When John stepped out and saw the food, he recognized where it was from.He glanced at Tina but said nothing, as his order had arrived at the same time.It was late after they had dinner with Mrs. Smith, and John left early since he had work.Tina stayed since she wanted to stay longer with Mrs. Smith, and while they were talking, Tina's phone rang.She took it out of her bag and saw that it was from an unsaved number, but she knew Henry's number by heart at this point.She declined the call with no more than a look.It had been two years—she thought she could be calm around Henry and stay immune to him after cheating death.However, she did not expect that just seeing him defend Linda unconditionally while doting on Rory like treasure would still leave her furious and remind her of the injustice Sophie had suffered.Right now, she did not want anything to do with Henry."Why didn't you take that?" Mrs. Smith asked in concern."It's just some telemarketer," Tina replied calml
As Mrs. Smith charged at Henry and Tina in a frenzy, and as she got close, she could clearly see the look of disgust on Tina's face.But Tina was not pushing Henry away, instead clenching her knuckles, her own nails digging into her own palm as she did her best to restrain herself.Anyone could tell that she was reluctant—how could she not be?!That man had indirectly murdered Sophie, and then protected the murderer.In fact, Mrs. Smith despised Henry more than Linda.Linda was vile and not to be forgiven, but that was even more so for Henry, who was supposed to be Sophie's biological father!If Mrs. Smith already hated Henry this much, it went without saying how much more Tina would hate him as Sophie's mother.And yet, she did not push Henry away. Why?But what other reason could there be? Right now, Tina's only weakness was Mrs. Smith herself, which put her at Henry's mercy.Oh, her dear Tina!Even as Mrs. Smith's heart broke, her tears blurred her vision as she felt pai
Tina clearly did not believe Henry—why would she, when he had threatened her with her mother's life, treating it like it was just a tool?As Henry had no choice but to withdraw his hand, Tina helped Mrs. Smith, tearful as she tried to comfort Mrs. Smith. "Mom, just calm down—people like him aren't worth it. Let's just get you back to the hospital for now, okay?"Mrs. Smith was in no state to be away from the hospital, and Tina was really worried."No, I'm not going back." Mrs. Smith shook her head.The rim of her eyes reddened as she gave Tina a pained look—she had already made up her mind when she saw what Henry was doing to her daughter.Squeezing Tina's hand while leveling a cold, spiteful glare at Henry, she snapped, "You know Tina cares about me. That's why you used me to threaten her, didn't you?!"So listen here, and listen well—I won't undergo that surgery!"As long as she refused that, Henry had nothing to threaten Tina with.Tina had already suffered enough!"Mom!" T
Linda was confused.She had never told Zach about stealing the kidney meant for Sophie.How could he have known, and how much did he know?Even as Linda pondered, another text came from Zach.[I know you've had a change of heart, and I won't ask for you to come back to me. All I want is Rory.][Give me money, and once I leave Jadelight with Rory, I promise that you and Henry won't ever see me again.][And I'll take your secret to the grave without ever telling anyone else.]Zach's words were earnest.He really loved Linda, and it was not like he felt no resentment that Linda had turned away from him.But no matter how much resentment he felt, she was the only woman he had ever loved.They had been together when she was eighteen and had Rory together.Just those two things stopped him from taking Tina's side and hurting Linda.Hence, after much thought, he decided to negotiate with Linda.However, Zach's text only left Linda smiling in contempt.Give him Rory? No chance!
However, despite being plenty cooperative ever since she was admitted to this hospital, Mrs. Smith ignored Yancy for the first time and started flailing viciously when the nurse got near."Don't touch me!" Mrs. Smith bellowed.Worried that her agitation would hurt her health, Yancy promptly gestured for the nurse to open the door and quickly wheeled her out.Once he saw Tina, he said, "Sorry, Ms. Smith, but your mother is suddenly demanding that she gets discharged. Please reason with her—this is an important period where she must stay and condition herself for the surgery next month.""I said I'm not undergoing that surgery!" Mrs. Smith snapped.She refused to stay in this hospital! Henry wanted to threaten Tina with her life?! Dream on!"Please, Mom! Nothing's more important than your health."Seeing that Mrs. Smith was still agitated, Tina's voice choked with tears even as she took Mrs. Smith's hand. "I've lost Sophie. I can't lose you too."Her mother was her only family
Mrs. Smith had been staring at Henry for a while, and her eyes widened when he saw the pendant exposed on his hip.It looked like Tina's, but Mrs. Smith had just regained consciousness, and her vision was blurry.Worried that she had mistaken it, she suddenly told Henry, "Come here."Yancy was relieved as she was not agitated like before and thought telling the truth worked.He could see that Henry cared about Mrs. Smith's condition, and it would not be the case if he did not care about Tina.And seeing that there was still hope, he stepped aside, clearing the way from Henry.Henry's gaze was dark.He had no idea what Mrs. Smith wanted but walked up to her as she had asked.And once he was close and Mrs. Smith got a good look, and saw that the pendant really was Tina's.Years ago, when Ice was leaving, they had exchanged tokens—Ice had given Tina the pendant he always carried, and she had done the same with her pendant.So why would Henry have Tina's pendant?The answer was
