NovelAppSophia was out like a light, not stirring an inch, her sleeping face still the picture of tranquility.
Brandon gently caressed her cheek and planted a kiss on her forehead, careful not to wake her.
Then, he slipped into the living room to give Kent a ring, telling him to remind Daniel and Patricia's bodyguards to keep the
Yearwood family at arm’s length.
Once Aaron got home, he couldn't wait to spill the beans about bumping into Sophia at the amusement park, including the
bombshell that she had a daughter with Brandon.
Laura and Haley were both there to hear the news.
Haley was over the moon.
Laura, on the other hand, was all raised eyebrows.
"No way," she said, still picturing the Sophia who had last been home, looking every bit the fresh-faced young girl, "How could
someone who's popped out a kid still be so skinny? And she was back hfor days on end, dropping by the hospital every day. If
there really was a kid, who was looking after that child?"
"It's true. Don't believe me? Just ask Barbara."
Aaron nodded toward Barbara, who was on her way to put the kids to bed and couldn't care less about the family gossip. She gave
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇta half-hearted nod. "Yeah, there's a little girl."
And with that, she retreated to her room.
Laura was still in a state of shock. "That girl's really sharpened her claws, studying abroad for two years. | knew there was
something fishy about that hasty divorce. Looks like she had an ace up her sleeve."
Turning to Aaron, Laura continued. "I might have misjudged her back then. She wasn't out of her mind when she filed for divorce;
she had her gplan. | always thought the way she lost the first baby was odd. So young and it just vanished into thin air? After
that, her belly stayed quiet for so long. At their age, how could they not have another one? Maybe it was their family doing the
dirty, keeping her from getting pregnant. Did she get wind of that, and when she found out she was expecting, she got cold feet
about her in-laws and bolted, then secretly had the baby before making her grand re-entrance? That way they'd have to
acknowledge the kid, like it or not."
Aaron, pondering Laura's theory, couldn't help but join the speculation. "You might be onto something. Her divorce cout of the
blue. Now, the kid's age lines up perfectly. Plus, she and Brandon seem chummier than before. Guess hitting the books does
sharpen the mind."
Haley, listening on the sidelines, couldn't bite her tongue any longer. "Con, you're spinning a whole soap opera. She probably
just found out she was pregnant after deciding to study abroad and decided to have the baby along the way. But having a baby is a
big deal; how could she not give us a heads up? She must have been through so much."
Haley's voice trailed off, choked with emotion.
Laura rolled her eyes. "Please, she couldn't care less about this family, so why would she tell you? | said it from the get-go when we
took her in - we couldn't afford to, and now look, all those years raising a thankless wolf. She's out there living it up, not giving a
second thought to this place."
The more Laura stewed over past grievances, the angrier she got.
Haley kept mum, wanting to call Sophia for the scoop but felt too guilty over the last incident - Sophia couldn't even step foot in
their house after bringing him back from a car accident. He waffled for days before finally mustering the courage to give Sophia a
tentative call.
Sophia was still at the office when Haley's call cthrough. She let the phone ring for a moment before answering.
"Sophia, it's dad," Haley's voice sounded frail and aged on the other end.
After his accident, Sophia had occasionally checked in on him, sent smoney for supplements, and hired a caregiver. But as he
was housebound, recovering, and couldn't avoid Laura, who was bitter about Sophia asking for the apartment money to be
returned to Brandon, the calls becan ordeal. Sophia, not wanting to put Haley in the middle, gradually stopped calling and
only texted now and then to ask about his health, though she still sent money now and again.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmHaley was a man of few words, usually just replying, "Much better," and the conversation would end there.
"Dad," Sophia greeted him softly. Her feelings toward Haley were mixed; on one hand, he was the only one who truly treated her
like family, but his weakness in the face of Laura had caused her much pain.
Sometimes she felt it would be easier if Haley outright rejected her like Laura did.
"I heard from your brother that he ran into you at the amusement park. You're back in the country?" Haley's voice held a hint of
hesitation.
Sophia nodded slightly. "Yeah, cback for work."
"And," Haley paused, uncertain, "what's the deal with the kid?"
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