Chapter 9: The Truth Revealed
1488 Words
Sophia Hart lowered her head, lost in thoughts she could not bring herself to voice.
Adrian Sterling’s patience was nearing its end. Glancing at the watch on his wrist, he said evenly, “Is this truly such a difficult question for you to answer?”
His voice was as calm and resonant as ever, rich and measured like the deep notes of a finely crafted cello. There was little emotion in it, only a quiet authority and a distance that made him seem perpetually beyond reach.
It was the same Adrian Sterling she had seen earlier that day in the company headquarters.
A dull ache settled in Sophia’s chest. In the end, she decided not to tell him.
“I’ve always admired you, Mr. Sterling,” she said softly. “I’ve regarded you as both my role model and the standard I aspire to reach. You probably don’t remember ever meeting me.”
Adrian’s brows drew together slightly. Setting the document in his hand onto the desk, he said, “You’re from Yunjin Village.”
It was not a question.
It was a certainty.
Sophia looked up in surprise. Her gaze landed on the personal file spread across the desk, and her pulse instantly quickened.
“Yes.”
Adrian studied her quietly.
“Ten years ago, a major kidnapping case took place in Yunjin Village. How old were you then? Do you remember it?”
The direction of his questions was unmistakable.
Sophia’s heart leapt into her throat.
“I... I remember.”
“Then you should know,” Adrian continued, “that I was the person who was kidnapped.”
Sophia met his eyes, her heartbeat thundering in her ears.
“Yes... I know.”
For a moment, Adrian fell silent.
Then he withdrew his gaze and pressed his knuckles lightly against his temple.
“At the time, Yunjin Village provided critical information that assisted the investigation. My mother promised that the Sterling family would support the village’s development wherever possible. Since you’re from there, if you have any difficulties or requests, you may bring them to me.”
Sophia froze.
For several seconds, she could not speak.
She had thought—
For one fleeting, impossible moment—
That he had recognized her.
Instead, he was merely extending gratitude to a fellow villager.
A bitter smile tugged at her lips, more painful than tears.
“There’s no need, Mr. Sterling. You’ve already helped me more than enough. I don’t require any additional assistance.”
Adrian rose from his seat.
“Whether you accept is your decision.”
He placed a business card on the bedside table.
“When you’ve made up your mind, contact Victor Wells directly. As long as it’s within my capability, I’ll make the necessary arrangements.”
With that, he turned and left the room.
Sophia stared after him.
Several times she almost called his name.
Several times she almost told him everything.
Yet she stopped herself every time.
She did not want to rely on a debt from the past to draw closer to him.
She wanted to stand beside him through her own efforts—one step at a time.
Outside the hospital room, Victor Wells immediately approached.
“Mr. Sterling, is everything settled?”
Adrian gave a brief nod, though he looked slightly fatigued.
Victor carefully observed his expression before lowering his voice.
“Mrs. Sterling called earlier.”
Adrian lifted his gaze.
“What did she say?”
“Mrs. Sterling said you shouldn’t work yourself too hard. She asked you to maintain a healthy schedule.”
Adrian paused.
“A healthy schedule?”
Victor nodded solemnly.
“Mrs. Sterling is genuinely concerned about you. A man with such a gentle and thoughtful wife is truly fortunate.”
Adrian said nothing.
He merely looked at Victor for a long moment.
Victor felt a bead of sweat form at his temple.
Without missing a beat, he hurriedly changed the subject.
“What would you like to do next, Mr. Sterling? Shall we proceed to the West District matter, or—”
“Home.”
Adrian interrupted him.
Then he added calmly,
“To maintain a healthy schedule.”
The black Cullinan sliced through the veil of night.
A handful of stars shimmered faintly overhead.
The streetlamp outside the villa cast a warm golden glow across the quiet driveway.
Everything seemed peaceful.
Inside the master bedroom, Evelyn Sullivan was already asleep.
Curled on the left side of the bed, she breathed softly and evenly.
The sound of the vehicle pulling into the driveway disturbed her.
