Chapter 219

The antiseptic smell in the hospital hallway stung Sophia's nose.

She pushed open the door to find Emily propped against the headboard, scrolling through her phone. A bandage wrapped around her ankle, her face still pale with shock.

"Auntie, what did the doctor say?"

"Just a sprain." Emily set her phone aside and grasped her hand. "Did you find out who did this?"

Sophia's lashes fluttered.

The surveillance footage had been tampered with. The security guards had been evasive. These details swirled in her mind before she sighed. "No leads."

"It was deliberate!" Emily smacked the mattress in frustration. "That flowerpot was huge. If I hadn't dodged in time—"

Sophia's grip tightened on her bag strap.

She knew exactly who was behind this. Isabella's arrogant threat still echoed in her ears: This time it's your aunt. Next time, who knows?

"Rest well." She tucked the blanket around Emily. "I'll handle this."

The sedative took effect quickly. Sophia stood by the bed, throat tight as she studied the fine lines at the corners of her aunt's eyes.

Vivian slipped in and pressed a warm milk carton into her hands.

"The Valentines?" Vivian cut straight to the point as they sat on a bench in the hallway.

Sophia ran her fingers along the carton's edge and nodded.

"I knew it!" Vivian punched the bench's backrest. "That troublemaker Ethan Roscente!"

"It's probably about the birthday banquet." Sophia summarized the events of that night.

Vivian's eyes widened. "The Roscentes' shamelessness is hereditary?" She lowered her voice. "But they got what they wanted that night. Why lash out now?"

Sophia gazed at the darkening sky outside.

The window reflected her pressed lips. Isabella's反常 behavior. Tiffany's evasive glances. Ethan's recent barrage of missed calls. These fragments churned in her mind.

"Unless..." Vivian leaned closer. "The Valentines are about to collapse?"

At the end of the hallway, a nurse wheeled a medicine cart past. The squeak of wheels against tile sounded like an ominous portent.