Chapter 4 Heart Transplant

He peered into the car and saw that no one else was getting out. Jennifer walked along, hearing the sobs of the nanny. She furrowed her brow and turned around, snapping, "What are you mourning for?" Sophia had finally married John, and the Jones family was so wealthy. She died without getting a penny. The Jones family had paid for her husband's treatment, but the money never reached her hands. Now that the Thomas family was bankrupt, what was she supposed to live on? "Poor Miss Sophia," the nanny couldn't stop her sadness. She hadn't even left a whole body behind when she died. Sophia had been watched grow up by the nanny since she was a child. She was still so young, such a cheerful girl... "What's poor about her? I'm the one without luck. I only had this one daughter, and I haven't even enjoyed anything yet. She's the one who died first, and she even donated her heart. You tell me, is she crazy?" If only she had had more children. "Who died?" Jennifer was startled by the voice. She paused and looked in the direction from which the man was speaking. When she saw John, her legs gave out a little. To be honest, she had always been somewhat afraid of John. "Sophia died," Jennifer said, fear mingling with impatience. Even if Sophia had divorced John, they could have split a huge amount of his wealth. Now, what was this about dying? "I asked who died!" John approached. "Sophia..." "Huh," John sneered. "Are you playing hide and seek?" Sophia had earlier wanted a divorce from him. Now, was she hiding in her parents' home and refusing to come out, pretending to be dead? John looked at the urn held by the Thomas family's nanny, his eyes faintly reddening. This charade was a bit too realistic. But he didn't believe Sophia was dead. If she were dead, how could Jennifer, who had lost her daughter, not show any sign of sadness? "Open the door," John gestured towards the Thomas house. Jennifer frowned. John was clearly not believing her. Jennifer signaled the nanny to open the door, and John, with his long legs, strode into the Thomas house. He went straight to Sophia's bedroom, intending to push the door open directly. But for some reason, his heart sank heavily, and he hesitated, knocking instead. "Sophia, come out." The only response was a deathly silence. "What tantrum are you throwing?" His thin lips were tightly pressed together. "What qualification do you have to throw a tantrum!" "You betrayed me first. What qualification do you have to be angry?" John's hand trembled uncontrollably as he spoke to the door. Jennifer stood behind him with her arms crossed for a while, then walked over and opened the door in front of John's eyes. Inside the bedroom, Sophia was nowhere to be seen. It was clean and simple, as if no one had ever lived there. Jennifer said, "She hasn't lived here for a long time. When I got the news, Sophia was critically ill, and she had signed an organ donation agreement. I don't know who her heart was donated to." "Stop lying," John's fists clenched. Emily had just undergone a heart transplant, and Jennifer was saying Sophia donated her heart? Ridiculous. How could Sophia donate her heart to Emily when she clearly didn't like her? It seemed Jennifer wouldn't tell the truth. John strode out, calling Charles while walking, "Check all hotel booking information for me. I must find Sophia!" How dare she leave without a word? It was clearly her fault, and yet she pretended to be the victim. Just as he hung up, his phone rang. "Mr. President, Mrs. Jones forgot her ring," said the housekeeper. A while ago, Sophia said she was going back to her parents' house for a few days, and she was sent away. Upon receiving news that the president was returning, she came back to clean. She found Sophia's wedding ring, which she always wore, on the table. "I see," John got into the car. He rubbed his left ring finger, his jawline tense. Sophia had made a fuss about him not wearing a wedding ring. "It's not like I wanted to marry you." "Do you deserve to wear matching rings with me?" That was what he had said to Sophia at the time, and she had cried. He had felt a sense of relief at the time. He was frustrated about how Sophia had betrayed him and then married him three years later as if nothing had happened. John heard that Sophia had taken a large sum of money from his family. The car soon arrived at the Jones residence, where the housekeeper was waiting at the door and opened it for John upon seeing him. The ring was sitting on the table. She dared not touch her employer's belongings, so she led John over. John confirmed that it was indeed his and Sophia's wedding ring on the table. She really had taken it off. John clutched the ring in his hand and lit a cigarette. Amidst the smoke, he received Charles's feedback. There was no record of Sophia staying at any hotel in the city. John said, "Check her travel records." He paused, then added, "And William's whereabouts." Charles was silent for a moment before saying, "William went to the Thomas house." ... At the Thomas house, Jennifer sat on the sofa playing with her nails, while William sat opposite her. He placed a check on the table and said, "I want to take Sophia's ashes." Jennifer's eyes lit up when