Having made up her mind, Mrs. Smith calmed down and turned toward Tina. "Let's go back to my room."If Henry stopped holding her hostage to coerce Tina, she was naturally happy to get the surgery."Okay," Tina's heart was at ease with those words.That was when Henry suddenly pressed a hand on the handles of Mrs. Smith's stretcher, his dark gaze on her as he asked, "Excuse me, is there a problem with this pendant?"He could not help asking to see the weird looks she was giving it."Problem? Well, the problem is that the one who holds it doesn't deserve it!" Mrs. Smith scoffed pointedly, as she really wished that she had never saved Henry.Yancy was actually shocked that Mrs. Smith was still so cold toward Henry and felt indignant for his sake. "Mrs. Smith, Henry did everything he could to help you, from getting the medicine to arranging the best meals. He was meticulous—""And what, should I be grateful?" Mrs. Smith replied sharply.Yancy frowned. "Even if you aren't, you shoul
Just the mention that he might have a change of heart left Henry's gaze darkening, and he turned toward Yancy. "What did you say?"His tone was flat, but there was authority.As Yancy saw how placid Henry's was, he realized right then that he was mistaken."N-Nothing," he quickly replied.He feared Henry and decided to keep quiet under Henry's quiet pressure."Well, I'll get going." He nodded at Henry and hurried to his car.On the other hand, Henry remained calm as he returned to his car, leaning on it instead of getting in.He pulled out his cigarette box and lit himself one, taking a puff and breathing out a smoke ring.As the smoke swirled around him, he remembered what Yancy said—that he had a change of heart.He certainly understood that Yancy was suggesting that he had fallen for Tina.But had he?Before he knew it, he lifted the pendant he kept clipped to his waist, his finger brushing gently over it.He stopped as he finished his cigarette, any hint of doubt in his
Mrs. Smith was almost dying when Linda got the pendant back.As Linda carefully tucked the pendant away, she turned toward Mrs. Smith, intending on waiting until Mrs. Smith was dead before calling for help.However, she suddenly heard footsteps coming toward them, so she had to give up on that plan.Putting on a distressed look, she cried, "Help! Is there anyone out there?! Someone help this woman!"The people above heard and came running, and Linda burst into hysterical tears when she saw them. "Please, I'm begging you! Get help!"Soon, Mrs. Smith was brought upstairs, while Linda was helped up her wheelchair too.She had sustained some cuts and bruises from the fall and was being wheeled into the hospital when she saw Henry, who was sneaking in to check on Mrs. Smith."Henry!" Linda quickly called out. "You should call Yancy to help this patient. She suddenly fainted and fell down the stairs—I tried to catch her but couldn't."Henry turned and saw Mrs. Smith.His face droppi
Because Mrs. Smith was so beautiful, Linda recognized her.The old woman really was Orange's mother, and that meant the pendant was really Tina's.And Tina was Orange!Linda could not help panicking as the truth settled in her mind, as she had always known that all the privilege she got from Henry that allowed her to live so fearlessly was one thing and one thing only.If Henry were to ever find out that Tina was Orange and not Linda, Henry would start to believe everything Tina said.And Linda would not just lose Henry—she would rest in pieces for everything she did.That was why she must never leave anything to chance, let alone have Henry find out.Being Orange was her protection. Without that halo, she was nothing!As Linda glared at Mrs. Smith murderously right then, Mrs. Smith sharply noticed Linda's hostility.Mrs. Smith backed away, trying to leave, but Linda had no intention to let her get away while still alive.Even as Mrs. Smith retreated, Linda steered her wheelc
Fighting against her injury, Mrs. Smith arched her back to pick the pendant up, holding it and studying it.Soon, she was a hundred percent positive that it was the pendant which Henry had given Tina when he left.When Mrs. Smith was reunited with Tina and mentioned Ice, she had asked Tina where it was, but Tina shook her head and said she had lost her memories and did not know where it was.But why did the pendant show up here and now?Did someone pick it up and drop it here?Who was it?Even as the thought crossed Mrs. Smith's mind, someone snatched it off her hands."Don't dirty my pendant with your filthy hands," Linda snapped, her voice shrill as she glared viciously at Mrs. Smith, despising her as much as she despised Tina.However, Mrs. Smith had quick reflexes and snatched the pendant back just as Linda grabbed it, this time holding firmly on it while glaring at Linda in turn."What are you doing?! Give it back to me!"Furious, Linda reached out to grab it.Mrs. Smit
