Chapter 441 The Past Comes Back

Chapter 441: Chapter 441 The Past Comes Back

“Enough.”

Grace cut Victoria off with a voice so cold that the entire room went still.

She didn’t even look at Victoria again.

Her eyes settled on her son.

“If this is true, Derick, you need to cut all ties with her. Completely.”

Her voice trembled with fury.

“And don’t think you’re innocent in all this. If Victoria really did what we’re beginning to suspect, then you played a part in destroying Sophia’s life, too.”

How could Grace not be furious?

She had watched Sophia grow up.

She had loved that girl like a daughter.

And now, after all these years, she was being forced to consider the possibility that Sophia had been telling the truth all along.

The rage inside Grace was almost unbearable.

What worried her even more was Derick.

What if, after all these years together, he had actually developed feelings for Victoria?

What if he tried to defend her?

Grace would never forgive him for that.

“Grandma, deal with Alicia first.”

James shot Victoria a cold look.

Every instinct in him was screaming for answers, but this wasn’t the time to settle old scores.

Alicia was still fighting for her life.

Victoria reached for Derick’s hand.

He pulled away almost instinctively.

“Get the blood.”

His voice was cold.

He didn’t even look at her.

Victoria’s face went blank.

She had tried to stop Derick from donating.

That much was now obvious.

And once everything was brought into the open, there would be plenty of time to settle the rest.

For now, Alicia needed the blood.

Victoria stared at Derick’s expressionless face as though she’d never seen him before.

She couldn’t move.

Rose lifted her eyes.

She was barely holding her anger in.

Looking at Derick’s devastated expression, she spoke quietly.

“What good is regret now?”

Derick looked at her.

“If you couldn’t trust your own wife, how are you any different from the person who condemned her?”

Her voice was cold.

Rose had always hated that kind of self-righteousness.

The tendency to make a decision, hurt someone, and then hide behind good intentions afterward.

If Victoria had been cruel, Derick had still been the person who chose not to believe Sophia.

And that made him responsible, too.

Derick’s face went pale.

He stared at Rose.

For one terrible second, he could almost see Sophia standing in front of him again.

More than twenty years ago, Sophia had looked at him exactly the same way.

Disappointed.

Bitter.

Heartbroken.

And completely done with him.

Now her daughter was standing in front of him, giving him back the pain he’d once inflicted on Sophia.

“Rose...”

His voice was barely audible.

Rose turned away.

She couldn’t look at him anymore.

No one had the right to forgive her mother on her behalf.

Whatever happened next was between Derick and Victoria.

Rose would not forgive Derick.

And after today, she certainly wasn’t going to forgive Victoria.

Grace understood.

This was something Derick needed to face himself.

She said nothing.

The room fell silent.

One seemingly insignificant detail had opened a door that had been locked for decades.

Behind it was a secret that had destroyed a marriage, separated a family, and possibly cost Sophia her life.

Ryan remained apart from the others.

He hadn’t taken sides.

He hadn’t tried to interfere.

He had simply said what he’d noticed when the moment called for it.

Now he leaned against the wall, his gaze shifting toward Rose.

She stood with her arms folded tightly across herself.

Her fingers were digging into her sleeves hard enough to leave marks.

She didn’t seem to notice.

She was wearing a thick beige coat cinched at the waist. Her back was straight, almost rigid.

She looked strong.

But Ryan knew better.

Every word she’d just said to Derick had hurt her, too.

She simply refused to let anyone see it.

Ryan watched her for a long moment.

Then he closed his eyes briefly and exhaled.

He walked over.

In his uninjured hand, he carried his suit jacket.

“Hold this for me.”

Rose looked at him.

“My hand hurts.”

Her expression didn’t change.

Ryan didn’t wait for permission.

He reached over and gently pried her clenched fingers apart, one by one, then placed his jacket in her hands.

“Rose,” he repeated. “I told you it hurts.”

She stared at him.

The grief and anger that had been weighing on her were suddenly interrupted by his ridiculous insistence.

Her eyes dropped to his bandaged shoulder.