She frowned slightly and turned over.
Only to fall directly into a cool embrace.
“I’m home.”
Adrian had not yet changed out of his clothes.
Drawing her into his arms, he loosened his tie with one hand and draped it over the bedpost.
“Did I wake you?”
Evelyn opened her eyes groggily.
The chill lingering on him from the night air made her instinctively shrink away.
“Mmm... I want to sleep.”
She attempted to turn over again.
Adrian refused to let her go.
His arm tightened around her waist.
His gaze lingered on her face, dark and unreadable.
Had Evelyn looked into his eyes at that moment, she would have seen the complexity hidden there.
After a long pause, Adrian pinched her chin lightly.
“Evelyn.”
“Don’t... don’t bother me.”
Half asleep, she shoved him weakly.
A rare trace of irritation appeared on her face.
“I’m trying to sleep. What are you doing?”
Adrian rarely saw her complain.
Instead of annoyance, amusement flickered across his features.
“So the graceful, composed lady everyone sees is merely an act?”
Evelyn ignored him completely and turned her back.
Adrian moved closer.
His lips brushed the tip of her ear.
Yet in that instant, another face unexpectedly surfaced in his mind.
Sophia Hart.
His expression froze.
The smile disappeared.
Evelyn remained blissfully unaware.
She only felt someone persistently disturbing her sleep.
Then she heard Adrian’s voice beside her.
“Evelyn, when was the last time you visited your grandmother? Shall I accompany you?”
The mention of her grandmother made her slightly more alert.
“My grandmother lives in Yunjin Village,” she murmured. “How would we even go there?”
Adrian turned her gently to face him.
“Didn’t you say you spent most of your childhood with her? Don’t you want to visit?”
The moment she heard the word childhood, her mind snapped awake.
Her body stiffened.
She looked up at him.
He looked back.
For several long seconds, neither spoke.
Finally, Evelyn asked cautiously,
“Why do you suddenly want to visit Yunjin Village?”
She knew exactly where Adrian had been kidnapped ten years ago.
Yunjin Village.
The same place her grandmother still called home.
And ever since learning that Adrian might have married her out of gratitude for a childhood rescue, she had suspected that everything began there.
Was he trying to revisit the past?
Trying to recover forgotten memories?
And what if—
What if he remembered everything?
What if he discovered he had married the wrong woman?
The thought left her heart in turmoil.
“Maybe another time,” she said vaguely. “It’s too far. Mother and my sister might come with us later.”
Adrian simply looked at her.
His silence made her increasingly uneasy.
Avoiding his eyes, she softened her voice.
“Why are you suddenly interested in Yunjin Village? Did something happen?”
Meeting her cautious gaze, Adrian unexpectedly sighed.
“Nothing.”
He reached out and gently ruffled her hair.
“Go to sleep.”
Then, leaning down, he pressed a kiss to her forehead.
The tenderness of the gesture caught her entirely off guard.
Evelyn froze.
Her heartbeat accelerated instantly.
“I’m going to take a shower,” Adrian said as he stood. “Sleep first.”
Blushing, she disappeared beneath the blankets.
“Okay.”
Adrian chuckled quietly before heading into the bathroom.
Soon, the sound of running water filled the room.
But Evelyn could no longer sleep.
Restlessly, she got out of bed and began gathering Adrian’s discarded clothing.
As she picked up his black suit jacket, something red slipped from one of the pockets and fell onto the floor.
She paused.
Then crouched down and picked it up.
It was a crimson talisman embroidered with intricate golden thread.
Evelyn stared at it.
When had Adrian started carrying something like this?
Had Mrs. Sterling given it to him?
Curious, she unfolded it carefully.
On the reverse side, hidden among the embroidery, were several crooked lines of gold stitching.
Most of the writing was difficult to decipher.
But two names were unmistakably clear.
Adrian Sterling.
Sophia Hart.
The light faded from Evelyn’s eyes.
Her fingers tightened involuntarily.
The talisman crumpled slightly in her grasp.
A cold unease settled deep within her heart.
- Writer
