Chapter 480
Chapter 480
In the middle of May, Sophia suddenly received a call from Rose.
However, it turned out to be Rose's secretary, Madeline, on the line. NôvelDrama.Org: owner of this content.
Madeline informed Sophia that Rose had gone into cardiac arrest the night before but was subsequently revived after the doctors provided her with emergency treatment. Nonetheless, the doctors declared that her condition was critical.
When Rose was still conscious, she had instructed Madeline to request Sophia's presence in Lusterg in the event she was on her deathbed.
"Ms. Yarrow, Mdm. Lenoir mentioned that Mr. Claudius is her last living blood relative. Even though he has lost his memory and probably doesn't feel anything toward her now, she doesn't want him to remember the fact that he had to face her death alone when he recovers his memory one day. Since you are Mr. Claudius' significant other and will be the person who is the closest to him in the future, Mdm. Lenoir wants you by his side during this trying period. She hopes that you would agree on the account that she's his mother."
The secretary's words came as a surprise to Sophia.
When Rose met Sophia the other day, the former talked about Claudius in an unsentimental tone, as if he was nothing but a promising heir to her.
The attitude she displayed was devoid of any motherly warmth.
However, Sophia realized now that Rose did love Claudius. She just didn't want her motherly love to
burden him, knowing that death would soon come for her.
Given that they never interacted for the first thirty-four years of his life, she didn't want to weigh him down emotionally in his thirty-fifth year.
"All right, Ms. Zobek. I'll head over right away."
"I appreciate it, Ms. Yarrow."
"I should be the one saying that."
With no time to lose, Sophia instructed Felix to book her the fastest flight to Lusterg.
"Do you need me to go with you, Ms. Yarrow?"
Sophia shook her head. "Percy will probably make his move soon, so you'll need to stay here and keep an eye on him. If there's an emergency, you should discuss it with Yvonne and deal with it immediately. Otherwise, wait for my return if it isn't urgent."
At that moment, Felix recalled the troublesome timebomb that remained within Odyssey. "All right, Ms. Yarrow. I'll send you to the airport."
"Thank you."
After signing the two documents in hand and returning them to Felix, Sophia grabbed her jacket and strode out of the office.
During the journey to the airport, she sent Claudius a message: I'm taking the three o'clock flight to Lusterg.
Claudius was probably busy and didn't reply.
Without bringing much luggage, Sophia picked up her ticket and passed through the security check with her passport in hand.
Once she did so, she could hear the boarding announcement for her flight.
It was then that her phone began to vibrate.
Expecting it to be Claudius, she furrowed her brows when she saw that it was Katherine on the line.
"What is it?"
"I'm wrapping up work tomorrow and will be back in Jadeborough the day after. Are you free, President Yarrow? I would like to treat you to a meal."
Sophia chuckled in resignation. "Rose's condition has taken a turn for the worse. I'm at the airport now, flying out to Lusterg."
"That's so sudden. In that case, take care and call me when you're back. I have a surprise to share with you!"
When Sophia recalled Katherine's so-called "surprises" in the past, she quipped, "I hope you're not
going to give me another shock."
"No, not this time. I swear!"
Cognizant that it was time for Sophia to board the plane, Katherine ended the call after wishing her a safe journey.
Thereafter, Sophia smiled at her phone before boarding the plane once the flight attendant returned her ticket.
The plane finally soared into the sky half an hour later.
After staring through the window at the increasingly small buildings, Sophia retracted her gaze to get some shut eye.
Nevertheless, her sleep was anything but restful, for she kept cycling through different dreams.
By the time she woke up, the flight attendant happened to be serving dinner.
With not much of an appetite, Sophia ate a bun and drank a glass of milk.
After a fourteen-hour-and-twenty-minute flight, her plane finally landed in Lusterg at one.
The weather in Lusterg was pleasant that day, and Sophia saw Claudius' reply once she disembarked from the plane.
He had sent Joe, the bodyguard she met before in Lightspring, to pick her up.
