Chapter 3

Steven's POV

Sophie leaned in and gently kissed my forehead. "I still have three years left on my agreement with the Walker family, so just hang in there a little longer, Steven."

I took a step back as I saw how unbothered Sophie and Millie looked. I then said calmly, "I want to put an end to this… Millie can stay with you, Sophie…"

Sophie furrowed her brows. "You want to walk away from this? You're even willing to give up Millie? Do you really have the heart to do that? Have you forgotten how hard it was to bring Millie into this world, Steven?"

Millie tried to talk me out of it too, looking completely unbothered. "You're being so silly, Daddy! You don't even know how to make money! Don't you want to live in a big mansion? Don't be jealous when Papa and I eat yummy seafood without you, Daddy!"

She stuck her tongue out playfully and scampered away after saying that.

I stared at her retreating figure and suddenly remembered how I'd go to the beach every summer to catch fresh seafood for Millie. I'd end up with bloody cuts on my legs and feet every single time, and Sophie and Millie would always cry as they cleaned my wounds.

Millie even cried out, "I don't want to eat seafood anymore! I feel so bad seeing you like this, Daddy!"

I snapped out of my reverie and said hoarsely, "I'm being serious here, Sophie."

Sophie suddenly jumped to her feet, took three black cards from her purse, and threw them at me. She then stared down at me with contempt and snapped, "You're just making a fuss over money, aren't you, Steven?"

I stood there in a daze after being hit by the cards. I blew my top when I finally snapped out of it, yelling, "That's right—I'm only after the money! I'm nothing but a useless, kept man! Is that what you wanted to hear, Sophie?"

I grabbed the black cards and slammed the door on my way out.

It was the following morning, and the first thing I did after waking up was to block Sophie's number, after she'd spent the whole night trying to call me. I even booked the earliest flight out to Halport, which would depart that very evening. I packed my personal documents and belongings once I returned home.

Just as I was about to leave, I suddenly received a video from an unknown number. Sophie and Joseph were being intimate in bed in the video, their bodies wrapped around each other.

I was so dumbstruck that all I could hear was the loud ringing in my ears. I absentmindedly tapped on the voice message that came after the video.

Joseph's haughty voice came through, "You should take a good look at the date. Does it ring a bell, Steven?"

I instantly felt my heart skip a beat. It was a video taken in June three years ago. Sophie had gone out of town for a month under the guise of working as a nanny. That was also the exact date I had gotten into the car accident.

Joseph sent another voice message. "It seems like you've finally figured it out! I bet you had no idea that the drunk driver who intentionally ran you over and nearly killed you was my older brother, Steven!"

That single sentence instantly pushed me over the edge.

I was trembling all over with rage, my eyes completely bloodshot. It was early June, and I had just picked Millie up from daycare. I was just about to send Sophie a message, updating her about Millie's well-being, when a Porsche lost control outside a club in Bellevue.

I threw myself in front of Millie to protect her and was hit over three times, breaking almost every single bone in my body.

Sophie flew into a rage once she found out about this. She even grabbed a knife and threatened to hunt down that drunk driver. She even showed me a video of that drunk driver behind bars.

It turned out everything was fake!

I could barely contain my fury as my chest heaved. "What the hell do you want from me?"

Just then, Joseph sent another video. He was holding Millie in his arms in the video. "Do you like mangoes, Millie?"

I shouted in alarm the moment I saw the mangoes, "Stop it! She's allergic to mangoes!"

"Why don't you come over to my place so we can have a little chat, Steven?"

Joseph's blatant threat made me see red.

I immediately reached out to reporters and the police, reporting Joseph for attempted child murder and asking for protection.

I had just walked up to the Walker residence to confront Joseph when Jeremiah and several of his close friends suddenly rushed over, filled with indignation.

"That's enough, Steven! You're only doing this because you're jealous of Joseph!"

"Joseph actually looks after Millie as if she were his own! How dare you still harass and threaten him, Steven!"

"You've got this all wrong, officers! Steven is so desperate to marry into a wealthy family that he's gone off the deep end! Joseph is completely innocent here!"

I gritted my teeth as I snarled, "I don't care whether he's innocent! I just want him to give me back my daughter!"

Just then, Sophie opened the door with a grim expression.

I pushed my hatred aside the moment I spotted Sophie. I hurriedly grabbed her arm and pleaded, "Millie ate mangoes! Get her to the hospital now, Sophie!"

Sophie merely shot me a frigid look. "Is it really worth making such a big deal out of this, Steven?"

I stared at her in disbelief, my mouth still agape. "Do you think I'm faking it right now? Do you really think I'd ever joke about Millie's health, Sophie?"

I tried desperately to keep myself together, but I was nearly at my breaking point.

Joseph looked at her, his eyes brimming with unshed tears. "Do you not believe me, Sophie?"

Sophie shot me an indifferent look before turning to embrace Joseph. "Joseph isn't the kind of person who would hurt anyone. You owe him an apology, Steven."

I fought back my tears as I watched her defend Joseph so fiercely. "I won't do it—not unless I get Millie—"

Sophie cut me off coldly, "If you don't apologize to Joseph, I won't take Millie to the hospital, even if she really is having an allergic reaction. It's your call now, Steven—your daughter's life or your pride."

I stared stupidly at the woman in front of me, utterly stunned by how far her favoritism went. I was in so much pain, as if someone had stabbed me in the heart.

Sophie had nearly bled to death when Millie was born. I could even hear her screams outside the OR back then. "Steven, even if I don't make it, you have to take good care of our baby!"

Yet now, Sophie was threatening me with Millie's life.

I turned around in a daze, lowered my head toward the reporters crowding outside, and apologized, "I'm sorry! I deliberately brought this matter to public attention and made false accusations against Mr. Walker out of jealousy!"

Just then, someone threw a soda can at me and hit me squarely in the forehead, causing blood to slowly trickle down.