Chapter 50

Charles stood frozen, like the life had just been sucked out of him. His mind went blank. "No, no way... Sophie can't be gone..." His lips trembled as he mumbled to himself. In his world, Sophie had only flown abroad for treatment. He'd been holding on to the hope that one day she'd come back healthy and safe. But now Stella's words hit him like a knife straight to the heart. Sophie's... dead? That sweet little girl who used to call him "Daddy" with that cute smile—how could she just disappear like that? She was just here, alive and well. And now Stella's blaming him for her death... In the backseat, Jason did a quick check on Stella and said she'd had a breakdown from emotional trauma. The meds they gave her had calmed her down for now, and she was fast asleep. Charles had silently followed into the car, sitting down beside her, eyes glued to her face. "Jason... she's lying, right? Tell me it's not true." His voice was hoarse, almost begging. Jason avoided his gaze and after a pause,