Upon leaving the terminal, Sophia spotted Joe right away. "Ms. Yarrow, I'm Mr. Claudius' bodyguard. We have met before this."
Sophia nodded in acknowledgment. "Thank you for coming."
Joe then shifted his gaze to Sophia's back. "Did you not bring any luggage with you?"
"Nope."
Before Joe could say more, Sophia suggested, "Let's head to the hospital right away."
Hearing that, Joe led Sophia to the parking lot and drove her straight to the hospital without saying anything else.
Half an hour later, their car arrived at the hospital entrance.
As Sophia wasn't sure where Rose's ward was, Joe personally guided her to it.
By the time she arrived, Claudius was already inside.
Madeline, who was standing outside the ward, was taken aback by Sophia's arrival. "Ms. Yarrow."
Sophia gave her a cordial nod. "Ms. Zobek, how is Mdm. Lenoir doing?"
The latter shook his head. "She was briefly conscious in the morning but can't even speak now. The doctor gave her a morphine injection and said that she only has two to three days left."
As sorrow descended upon Sophia, Madeline changed the subject. "After rushing all the way here, did you manage to get something to eat? Or would you like to rest first?"
Sophia shook her head in response. Despite her exhaustion, she was not in the mood for food or sleep.
"I'll go in and see her first."
"All right."
After Madeline opened the door for her, Sophia was greeted by the sight of Claudius standing by the bed.
The sound of her footsteps caused him to turn around, while the sight of her triggered a gleam in his eyes. "Have you had anything to eat?"
Sophia shook her head as she walked up to his side and gave Rose a glance.
Just one month ago, Rose looked like an entirely different person. When Sophia ran into her at the airport, the latter was wearing delicate makeup and dressed like a distinguished lady. One could hardly tell from the elegant aura she exuded that she was an old lady in her sixties.
In contrast to then, she was now lying on a hospital bed. Her face appeared shriveled, while her eyes had nothing but a listless look in them.
Noticing Sophia's gaze, Rose struggled to turn and look in the former's direction.
When she opened her mouth to say something, all she could manage was an inaudible whisper.
Sophia quickly leaned in and picked up a faint "thank you."
Naturally, she understood the rationale for Rose's gratitude. Not only did Sophia rush all the way to Lusterg, but she was also putting herself in danger due to the animosity harbored by Rose's nieces and nephews. Consequently, her presence indeed deserved appreciation from Rose.
When Sophia turned toward Claudius and saw the tired look on his face, she was distressed. "Did you have trouble sleeping?"
Claudius nodded as he looked down at her.
Once Rose drifted back to sleep from the effects of the morphine, Madeline suggested that Claudius take Sophia out to get some food and rest. She would stay back at the hospital to keep vigil.
As Claudius had rushed over after his meeting in the morning, he, too, hadn't had anything to eat for lunch.
Since both of them barely had any appetite and Sophia wasn't keen on Epean food, they only ended up having some soup and a few bites of sandwiches.
Sophia didn't eat or sleep well during her journey there, and to make matters worse, Rose's condition caused her to be overwhelmed by sorrow. As a result, there was no way she could get proper rest.
Claudius poured a glass of water for her, and she was surprised to find the glass warm when she took it from him. "Thank you."
Claudius suggested, "Why don't you get some rest first? I still have something I need to take care of."
With that, he led her to the master bedroom.
As the entire condominium had a minimalist design to it, the room's design was consistent with what she saw outside.
The moment Sophia stepped into the room, she noticed the perfumed sachet she had given him a month ago lying on the bedside table.
A familiar fragrance filled her senses when she approached.
Behind her, Claudius took a t-shirt out of the closet for her. "Put this on first. I'll get someone to bring you a set of pajamas later."
Having rushed all the way over, Sophia didn't bring anything else other than her documents and ID card.
She was still wearing the dress and jacket she wore the day before, and her attire was indeed not suitable for bed.
After putting on his shirt, she quickly caught a whiff of the same familiar scent.
She broke into a faint smile upon lowering her head to take another sniff.
Claudius wasn't lying. He did like the fragrance she had gotten him.