Chapter 3 Her Sister Is Everything to Her

Fortunately, Theodore managed to bring in doctors from elsewhere in time, and Rosalie's life was saved. Sophia stood behind the thick glass, staring at her sister lying motionless on the hospital bed, her body wrapped in bandages and tangled in tubes. She lifted a hand to her face, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed. She knew they were running out of time. … Rosalie recovered faster than expected and was moved to the regular floor the next day. What Sophia didn't expect was Evelyn showing up with her son while she was away. She'd just left the doctor's office when her phone rang. "Are you Rosalie Chance's family? Her condition just took a turn. You need to sign the critical condition notice immediately." Sophia's heart lurched, and her breathing stalled for a moment. Rosalie had been perfectly stable when she left. It had only been a few hours. She couldn't understand how things had escalated this quickly. Sophia didn't stop running until she reached the surgical wing. When she arrived outside the operating room, she froze. Evelyn was leaning against Ian's chest, crying softly. Before Sophia could say a word, Ian moved instinctively, pulling Evelyn behind him as if Sophia were a threat. His expression was cold when he spoke. "What happened to Rosalie was an accident. She's always been arrogant and overbearing. Consider this a lesson." A sharp smack sounded before the words had fully settled. Sophia had poured everything she had left into that single slap. "A lesson?" she shouted. "You call this a lesson when she's on the brink of death?" The slap landed hard on Ian's cheek, the mark blooming across his face almost instantly. For a split second, surprise flashed through his eyes before his expression hardened again. Sophia raised her hand, ready to strike him a second time. At that moment, Evelyn rushed forward and stood in front of Ian. She looked at Sophia with an expression that was stubborn and innocent at the same time, and her entire body was trembling as she spoke. "Mrs. Sheffield, this is my fault. I wanted to bring Ollie by to thank you. He was being naughty and accidentally pulled out Ms. Chance's IV. She panicked and tried to choke him. I was scared, so I pushed her by accident." Her voice cracked as she spoke, and she forced herself to look calm. "This has nothing to do with Ian. I failed to watch over Ollie, and if you're angry, you can take it out on me. Please don't blame him." She looked fragile and sincere on the surface, but there was a flicker of satisfaction and provocation in her eyes that only Sophia noticed. Evelyn had forgotten one thing. Ian might like her, but Sophia never did. Moreover, the daughters of the Chance family were no pushovers. "Fine. If you're so determined to protect him, then I'll do exactly what you asked." Sophia didn't hesitate and swung her hand again. The slap landed hard across Evelyn's face, and the shock froze her in place as her cheek immediately began to swell. Sophia lifted her hand once more, but Ian grabbed her wrist and stopped her. "Sophia, that's enough! How many times do I have to say this? Your sister has always thrown her weight around, and now you're doing the same. When did you become so unreasonable that you can't even tolerate a widow and her child?" His dark, narrow eyes stayed fixed on her as his brow slowly drew together. His gaze shifted in an instant, turning cold and dangerous. The pressure radiating from him felt oppressive and sinister, cutting through her like ice sinking straight into her bones. Sophia raised her head, her gaze locking onto him, as her heart splintered. Unreasonable? Once, after she'd lost her parents and was being pushed around by relatives, it had been Ian who held her pale, numb face in his hands and reassured her, "Sophia, you still have me. With me, you never have to hold back or worry. You can live like a princess who's protected and cherished. "You have to learn how to fight back, and you have to learn how to let yourself break." He was the one who had taught her all of that, yet now he was standing here, condemning her for another woman. He was even willing to let Rosalie lose her life over it, despite knowing better than anyone that Rosalie was her sister and the only family she had left. "Who is Rosalie Chance's next of kin?" the doctor asked. "Her condition has been stabilized, but there's a strong possibility that she may never wake up." The words snapped Sophia back to reality, and they hit her like a bolt of lightning. Grief surged up all at once, leaving her face drained of color as her legs gave way beneath her, and she collapsed to the ground. She stared blankly ahead, hollow and unresponsive, as Rosalie was wheeled out with her eyes closed.