, gazing at the items in her hands.
Hearing what Natalie said about the past, he finally understood why she had never corrected him when he mentioned that Sophia was his childhood savior.
Because she had once seen Tyler as her salvation, and to Sophia, he had been the same her sympathy for Sophia was sympathy for the young woman she had once been.
But at some point, something changed. Natalie became the internationally
renowned surgeon Elim, and Grace used her shares in the Langley Group to keep her bound, preventing her from leaving.
Marcus still hadn''t uncovered how Natalie became the famous Elim. Whenever he approached the truth, some mysterious force intervened, leaving him empty- handed.
"When I was younger, I suggested that Sophia move to the convent where her mother lived." Marcus'' deep voice was hoarse. "But I was just an outsider. Sophia''s fiancé was Sky, the heir of the Walker family.
"My grandfather warned me even if Sophia was my savior, I couldn''t get too close to her. She had a fiancé; if anything happened, she would turn to him first. The second was her family, and only after that should shee to me.
"I argued with him. Sophia was neglected in the Sinir family, and Sky only had eyes for Emma. He never truly saw Sophia as his fiancée. But he said that whatever happened between Sky and Sophia was their business. I was an outsider. Even if I was her best friend, I couldn''t interfere too much.
"My identity was Emma''s fiancé. Sophia''s identity meant that one day, she would be my sister-inw. My grandfather told me to maintain my distance and boundaries and avoid rumors that could damage Holden Group, the Walker family, or the Sinir family.
"I met with Sky a few times in private, but he asked me if I liked Sophia and was trying to steal his fiancée. He even warned me to remember my ce. I was Emma''s fiancé, yet I worried about my future sister-inw. He called it improper."
"Hah!" Marcus let out a mockingugh. "Sorry, it''s my fault. Natalie, if you need someone to me, me me."
He took Natalie''s hand. "After learning that you were my savior, I never considered taking revenge on Sophia. When I said those things before, it was only because I didn''t want you to push me away... I wanted to repay you."
"I''m sorry, Marcus. I didn''t mean to me you." Natalie wiped her tears. "I''m just heartbroken. It wasn''t you who hurt Sophia. On the contrary, you''ve been protecting her all these years. If it weren''t for you, she might not have even survived to adulthood.
"Sophia is recovering well now."
"She needs psychological counseling."
They spoke simultaneously, but their thoughts were clearly not aligned.
Natalie paused before saying, "She may look fine, but inside, she''s not okay at all."
"I know."
"I''m sorry. It''s my fault. I really didn''t know she was being threatened in the Walker family or that she went through such horrors."
Marcus med himself. If he hadn''t listened to Charles, ignored the marriage arrangements between the Sinir family and Walker family, ignored Sky''s usations, and insisted on sending Sophia to live with her mother, would everything have been different?
"What''s done is done. Regret won''t change anything." Natalie took a deep breath. "Marcus, we need to act fast. We can''t let Shane keep anything.
"By the way, the person behind Shane is Emma. She attempted suicide at the enforcement office, and Sky got her out. Now she''s staying at Sophia''s mansion in the southern suburbs."
A cold glint shed in Natalie''s eyes. "I called you here because I need you to use your years of protecting Sophia and your identity as her so-called savior to take her to the vi and drive Emma out.
"Also, I need you to get a strand of Emma''s hair and bring it to me.
"Marcus, since you feel guilty about Sophia, help her again. Please. If I go, I might kill Emma myself."
Natalie found another box. When she opened it, the sight inside reignited her fury.
With a sharp snap, she mmed the lid shut. "I''m going to visit Sophia."
Otherwise, she might lose control.
"What''s inside? Let me see."
"Are you sure?"
Her eyes were bloodshot with rage. Marcus nodded. "Give it to me."
She handed him the box and continued searching the room.
He lifted the lid. Inside were various pills and powders. He had been drugged before, and seeing Natalie''s reaction, he immediately knew what these substances were for.
"Marcus, there are photos in the album-pictures of Shane forcefully feeding Sophia drugs."
Natalie''s voice was hoarse. "Sophia said that while Shane was assaulting her, he was on the phone with Emma."
"I understand."
Marcus shut the lid with a heavy snap. What Sophia had told them was only the tip of the iceberg-she had suffered far more than she let on at the hands of Shane and Emma.
"For Sophia''s sake, we must talk to
her first. She''s already suffered enough. We can''t push her any further." Natalie tried to suppress her anger. "How dare Sky let Emma stay in-Sophia''s vi?"
"Nat." Marcus stepped forward and took her wrist. "I''m sorry. It''s my fault."
"This has nothing to do with you. You weren''t the one who hurt Sophia."
"But Emma''s hatred for her grew because I kept protecting her." His voice was raspy. "Should we check the basement first?"
Natalie had just said she would head to the basement once she found what she wanted.
There were a lot of things Sophia didn''t say, but that bastard Shane knew them
all.