Mrs. Smith cried, "My daughter was a victim too! She never wanted to sabotage their relationship!"After all, Tina really did not want that to happen, let alone come between Henry and Linda.On top of that, she had paid for that night in pain—and as she was a victim, Mrs. Smith refused to let anyone slander her daughter."Give up already!"However, the gossiper was not letting it rest and kept insisting that Tina was a third-wheeler. "Your daughter definitely saw that the man was rich, so she schemed to get herself into his bed and tried to use the usual baby-trapping scheme!"You should be keeping your head down after what your daughter did! How dare you run your mouth in my face!"Mrs. Smith lost all rationality and wrestled against the gossiper. "I said my daughter isn't a third-wheeler!"However, her health was poor, and the gossiper's three friends were helping her.Soon, Mrs. Smith lost and was shoved painfully to the floor.Her face turned pale as she clutched her chest
It was a sunny day out at the hospital, and Mrs. Smith was feeling great when she woke up.The doctor performed a routine examination, and after having breakfast and taking her medicine, Mrs. Fuller smiled at her. "Why don't we go for a stroll?""Okay." Mrs. Smith did not refuse.As Mrs. Fuller went downstairs with her and they arrived someplace quiet, Mrs. Fuller's phone rang.It was a text message, and Mrs. Fuller soon appeared embarrassed after reading it. "My daughter arrived early. She's at the entrance…""I'm fine. You should hurry—don't make her wait." Mrs. Smith nodded in reply.She was a mother and could understand."Thanks! I'll be right back." Mrs. Fuller smiled gratefully in turn and ran toward the hospital.Mrs. Smith went to sit at a bench with her back to the sun, and took out the book she brought.It was very quiet there, and she could sunbathe while reading as she waited for Mrs. Fuller to return.However, she had barely read a few lines when she heard people
Tina was doing her best to calm down, but her body trembled uncontrollably as she had yet to recover.Jimmy put his hands around hers, helping her take a few sips.As she slowly calmed down, she said, "Can you stay, Jimmy? Let's see Sophie together.""Okay," Jimmy replied mildly and went over to the projector.Soon, Sophie's face appeared on the screen. It was a montage of Sophie's life, starting from the moment she was an infant, fair and pretty, her dark grape-like eyes wide open as she looked around at the world around her in curiosity.She then learned her first steps, always wobbly and falling repeatedly into Tina's arms.And then there was the first time she called Tina 'Mommy'...Tina had not watched those footage of Sophie's life in the days immediately following Sophie's death, because she was afraid she would be overwhelmed.But now, it was her pillar of spiritual support, and she watched it virtually every day.And tonight, she watched it on loop late into the nig
Tina bellowed, "Don't even talk about Sophie! You have no right, Henry Barnes!"At the same time, she pressed a hand over her chest where Sophie's bone was.How devastated would Sophie be, hearing her beloved father repeatedly defend her murderer?Henry sighed. "Tina…""Get out!" Tina bellowed with overflowing spite, cutting him short.Henry could see how obsessed she was and how prickly she got at the very mention of Linda and Sophie.But he could not just ignore this—she would keep doing everything she could to hurt Linda, and in the end destroy herself."You should know very well, Tina, that you won't hurt Linda as long as I'm around."Henry just wanted to make her back off—to stop being obsessed and hurting everyone and herself.But in Tina's mind, he was telling her that no matter what Linda did, no matter how grievous a crime she committed, Henry would always be there to protect Linda.And Linda would always get away with it.Tina had been doing her best to fight back
Tina chuckled coolly. "Heh."Henry was saying that he wanted to start over? That was certainly the worst joke ever."How did you find the audacity to say such a thing?" She scoffed. "Start over? With who, you? Is every other man in the world dead, that I should be with you—an animal who is protecting Sophie's murder?"Every word was filled with bone-cutting hatred.Even if hatred could pass in time, her hatred toward Henry and Linda only grew by the day.As long as she had yet to avenge Sophie, she would never be able to put that hatred to rest.Henry's grip eased as he met Tina's spiteful glare.And she had just worked with Zach, almost forcing Linda into suicide…However, he did not get upset, instead keeping his tone calm as he reasoned sincerely, "I know you can't get over Sophie's death, and you still think that Linda murdered her, and you want Linda dead for it."But can't we just be reasonable? Linda has made a mistake, but she doesn't deserve to die."She has already
John had to be there for this one.Still, Tina asked, "I thought you said it'd at least be two weeks. Don't ruin your work because you're forcing yourself to rush back—I'm fine, don't worry.""No. Things have just gone smoothly, so I'm returning ahead of schedule," John replied, lying so she did not have to worry.How could he not be worried? Upon learning that Zach had suddenly turned against Tina, he wanted nothing less than to fly back right away to be there for her.And Tina argued at those words. "It must be late over there. You should get some sleep."There was a seven-hour time difference, and it should be past midnight over there now."Alright," John replied. "Just remember to call me if anything happens, and keep your phone switched on at all times.""Okay."John kept nagging nonetheless and only hung up after saying 'bon appetit' when the food arrived.Though she did not have an appetite, Tina was famished, and John had ordered from her favorite restaurants, so she