she saw the check, and she glanced at the amount. Three million dollars. She coughed and said, "It's not right for you to take them. If anyone should get them, it should be the Jones family." William dialed a number on his phone, "Bring two million dollars in cash." Jennifer couldn't help but curl her lips up, lowering her crossed legs and pinching the check between her index and middle fingers. "Thanks." She couldn't help but say, "It would have been better if Sophia had married you back then." William's lips curved up, but there was very little warmth in his eyes. "Aunt Kimberly, bring Sophia's urn." How was she going to spend this check? Jennifer had already planned it out in her mind. Sophia was dead, and she couldn't use her father to blackmail Sophia into getting money from the Jones family. She had already given up on the one in the hospital. She was going to find Jeffrey. William took the ashes and stood up to take his leave. He went out and got into the car. The box containing Sophia's ashes was exquisite, a small box that had once held a living person. William's fingers traced the patterns on it. He knew Sophia had advanced colon cancer and there was no cure. He also knew about Sophia's decision to donate her heart, and he knew the recipient was Emily. During Sophia's hospital stay, he visited her a few times, and each time her condition was worse than the last. Later, Sophia asked him for a favor. She said, "Don't come anymore. But when I die, can you help me collect my ashes?" Sophia knew clearly that her father, in poor health, would be unable to arrange her funeral. Her mother had always been money-grubbing, and she probably wouldn't be sad when Sophia died but would be angry instead. As for John, he would probably be happy to know she was dead. William didn't visit again, but his people were always keeping an eye on Sophia's condition around the hospital. He went to work and held meetings as usual, waiting for news about Sophia every minute, which was torturous, like someone sitting at the dining table cutting into his heart with a knife and fork. The sound of brakes screeching abruptly echoed, and William instinctively tightened his grip on the box in his arms, slamming into the seat hard. "Mr. William, someone is blocking the road," the driver panicked. William saw John get out of a black car across the street, holding a baseball bat in his hand. Then, with a crash, the windshield shattered. "Come out," John walked to the side, his palm bracing against the car window as he looked at William inside. The driver hugged his head tightly and was too scared to make a sound. William put the urn aside and pushed the door open to get out. "Mr. John," his voice was sarcastic. John said coldly, "Give me the box." "What do you want with it? Do you want to keep it or destroy it?" William harbored no fondness for John. Sophia had only gone with him because of John. He was no gentleman; he had thought about sleeping with Sophia, but she had flatly refused. John was indeed strong, but William wasn't without his own merits. Sophia was perfect in every way, except for her poor judgment in men. "It's none of your business." William narrowed his eyes, "I won't give it to you. You don't deserve it." "Charles!" John took a step back as Charles and his men moved forward to encircle William. He was determined to see who was tougher, William's mouth or his fists. Initially, William put up a good fight, but gradually, he began to falter. John observed for a moment before opening the car door and retrieving the box that William had been protecting. He recognized this box; it was the one Aunt Kimberly had cradled. They said it contained Sophia's ashes. How ridiculous. "Put it down!" William crawled on the ground, his eyes bulging as he shouted at John, "I won't let you touch it. Don't dirty her." John wrapped the box in his suit jacket and instructed Charles, "Bring him to the car. We're going to the Browns'." William's private residence was in the Azure Sea New District, not far from John's place. Sophia must be with William. After all, there was no record of Sophia staying at any hotel, and Charles had checked her travel history. Sophia hadn't left the city. She wasn't at home either, which left only William's place. With a cigarette between his fingers and his elbow resting on the car window, John gazed at the scenery flying by. He was determined to find Sophia and make this woman, who was still in contact with William, regret her actions. William was semi-conscious, being held up by two men in the backseat. He panted heavily, his eyes fixed on the corner of the jacket that John had used to wrap the ashes. He had to retrieve the ashes; they belonged to Sophia. Sophia had never intended to be with John. He would fulfill her wish. William was escorted into his own home. Sitting on the sofa with his back leaning against it, John's thin lips parted slightly as he exhaled smoke. "Hand over Sophia." At this moment, William was forcefully pressed to his knees on the ground. John looked at William as if he were already dead. Years ago, it was the Browns who had orchestrated the bankruptcy of the Jones family. William spat out a mouthful of blood and stared at John, laughing heartily.