Chapter 7 Stop, Let Her Go

He didn't spare Sophia another glance. His body moved on pure instinct, rushing to the bed.

Serenity remained deep in her medicated sleep, but her outer arm bore a vicious gash. Blood seeped steadily from the wound, soaking through her sleeve and staining the sheets a dark crimson.

The metallic tang of blood hung thick in the air, making his chest constrict.

"Someone get in here!"

He bolted into the hallway, his voice echoing off the walls. Within thirty seconds, a team of doctors and nurses came running. They worked with practiced efficiency, examining the wound before wheeling the bed out rapidly.

Before leaving, the attending physician turned back to reassure him. "Mr. Smith, don't worry. Ms. Powell's injury is superficial. We'll suture it and give her a transfusion. She'll be fine."

James exhaled slowly. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

The moment the medical team disappeared down the corridor with the bed, his composure shattered.

"Sophia!" The name came out raw with fury and disbelief.

His gaze cut into her like a blade. "You were holding a knife over my mother. What were you planning to do? Were you going to kill her? After everything she's done for you all these years—what the hell has she ever done to deserve this?"

Sophia could barely stand. She gripped the bed rail for support, forcing out words. "That's not… I didn't…"

Isabella pressed a hand to her swollen cheek, her voice breaking into sobs. "James, I'm sorry. This is partly my fault too.

"I came in to bring Serenity some fruit, and I saw her standing over the bed with the knife. I panicked. I tried to stop her, and she hit me. She tried to kill me. In the struggle, somehow Serenity got cut… James, I… I'm so useless…"

Her body trembled as she spoke, slowly moving toward James as if seeking shelter.

James ignored Isabella entirely, his cold stare fixed on Sophia. "Talk."

Speaking took tremendous effort. Sophia lowered herself into a nearby chair, taking a moment to steady her breathing before she answered. Her voice was flat, drained of emotion.

"It was Isabella. First she tried to pull out your mother's oxygen tube to frame me. When that didn't work, she changed tactics. She got one thing right, though—I did want to kill her. But I never had any intention of hurting Serenity."

"You're lying!" Isabella's voice shot up, shrill and tearful. "James, she grabbed the oxygen tube herself when she panicked! She picked up the knife! You can have it tested—her fingerprints are all over it!

"Think about it. Why would I ever hurt Serenity? She's been so good to me. I'm grateful to her! It's Sophia who's lost her mind. She wants to kill you, me, and Serenity too!"

Sophia simply sighed.

"James, you're not stupid enough to just take her word for it without checking the security footage, are you?"

The word "security" made Isabella's body go rigid.

Panic flickered across her face before she smothered it beneath another wave of tears.

She suddenly clutched her head, swaying on her feet. "James, I feel so dizzy. My head hurts so much…" Before she finished speaking, her eyes rolled back and she stumbled toward him.

"Isabella!" James caught her as she collapsed against him, unresponsive. The handprint on her cheek stood out in vivid red.

He immediately turned toward the door and shouted, "Doctor! Nurse! Get in here now!"

The room erupted into controlled chaos again.

James lifted Isabella and carried her toward the door, then stopped.

"I'm calling the police about this. You'd better get your story straight."

At that moment, James's personal assistant Mark came rushing down the hallway.

"Mr. Smith, what happened?"

"Perfect timing. Go to the security office and pull the footage from this room, starting from half an hour ago until now."

Mark blinked in surprise, then nodded quickly. "Right away."

Sophia spoke up. "I'm coming with you."

James glanced at her, his expression unreadable. "What's wrong? Getting nervous?"

Sophia's voice was steady. "I don't trust him."

Mark looked to James, who simply said, "Don't try anything," before striding away.

"Ms. Brown, this way."

Sophia couldn't walk easily. Mark found a wheelchair and pushed her down the corridor.

Neither spoke during the journey.

The security office was located on the first floor of the administrative building.

Mark showed his credentials. The staff member on duty looked surprised but didn't dare question it. He immediately pulled up the footage from the VIP ward's top floor—both the hallway outside Serenity's room and the interior camera.

But before he could even reach the relevant timestamp, the screen flickered violently, then dissolved into static and black.

"What the hell?" Both Mark and Sophia stared in shock.

The technician frowned. "Signal interruption. Let me try the backup feed."

No matter which angle or feed he switched to, the footage was corrupted. They could see Isabella entering, the two women talking briefly.

Then the image froze. When it resumed, Sophia was holding the knife, lunging at Isabella. The two struggled near the bed. Then James burst in.

Sophia's heart sank like a stone.

The surveillance just happened to malfunction at the most critical moment?

Mark's expression turned grave. "I need to report this to Mr. Smith."

Sophia asked, "Can it be restored? Is there a backup?"

The technician shook his head. "This is deliberate signal interference. The underlying data is corrupted. There's no way to recover it."

Sophia closed her eyes.

The door swung open.

Isabella appeared, changed into a fresh hospital gown. Her face was still swollen, yet she seemed almost fully recovered.

"Well? Did you find the footage?" she asked.

Sophia stared at her performance, her voice cold. "You fainted at just the right moment. And recovered awfully fast."

Mark answered, "Ms. Johnson, there's a technical issue with the surveillance. We're working on it."

"A technical issue?" Isabella's brow furrowed. "What a coincidence. So there's no evidence? Oh, I wonder how Serenity's doing. James must be beside himself with worry."

She turned to Sophia, her tone dripping with false concern. "Sophia, your hand is still bleeding. You should get it bandaged. You look terrible.

"I know you're suffering. What happened with Clara and the baby hit you so hard. But no matter what, you can't hurt Serenity. She's been so good to you…"

The words hit her like a curse. Sophia's breathing quickened, red veins spreading through her eyes.

She lurched to her feet, ready to teach Isabella a real lesson this time. But Isabella had learned. She darted behind Mark.

"Ms. Brown! Please, calm down!" Mark startled, moving quickly to intervene.

Sophia pushed forward anyway, a guttural sound of rage tearing from her throat.

Mark grabbed her firmly, forcing her back into the wheelchair.

"Stop it! Let her go!"

The voice came from the doorway.