Chapter 275 He Was the Only One in the Dark
Emma was still very weak when she woke up and cried for a while until her mom managed to calm her down.
Her little face was pale, devoid of the usual vitality and life, which pained Sophia as she gently stroked her cheek.
When a child hurts, a mother's heart aches.
Gabriel walked in, tall and imposing. Even though he had rested all night after donating blood to Emma, he had yet to fully recover.
His handsome face remained pale, but it did not diminish his formidable presence in the slightest.
Sophia could feel a heavy sense of oppression as soon as he entered the room.
Emma blinked, looking at Gabriel.
Why was the mean daddy here? Oh no, she wasn't wearing a mask, and the mean daddy had seen her real face.
Why didn't Mommy react at all? And why wasn't Ethan hiding?
Confusion flickered in Emma's large eyes; they were still red from crying, making her look both pitiful and adorable.
"Does it still hurt?" Gabriel approached the other side of the hospital bed, closely looking at Emma.
This was his little girl. He had been so close to her and yet... he had no clue she was his daughter! Thinking about this, Gabriel's gaze over Sophia grew colder.
Emma replied, "It stops hurting after mommy kisses it better." It still hurt, but she didn't want to worry her mother.
Gabriel reached out, gently touching his daughter's soft, fuzzy hair, feeling an indescribable tenderness.
"Do you want Daddy to kiss it better?" he asked, tenderly.
Emma's eyes widened.
Does it mean Daddy discovered their secret? Her heart beat a bit faster. Should she call him Daddy?
Suddenly, the room fell silent.
Emma stared at Gabriel, whose every facial feature seemed to be softened by a halo of gentleness.
The nurse came in to give Emma an injection.
Fearfully, Emma snuggled into her mother's embrace.
Seeing the nurse inserting the needle into Emma's delicate hand, made Gabriel feel a surge of protectiveness.
"Be gentle!" he demanded.
The nurse jittered, almost missing the mark, but thankfully, her well-practiced technique prevailed, and the needle went steadily into Emma's vein.
"It doesn't hurt much. Emma is so brave," Sophia cooed, kissing Emma’s forehead.
Emma stayed still and obedient.
After ten minutes, Emma fell asleep. Ethan insisted on staying in the hospital room with Emma while Sophia and Gabriel stepped outside.
Sophia appreciatively said, "Gabriel, thank you for saving Emma."
‘Thankful?’ Gabriel suddenly halted his steps, and Sophia nearly collided with his back. He turned around, his gaze sharp as a hawk's, fixing on Sophia as if she were prey.
"Sophia! If it weren't for this crisis, were you planning on never telling me that our kids were still alive?!"
His rage had reached its peak, making him dizzy and shaky. Gabriel stood firm, his hands trembling. He was the father of those children, yet he had been oblivious to the fact that they were still breathing, alive and well.
This revelation angered him even more than discovering Sophia had faked her death.
Sophia didn't flinch under his fierce gaze; in fact, she answered him frankly, "Yes."
If it hadn't been for this crisis, she would have fought Gabriel for custody of Sam, then taken all three kids far away, never letting Gabriel know of Ethan and Emma's existence. Meanwhile, Gabriel could've been married to Tiffany or even had children with another woman.
"Sophia!" he called out her name deliberately, pushing her back against the wall step by step.
Sophia swallowed hard, bracing for the punch she assumed was coming next. Her body tensed, defenses up. Gabriel suddenly raised his hand, his fist grazing her cheek and hitting the wall instead.
"What do you think you're doing?" An authoritative voice cut through the tension. "Let go of Sophia!"
Betty, pushing Mrs. Lancaster in her wheelchair, arrived with Sam in tow. They had witnessed Gabriel's punch landing on the wall, and in that moment, Sam's heart had clenched, thinking his dad was going to hit his mom.
Mrs. Lancaster hurriedly wheeled herself forward.
"Gabriel, what are you thinking of doing to Sophia? Huh? You jerk, if you hadn't dragged Tiffany and her crimes into this, would the kids have faced this danger?"
"If you hadn't asked for a divorce in the first place, would Sophia have gone through such a desperate labor?"
"If it weren't for you, would the three kids have had to wait so long to get to know each other?"
Madam's trio of rhetorical questions left Gabriel dumbfounded.
"Sophia, come here, behind Grandma," Madam commanded with authority.
Sophia felt a warmth in her heart, obediently walking behind Madam and taking Sam's hand.
"Grandma…" Gabriel was holding back a wave of frustration.
Madam said, "It was me who told Sophia to hide it from you, blame me if you must."
"Grandma!" Gabriel yelled in frustration.
Looking at the situation Grandma had known about Ethan and Emma's existence in the Lancaster family lineage... Did Sam know too?
Was he the only one who had been left in the dark?!
Gabriel's frustration grew, making his head spin even more.
Madam had been worried sick the previous night, almost going without sleep. As the security system in the old mansion activated, she knew they were in danger, but she kept a calm façade until Sam fell asleep. Then she quietly briefed Betty on the situation.
When they arrived at the hospital, they spotted Gabriel questioning Sophia.
Mrs. Lancaster was acutely aware that Gabriel had figured out that Ethan and Emma were his children.
Without another word to Gabriel, Mrs. Lancaster signaled Betty to wheel her into the hospital room.
Gabriel staggered, looking like he was about to faint, and Alex hastily supported him.
"Boss, you need to rest," Alex insisted.
Losing that much blood the night before would take a toll on anyone.
"When you leave, take Ethan with you," Gabriel ordered.
"Yes, sir,” Alex obliged.
Gabriel added, "And look into Sophia's life in the States some more."
He ordered Alex to investigate Sophia's life when he first met her in the States, back then, he found no sign of the twins. He had almost accepted the likelihood they were dead, which is why he so readily believed Emma to be Sophia's goddaughter.
Now lying in bed, Gabriel wasn't sleeping. Instead, he was painstakingly going over the recent events.
To his astonishment, it dawned on him that Ethan and Emma might have always known he was their dad. But they refused to acknowledge him!
Dammit, had Sophia been badmouthing him, tarnishing his image to the children? Why else would they reject him?
Even worse, they seemed to be in cahoots with Sophia to keep the secret.
No wonder Emma always wore a mask around him, stubbornly refusing to take it off.
No wonder she seemed to dislike him during his live streams.
So many red flags he'd overlooked from the start, blinding him to the truth again and again.
The thought of his children hating him furrowed Gabriel's brow, the first hint of sorrow in his usually impassive demeanor.
Stark Arya looked at her son in amazement.
"Gabriel, the Novarisian tycoon, is Sophia's ex-husband?" she said, astonished.
Colin nodded, and said, "Yep, they must have had a falling out and divorced. Sophia even went through a bout of depression."
Stark Arya's imagination kicked into gear. "That Gabriel must be a real piece of work. Why else would Sophia become so depressed, flee to the States with their kids, and keep them a secret from him?" she remarked.
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