Then to the expensive jacket now sitting in her arms.

Of course.

He was not worried about his jacket getting ruined.

Rose said nothing.

She simply lowered her head and began fiddling with the jeweled cufflinks on his sleeves, using them as an excuse to keep her hands occupied.

Three hours passed before the operating-room doors finally opened.

Alicia had made it through surgery.

Victoria refused to leave.

No one could convince her to go.

Alicia regained consciousness not long afterward.

Everyone was still gathered around the room, but they had separated into their own corners.

No one spoke.

The atmosphere was heavy enough to suffocate.

When Alicia finally opened her eyes, her first words were: “Where’s Grandma?”

Her voice was weak.

“How is Grandma?”

Grace turned toward her.

She stood slowly and walked over.

“I’m fine.”

Alicia’s eyes immediately filled with tears.

“Thank God.”

She let out a shaky breath.

“I keep having this dream that I don’t get there in time to save you. I keep dreaming that something happens to you...”

She swallowed.

“I’m so glad it was only a dream.”

Rose watched her silently.

The corner of her mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.

Grace looked at Alicia’s pale, exhausted face.

For a moment, she said nothing.

Even James looked uncomfortable.

After all, Alicia had been the one who pushed Rose out of the way and shielded Grace.

She had been seriously injured in the process.

No matter what questions surrounded her, it was difficult to accuse someone who had just been wheeled out of surgery for saving your life.

James let out a quiet scoff.

But he wasn’t naïve.

He knew there was a difference between what Alicia had done and why she had done it.

The Taylor family could be grateful that Grace was safe.

That didn’t mean they had to ignore everything else.

Grace looked at Alicia.

Then her eyes shifted briefly toward Victoria, who was still crying nearby.

“Do you know who your biological parents are?”

Alicia blinked.

“My biological parents?”

She looked genuinely confused.

“I don’t know.”

She shook her head.

“I’ve never tried to find them. The Taylor family saved my life. They’re my family.”

She sounded completely sincere.

Everyone in the room turned toward Victoria.

Victoria’s heart slammed against her ribs.

She really hadn’t told Alicia.

Not once.

Alicia truly didn’t know.

For the first time, Victoria looked at the young woman in the hospital bed almost as if she were a stranger.

Then another thought occurred to her.

Maybe Alicia had known all along.

Maybe the two of them had simply understood each other without ever saying it aloud.

Mother and daughter.

Both pretending.

Both keeping the secret buried.

And now that the Taylor family was preparing to cut ties with Alicia and send her abroad, Alicia would naturally be desperate to stay.

If she revealed the truth herself, she would be exposed.

But if the truth came out because of some seemingly innocent act...

If she could make the Taylor family feel indebted to her first...

Then they might have no choice but to acknowledge her.

Victoria stared at Alicia.

Slowly, a strange smile appeared at the corners of her mouth.

She suddenly understood.

Alicia wanted to distance herself from her biological mother.

She wanted to sever ties with Victoria completely.

And at the same time, she wanted to remain part of the Taylor family.

Victoria’s heart sank.

She really was her daughter.

That kind of calculation...

Even Victoria couldn’t help but be impressed by it.

“So, you really don’t know anything?”

James’s voice was cold.

Alicia looked away from Victoria and turned toward him.

“Brother, what are you talking about?”

Her expression was bewildered.

Completely innocent.

Rose watched her.

She could already see how this would play out.

Alicia had saved Grace’s life.

If the Taylor family suddenly turned around and cut her off, how would that look?

Rose said nothing.

Then Ryan spoke.

“Is that so?”

He was sitting on the sofa nearby, one leg crossed over the other.

He casually flicked open the lid of his lighter.

The metallic click sounded unusually loud in the quiet room.

His dark eyes settled on Alicia.

For some reason, Alicia’s chest suddenly tightened.

She couldn’t tell whether it was because of her injuries or something else.

Her entire body trembled.

But Ryan didn’t continue looking at her.

His gaze shifted toward Victoria and Derick.

His voice remained calm.

“The fact that you two have simply cut ties with each other doesn’t seem like nearly enough.”