Marcus'' gaze swept over Sky and Emma from head to toe. "Are you two running for your lives?"


    "Marcus, move," Sky said.


    His expression darkened. The stab wounds he had suffered from Cindy weren''t fatal, but if he kept losing blood, it would be a serious problem. More importantly, Emma''s injuries needed immediate attention.


    When he was first brought upstairs and saw her condition, his heart clenched in pain.


    Her forehead had been split open, dried blood staining her leg, and her wrists and fingers bore various cuts and bruises.


    Sky didn''t care about his wounds-what hurt him the most was seeing Emma like this.


    "Mr. Sky, this is Sophia''s mansion. Both of you broke in and are covered in blood. Now you want to just walk out? That''s not how this works." Marcus'' tone was icy, his eyes devoid of warmth as he looked at them.


    Suddenly, a shrill scream rang out from inside the vi. "Help! Ms. Sinir has been murdered! Don''t scare me, Ms. Sinir. Wake up!"


    Then, someone frantically called for an ambnce and the police.


    Upstairs, there was a loud crash, and a momentter, a woman''s head appeared from a second-floor window.


    "Stop them! Don''t let them leave! She killed Ms. Sinir!"


    Hearing this, Natalie turned to lock eyes with Marcus. He gave her a slight nod, and without hesitation, she bolted into the vi.


    Then, Elijah and Noah emerged from the shadows, stepping into the light to block Natalie''s path.


    Noah lowered his voice, "Ms. Walker, Ms. Sinir made it clear that she wanted to handle this herself.


    "Ms. Sinir said that you and Mr. Holden have already helped her enough. She cannot drag you both into this. Everything was her decision alone, and you knew nothing about it.


    "She also said that no matter what happens to her, she is deeply grateful to you and Mr. Holden. If she makes it through this, she will dedicate herself to serving you as a way to repay your kindness."


    "Sophia''s upstairs, isn''t she?" Natalie asked.


    A sinking feeling settled in Natalie''s chest. When they arrived, Sophia hadn''t mentioned having others hidden in the shadows.


    "Yes, Ms. Walker. She instructed Elijah and me to stay out of sight. She said not to reveal ourselves unless she allowed it. She wanted to take her revenge personally, to settle her score with Sky and Emma herself." Noah lowered his head as he spoke.


    Sophia shared many things with Elijah and Noah, but she forbade them from informing Natalie and Marcus. She had even threatened them with her life to ensure they wouldn''t interfere.


    "Ms. Sinir said that those who hurt her would not escape their fate. You had given her the hope and courage to fight back. However, she couldn''t risk dragging you and Mr. Holden into this.


    "So, she found someone else to assist her and didn''t let Elijah or me intervene. She also deliberately sent you and Mr. Holden away to retrieve something from Mr. Holt so you wouldn''t be here."


    Noah stared down at his feet. He couldn''t shake the unease in his chest over Sophia''s actions.


    "She said you gave her the dignity and will to keep living. Without you, she would have ended up carrying a monster''s child, dying in some forgotten corner without anyone knowing. Forget about revenge; just surviving would have been an impossible dream.


    "That''s why she refused to let you and Mr. Holden get caught up in this. She was certain that no one who wronged her would escape, and that she would walk away from this unharmed. All she asked was that if she did, you would ept her again."


    Noah''s voice trembled, his eyes reddening. "Ms. Walker, Ms. Sinir told me to ry this to you because she knew you would respect her choices."


    Natalie''s chest tightened with pain. Sophia had thought of everything- of her, Marcus, and even Elijah and Noah. She had chosen to bear this burden alone.


    If something happened to the people she hired, it would have nothing to do with Natalie or Marcus.


    When had Sophia made this decision? She hadn''t shown any sign. She had fooled Natalie and Marcus.


    "How is Ms. Sinir now?" Natalie steadied herself and nced up at the second floor. She was unable to suppress her anxiety and rushed upstairs before Noah could reply.


    "Natalie, you''re back."


    Sophiay on the floor, her face pale. When she saw Natalie, she smiled warmly.


    Her voice was barely above a whisper. "I knew you''de back. Don''t be afraid. I''ll be fine. I''ve finally taken my revenge. Emma won''t have it easy. You don''t need to go to Amberton to find Emma''s biological parents anymore because, this time, I''m sending her away for good.


    "I''ll make sure no one protects her again. She''ll never have another chance to walk free."


    Sophia''s smile widened as she continued, "Natalie, thank you. You were the one who showed me the hope of living. You gave me the courage to face everything. If I hadn''t taken credit for saving Marcus when we were kids, would we have been friends from the start?"


    Natalie felt her eyes heat up, and tears slipped down her cheeks. "Stop talking. Let me treat your wound first. We''re taking you to the hospital right now."


    Sophia refused her help. "No. You need to leave now. While Dr. Tanner was taking care of me, we chatteda lot. She even ran thorough checkups for me I know exactly where my heart is. When Emma stabbed me, I controlled the force. I made sure it wouldn''t be fatal. Don''t worry."


    "Why are you so stubborn?" Natalie choked on her words, unable to hold back her


    emotions. "I told you that I would help you!"


    "I didn''t want to drag you down." Sophia reached out, gently wiping away Natalie''s


    tears.


    ed me once. This


    "You already saved time, I had to save myself. Do you remember what you told me? That only you can be your own salvation. You pulled me out of the mud. Now, I have to clean myself off. I want to stand in front of you with nothing weighing me down. I want to work for you without any baggage, without any regrets."


    Tears slipped from Sophia''s eyes. "So trust me, okay? I was weak for too long. Net myself be hurt for too long. I had to take this step myself. I was wrong to lie to you and Marcus. I''m sorry. However, I would still make the same choice if I could do it over again. You won''t me me, will you?"


    Natalie shook her head forcefully. She had no right to me Sophia. She hadn''t


    done enough for her.


    Sophia chuckled softly and said, "Don''t worry. Shane, Cindy, Emma, and Sky won''t escape this time. None of them will escape."