Chapter 144 Knowingly Being a Third Party Is Despicable

Chapter 144: Chapter 144: Knowingly Being a Third Party Is Despicable

Probably due to the anesthesia, Quentin Winslow spoke haltingly and wasn’t fully lucid. After dropping that bombshell, he abruptly changed the subject, mumbling incoherently. Sophie Winslow, however, was so stunned she forgot to react. She wondered if she really wasn’t a child of the Winslow family, if she truly wasn’t her mother’s biological daughter.

The revelation was too devastating. Her entire understanding of the past twenty-seven years had shattered, effectively negating everything she knew about her life.

Julian Sterling had clearly heard it too. He had unexpectedly stumbled upon a hidden secret of the Winslow family. He stared thoughtfully at Sophie for a long moment, a dark gleam flashing in his eyes. His gaze landed on her face. She was struggling to process the news, her slumped posture growing stiff and sluggish. He walked over, gently pulled her upright, and guided her to sit down.

"Let’s wait until your grandfather is more lucid before talking about this," he said.

Sophie’s mind was buzzing. She desperately wanted to demand answers, yet her subconscious rejected the idea that the relatives who loved her most were not bound to her by blood. But she couldn’t help but dwell on it. It made sense now. It made sense why Isaiah Sutton had discarded her so easily back then, not caring whether she lived or died. She wondered how anyone could be so cruel to their own biological daughter. The harsh truth was, they probably weren’t related at all.

Julian watched as Sophie began to pick at his watch again. The embedded diamonds were nearly clawed out. Unbothered, he withdrew his gaze and sat quietly.

It didn’t take long for Sophie to snap out of it. She looked at him. "I can handle things here myself. Go do what you need to do."

Julian had arranged a plane to bring her back. He had already done more than enough. But Sophie’s words trailed off because Julian, at some unknown point, had leaned against the sofa and closed his eyes. She checked the time; it was almost two in the morning. She decided to just leave him be.

That night, curled up on the sofa, she barely slept. Her dreams were plagued by Quentin’s words about her not being his biological granddaughter. The sudden loss of security made her feel as if she were drowning, desperate to cling to any floating debris for a sense of stability. She hugged a throw pillow tightly, refusing to let go.

The next day.

When Sophie woke up, the doctors and nurses came in for their rounds. Julian was nowhere to be seen, but she was shocked to find she was still clutching his watch. To her horror, she realized she had actually picked off two of the diamonds.

"Miss Winslow, the old gentleman has no major issues. You can rest assured," the doctor stepped forward to comfort her.

Sophie rubbed her temples. "Alright, I’ll stay and take care of him."

"There’s no need to work yourself so hard," the doctor said. "The hospital has arranged a 24-hour caregiver. There won’t be any problems."

Sophie was surprised. "The hospital arranged one? Was it free of charge?"

"Yes, your husband has already settled all the expenses," the doctor explained. As he spoke, he handed her a few forms. Julian had signed all the documents that required a family member’s signature. The registered relationship was "grandson-in-law."

Sophie frowned. Julian was not a mean or stingy man; on the contrary, he was thoughtful. But she wouldn’t attribute this thoughtfulness to any feelings he had for her. He was simply a problem-solver—it had nothing to do with love.

"Thank you," she said.

Sophie didn’t see Julian again. Most likely, he had gone to accompany Stella Sutton again, managing his time with pristine efficiency.

She stayed at the hospital for an extra day. But Quentin remained groggy, leaving her no opportunity to ask about her origins. When she put on her coat and subconsciously patted her pockets, she found them completely empty. The ring was gone.

Sophie searched the ward for a good while but couldn’t find it. She had been agonizing over whether to return it to Adrian Hawthorne, and now the problem was solved—it was completely lost. She had only herself to blame for haphazardly stuffing it away in her panic, and the pockets of her coat were huge. Unable to find it no matter how hard she looked, Sophie had no choice but to give up.

With no other options, she shifted her focus back to handling matters at Helios. The development of the new cardiovascular drug was proceeding according to plan, so her next focus would be the brain tumor surgical robot, tackling complex surgical challenges. Thanks to Julian’s charity-like financing, the project was running very smoothly. She wanted an even more elite team and had ideal candidates in mind, though they would need to be recruited from abroad.

Sophie set about contacting them. Because of what happened with Quentin, she had pulled an all-nighter, causing her period to arrive early. Sophie took some painkillers and continued working.

The next day.

As soon as she arrived at the R&D lab, Peter Preston came over. "Is your grandfather doing better?"

Sophie nodded. "Nothing major. We have a 24-hour caregiver."

"Stella Sutton is here again," Peter said. "She’s insisting on seeing Faye. She still hasn’t given up on the Digital Chinese Medicine database and wants to get authorization to collaborate on her project."

Sophie was feeling unwell and had no patience for this. "Just handle it however you see fit."

Peter poured Sophie a cup of hot water before leaving.

By the time work ended, Sophie felt as if even her bones ached. Her health had been reasonably good when she was younger, but suffering a severe hemorrhage while giving birth to Lydia had left her with lingering ailments, making her periods excruciatingly painful. She headed downstairs, her face pale, only to discover it was raining. And outside the lobby... Stella Sutton was still there.

Upon seeing Sophie, Stella sneered. "It seems Mr. Hawthorne hasn’t discussed the future with you. Otherwise, why would you still be working so hard? Why not just give up your title as Mrs. Sterling and go enjoy a life of luxury?"

Sophie guessed that Stella had probably had the door slammed in her face—unwilling to give up and leave, yet still finding the time to mock her.

"If you put it that way, why haven’t you clawed your way up to enjoy that luxury? Is it because you’re desperate to get married but can’t?" Sophie retorted, refusing to back down.

Stella’s expression darkened. She let out a cold laugh, looking Sophie up and down. "Did you know Mr. Hawthorne has a fiancée? You’re stringing him along just to secure a reliable backup plan for yourself. You’re knowingly being the other woman, and it’s despicable."