Sophia rushed to the hospital, where her father, Ashton Dolce, was still in the emergency room undergoing treatment.

She leaned against the cold wall, her hands clenched tightly, head bowed to hide the vulnerability in her eyes.

“Miss, don’t worry too much. The old chairman has always been healthy. This time, he just got worked up, which caused him to collapse. It won’t be anything serious,” Arthur, the Dolce family butler, sighed, trying to comfort her.

The Dolce Group had faced business problems for a while—funding issues and cash flow troubles. They had hoped to turn things around with the land in the northern part of the city, but someone else beat them to it. Now, with a $1.5 billion debt, the group might not survive much longer.

“Arthur…” Sophia lifted her head, her pale lips moving slightly, “Can you tell me about the current situation of the Dolce Group?”

Seeing the redness around her eyes, Arthur gently patted her back before telling her everything about the group’s financial troubles.

“Miss, the Dolce Group can’t be saved. You…” Arthur hesitated, wanting to suggest that she ask Aaron for help, but after seeing all the news, he knew that the relationship between the couple was strained, especially given what happened in the past… Aaron would probably take the opportunity to strike, and the only reason he might not is to spare Sophia some dignity.

“I’ll make plans, Arthur. Please inform the finance department to start asset liquidation. I want an evaluation before making any decisions,” Sophia’s voice was hoarse, filled with deep exhaustion.

“Understood.”

Time passed, and eventually, the emergency room door opened.

Sophia stepped forward, “Doctor, how’s my father?”

“The situation isn’t good. He has acute myocarditis. Although he’s stable for now, he still needs surgery. But we don’t have the specialists here to perform such a complex procedure…”

Seeing the doctor’s hesitation, Sophia cut him off, “Who can do it?”

“Ryan Scott. Dr. Scott.”

“I understand. Thank you, doctor.”

Sophia stood outside the sterile room, looking at Ashton’s pale face. She reached out, her hand hovering against the cold glass, longing to touch his face.

“Dad…” Her voice choked, hoarse and raw, “I’ll save you. I won’t let anything happen to you... You’ve always protected me, but now, Sophia has grown up. I can protect you…”

The man lying in the bed showed no sign of response. Only the sound of the breathing machine and the flickering of the monitors proved he was still alive.

Tears streaked down her cheeks, falling relentlessly.

“Dad, if I sell Dolce Group, will you blame me?”

Arthur, overhearing this, was startled. He looked at her, “Miss…”

“Arthur, I’ll handle the Dolce Group, but before I find Dr. Scott, can you stay with my father?” Sophia turned to look at Arthur, her eyes filled with unshed tears.

Sophia didn’t remember how she left the hospital. She took out her phone and dialed Raelynn's number. “Raelynn, do you know Ryan?”

Raelynn was a reporter, and she had a wider network. Besides her, Sophia didn’t know who else to rely on.

“Ryan? Of course. He’s a world-renowned cardiology genius. What’s up, are you looking for him?” Raelynn’s voice was calm, then she paused, “Is it your heart that’s giving you trouble?”

“No, it’s my dad,” Sophia replied, lifting her gaze.

“What happened to Uncle?”

Sophia briefly explained the situation to Raelynn.

“I’ll find him right away. Sophia, don’t worry. Uncle will be fine.”

Sophia hung up the phone, looking at the sky, and saw the sunset reflected on an LED screen in the distance. The news caught her eye:

[The CEO of Ryker Corp Drops By to See Raina]

The video was blurry, but Sophia immediately recognized the figure—Aaron.

She froze in place, staring until her phone buzzed with a new message. She glanced at it, then, with a small twitch of her lips, turned and walked away.

---

The Imperial Club was known as one of Harborville’s most luxurious places of indulgence.

In a dim corner, two men with exceptional charisma drew attention, but the bodyguards stationed nearby were intimidating enough to keep others at a distance.

Julian Chase casually swirled his wine glass before taking a sip. “Are you really not going to do anything about the Dolces? If you don’t step in, they’ll go bankrupt, and can your Connor let you off the hook?”

Aaron sat across from him, his long legs crossed naturally. His handsome face was softened in the dim light, but his presence still radiated the pressure of someone in control.

His phone suddenly rang.

He glanced at the caller ID, his face showing clear impatience, and took another sip of his wine, letting the phone continue ringing.

“Raina really latched onto you, huh? Does she even know what she’s doing?” Julian scoffed, his tone dripping with disdain. “But Aaron, with you letting Raina stir things up like this, the situation is only getting worse. Doesn’t Sophia have anything to say about it?”

As soon as Julian finished speaking, he felt the atmosphere shift. The air around them grew cold.

The dark, deep gaze of Aaron made it clear he was not pleased.

“She said she wants a divorce.”

Julian’s hand froze around his wine glass. He stared blankly for a moment before speaking again, “Divorce? What’s Sophia up to now? If she had made this decision back then, you and Camila wouldn’t have ended up like this…”

Seeing Aaron’s expression darken, Julian wisely dropped the subject. Instead, he asked casually, “Aaron, would you divorce her?”

Aaron leaned back slightly, frowning as he took a drag from his cigarette, but he didn’t answer.

Meanwhile, at another part of the club, Sophia stood at the steps of a booth.

Ryan sat at the center, holding a wine glass in one hand and a woman in the other.

Raelynn had found out he frequented the club to chase women.

Sure enough, she found him as soon as she entered.

“Dr. Scott, I need to talk to you. Can we speak privately?”

Ryan looked up at the sudden voice. Sophia, as always, was stunningly beautiful, her long black hair cascading to her waist, and her presence was unmatched.

Ryan, tipsy from the alcohol, saw such a beauty approaching and mistook her for another admirer. He stood up clumsily, moving toward her with a grin.

“Well, hello, little beauty. What do you want to talk about? Let’s go upstairs, shall we?”

Sophia furrowed her brow, pushing him back. “Dr. Scott, please have some respect.”

“Respect?” Ryan sneered, tightening his grip on Sophia’s wrist. “You came over to talk to me, didn’t you? I’m sure you want something from me. Don’t worry. If you treat me right, I’ll return the favor.”

The stench of alcohol was overpowering, nauseating.

Sophia suppressed the urge to retch. In the past, she might have slapped him back for his insolence, but not now…

She needed Ryan. She couldn’t afford to act on impulse.