Matthew and Anthony exchanged confused looks upon hearing this. ''What would Sophie want with Father''s ledger?'' they wondered.
But Benedict''s reaction was entirely different. The moment he heard those words, his heart sank.
He thought, ''So it really involves Dn and Eliza. It must have been Dn who told Eliza about the ledger. With Dn already out of Hasen City, the only one who could have pushed Sophie to steal the edger is Eliza''
Though Benedict couldn''t figure out how Eliza managed it, one thing was certain. Gabriel wouldn''t stop until the ledger was found.
Benedict furrowed his brows and lowered his gaze, his mind racing.
Suddenly, an idea struck him. Without showing any emotion, he nced toward the doorway and silently mouthed amand.
Outside, Manson, who had been standing guard, immediately caught the signal from his master. Without a sound, Manson quietly withdrew.
"Father, please understand, I have my reasons. I truly cannot hand it over-" Sophie said.
Smack. Before Sophie could finish, Gabriel''s handshed out, the sharp crack of the p echoing through the room. "I don''t care what your excuse is; you''re handing over that ledger today, or you''re not leaving this room."
"Father, even if you kill me, I''ll never give it to you." Sophie''s tears streamed down her face, her eyes swollen and red from
crying.
This time, there was no pretense. Her pain, her fear, and her despair were all painfully real.
“Not handing it over? Why? What''s stopping you? You say you have your reasons? What are they?" Gabriel asked.
But Sophie couldn''t say a word. Every time she tried to speak, her mouth mped shut as if bound by an invisible force. All she could do was lower her head and sob helplessly.
Even writing wasn''t an option; her right hand was crippled, with fingers she had broken herself, and her left shoulder was severely injured from Gabriel''s earlier whip strike. She couldn''t even lift her arm, let alone write.
Gabriel, still consumed by rage, failed to notice her physical condition. Her silence only fueled his anger further. “Not talking, huh? Trying to deceive me, are you? Fine. From this moment on, I am no longer your father."
With a furious swing, Gabriel hurled the whip in his hand at Sophie''s head, then stormed off, his robes billowing behind him. "Men, search the ce."
Sophie was still within the estate, which meant the ledger had to be here somewhere. Gabriel was sure it could be found. Shadow guards and household guards swarmed into Sophie''s courtyard, turning it upside down in their search. But to their surprise, after searching Sophie''s courtyard thoroughly from top to bottom, they still couldn''t find the ledger.
Matthew hesitated for a long moment, ncing at Sophie, who was sobbing on the floor. Unable to hold back, he finally spoke up. "Father, if they couldn''t find it, could this all be a misunderstanding?"
Gabriel''s head whipped around, his re sharp enough to cut through steel. Matthew flinched, his heart pounding as he instinctively stepped back.
But Gabriel''s gaze didn''t waver; it was fixed squarely on Matthew and Anthony.
Whatever he was thinking, Gabriel''s expression shifted. He cast a brief nce at Sophie, who was still on the ground, then sneered coldly. "Search Matthew''s and Anthony''s courtyards. Leave no corner unchecked."
"Got it," came the firm reply.
The moment the order was given, Sophie''s face showed a flicker of panic.
She wondered, ''Wait? How did Father figure it out? No, he didn''t figure it out. He''s guessing. He''s guessing that I didn''t hide the ledger in my own courtyard but stashed it in someone else''s instead.
''That''s why he''s sending people to search Matthew and Anthony''s ces. Damn
it, what do I do now? They can''t find it, right? They won''t find it. I hid the ledger so well; there''s no way they''ll uncover it.''
"Lord Mowbay, the ledger has been found," some
Sessfully unlocked!
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