Sophia frowned as she glanced up at Aaron, startled by the coldness in his eyes. She didn’t want to argue with him in the hospital and scare Eleanor. She quickly bid Eleanor farewell, "Aunt, Arthur will send you back to the Dolce's house to rest. Dad will be fine, the nurses are taking care of him."

Eleanor nodded, "Alright, I know. Don’t worry about me."

As they walked away, Eleanor turned to Arthur, her voice full of concern. "Arthur, something’s different about Sophia. She’s not like she used to be. Is that boy from the Rykers family treating her badly?"

Arthur sighed, his hands trembling slightly. "She has changed," he admitted, though he didn’t go into further detail.

"I remember when she called me about marrying that Rykers boy, her voice was full of love, she couldn’t even hide it. But now, it feels like they’re more like enemies than a married couple," Eleanor mused, puzzled.

Arthur sighed again, this time reluctantly telling her what had happened.

"No way," Eleanor said, shaking her head in disbelief. "Sophia is a good girl. She wouldn’t do something like that. So everyone’s blaming her for all of this?"

Arthur didn’t reply, his thoughts turning to the tragic events that had led to the current situation.

Eleanor paused for a moment, deep in thought. "Arthur, arrange for me to meet with Wynne. It’s time to have a conversation."

"Miss Grant, you mean…?" Arthur’s voice trailed off as he looked at her, confused.

"She is the Dolce's daughter. The Dolce Group is in trouble. She can’t just sit idly by. Unless…" Eleanor left the sentence unfinished.

Arthur, still unsure, nodded and agreed to arrange the meeting.

---

Meanwhile, Sophia found herself being pulled along by Aaron, his pace brisk and relentless. She struggled to keep up, feeling herself pushed into the passenger seat of the car with an awkward stumble. Only when the door was locked did he finally release her.

Aaron lit a cigarette, his expression unreadable. He didn’t start the car or say anything, filling the air with a thick, uncomfortable silence. The small, confined space made Sophia uneasy. She glanced at him, wondering what had gotten him so upset, but she couldn’t figure out why.

After a long pause, Aaron snuffed out the cigarette and spoke coldly, "Tell Elliot the doctor’s already been found, no need for him to worry."

Sophia furrowed her brow, taking a moment to process his words. "It’s already taken care of, Aunt has arranged everything, there’s no need to change it."

Aaron’s anger, which he had been suppressing, suddenly erupted. He turned to Sophia, gripping her long black hair and forcing her to face him. His voice was icy, his words dripping with malice, "Sophia, are you angry with me?"

Sophia winced from the pain, biting her lip, but her eyes remained defiant. "How could I be?" she replied, her voice unwavering despite the pain.

Aaron’s grip tightened, and she winced, her head throbbing. "Is this because I don’t want to accept your favor?" she asked, her voice trembling but firm. "Is that really what’s bothering you?"

Aaron sneered, his voice low and dangerous. "So, you’re happy to accept Elliot’s favor instead?"

Sophia’s face flushed with the pressure he was applying, her frown deepening.

Aaron’s tone grew colder, sharper, like a blade. "Answer me!" His voice left no room for hesitation.

Sophia laughed softly, despite the situation. "Yes. As long as it’s not your favor, I’m happy."

Aaron was furious. His grip on her tightened, and his laugh was dark, full of spite. "You think I won’t stop Harry from operating on your father if I don’t allow it?" he threatened, his eyes glinting with malice.

Sophia’s body stiffened, a chill running down her spine. His words hit her like a punch to the gut. Was he really threatening her? He was willing to risk her father’s life just to punish her for refusing his favor?

She could hardly believe it. Was this how far he was willing to go? How cruel could he be?

At that moment, Aaron’s phone rang—it was a call from home.

He answered, and the butler’s voice came through the line. “Sir, you need to come back immediately. That celebrity showed up, demanding an explanation. Sir Ryker is furious about it!”

“I’m on my way.”

Aaron hung up and pressed down on the gas, heading straight home.

Sophia chuckled softly, turning her head to gaze out at the night. The chill in the air seemed to seep into her bones.

By the time they both arrived at the family estate, they saw someone already seated in the living room—Sophia’s aunt, Camila’s mother, Wynne Hult.

Aaron’s expression softened noticeably as he looked at Wynne, the usual edge in his demeanor fading. He greeted her in a warm tone. “aunt, what brings you here?”

“I had plans to go shopping with your mother. She insisted I come over to try on her new dress. I didn’t expect to run into 'that' woman showing up here,” Wynne said awkwardly, raising an eyebrow. “Your grandfather and your mother have been arguing upstairs because of it.”

Suddenly, a furious shout echoed from the study, followed by the sound of something shattering.

“aunt, I’ll go upstairs and try to calm Grandpa. Please, make yourself comfortable,” Sophia said, offering a polite nod to Wynne before hurrying up the stairs.

No one knew how much time had passed before the noise from upstairs finally quieted.

Sophia emerged, carefully supporting the elder Mr. Ryker as they descended the stairs, with Elara following closely behind.

The old man’s face was still tense with displeasure, but the storm had eased somewhat, and his expression had softened.

Wynne immediately stood up and walked over, gently taking Elara's arm. "Elara, are you okay?" she asked with concern.

Elara patted her hand reassuringly. "I’m fine. Come, let me show you the new dress I had made. We’ll wear them to the next charity gala together."

"Sounds great," Wynne replied with a smile. After exchanging a few pleasantries with Connor, she followed Elara toward the small building.

In the main hall, only Connor and the Rykers remained. Connor sat at the head of the table, with Sophia beside him. She gracefully picked up the tea prepared by the servant and respectfully offered it to the elder Mr. Ryker. "Grandfather, tea," she said softly.

"Good girl," Connor replied, taking the cup and sipping it to calm his anger. Only then did he turn his attention to Aaron. "I don’t care whether you and that actress are sincere or playing a game. I’ve already handled the situation. If anything like this happens again and it reaches me, Aaron, don’t blame me for using the family rules to deal with you!"

Aaron lowered his head, remaining silent.

"Sophia, don’t worry. I am here with you. No one will dare to bully you!" Connor patted Sophia's shoulder reassuringly. Before she could respond, he sighed deeply and continued, "I know, my dear, that this brat has hurt your heart, but what marriage doesn’t have its ups and downs? For my sake, don’t hold it against him, alright?"