Chapter 386

The hum of conversations and the merry clink of wine glasses formed a convenient curtain, shielding what unfolded behind the scenes.

Verena and Molly quietly slipped away from curious eyes and took the elevator down to the underground parking lot.

At the entrance stood a black vehicle, waiting like a silent accomplice. Verena pulled open the door,ushered Molly into the back seat first, and then followed her inside.

The moment the door clicked shut, the vehicle rolled forward,gliding out of the lot and into the night.

Inside,Molly seemed oblivious to the growing distance from the art museum; her mind circled only one name -Luis.

Picking up where their lounge conversation had broken off, she leaned forward, words tumbling out in a rush. "You said you'd tell me about Luis. How is he these days? Why won't he answer my calls or messages? Has work worn him out until he's fallen sick?Or Her questions dried up all at once. Her throat tightened, and tears shimmered in her eyes. "Or... is it because I did something wrong?"

Verena hesitated, weighing her words, before speaking softly. "No, he isn't angry with you, and he isn't ilL."

She allowed a deliberate pause, and then added, "He's simply been burdened with troubles, the kind that weigh heavily on a man's spirit."

Molly's brows furrowed as she pressed on, saying,"What troubles? Tell me-I might be able to help."

Lowering her gaze to her interlocked fingers, Verena let out a sigh. "One of Luis' subordinates has blundered badly. Now a lawsuit looms over him,and prison may not be far behind."

Her voice quivered slightly, her eyes shadowed with worry. "That's why Luis hasn't been eating or sleeping properly. He's lost so much weight. I may be his sister,but I don't know him as deeply as you do-you grew up at his side."

She raised her eyes and fixed them on Molly. "That's why I came to you. When Luis suffers, how should ease his pain? I can't bear to see him like this."

After speaking, Verena kept her gaze steady, quietly studying Molly's shifting expression. Molly, who had been consumed by worry, froze.Instinctively, she drew back, pressing against the car door.

"What did you just say?"

Her voice rasped like a frayed thread, her coral-painted nails digging crescents into the leather seat.Her eyes flickered uneasily-first to the blur of greenery rushing past the window, then to Verena's steady gaze, and finally down to her own knees.

In an instant, memories stormed back-fragments of a phone call she had overheard in Sherwood's study only days before. Suddenly, she understood: her father's carefully laid plans were unfolding far faster than she had imagined.

Her heart thundered in her chest, each beat striking with dread. Luis' tender smile overlapped in her mnind with her father's stern, unyielding face. Could her father truly be so merciless?

A silent scream tore through her heart as her nails bit into her palms. Their families had once been as close as kin-how could her father trample all sentiment and strike Luis so cruelly?

Scenes of her past with Luis spun before her eyes:him shielding her from childhood bullies, patiently teaching her business affairs as they matured. Those precious moments now felt overshadowed by her father's ruthless designs.

The more she thought, the tighter her chest became,as though she were sinking beneath waves of regret and fear. She couldn't-she wouldn't-let disaster fall upon Luis.

Clenching her fists until her palms stung, she forced out a hoarse whisper. "It's my dad."

The low hum of the air conditioner did little to hide the uneven rhythm of her breathing.

Verena blinked, momentarily startled, and then lowered her eyes to conceal her reaction. She hadn't expected Molly to confess so quickly.

Gathering herself, Verena lifted her head again, just enough astonishment in her tone. "What do you mean?"

Molly's hands twisted in her lap, crumpling the fabric of her trousers.

Her throat felt dry as sand; she swallowed hard before blurting through clenched teeth, "It's all my father's scheme. He's plotting against the Sampsons-against Luis!"

Tears broke loose midway, spattering onto her knees and leaving dark circles. "He wants to pin smuggling charges on Luis. That's all I know-l overheard by chance. My father never told me the details, nor would he allow me to ask."

Looking at Molly's ashen face, Verena felt a sudden tightness in her chest.

Molly's eyes, rimmed with red, brimmed with guilt and torment for Luis' sake.

Seeing this, Verena's heart pricked with both guilt and sorrow. She had used Molly's feelings to reach this truth, yet she couldn't deny being moved. Sherwood's sins were his own; Molly was innocent.

Verena's sigh was soft, her voice gentler without her realizing it. "Molly, thank you-for still thinking of Luis in such a moment."

Molly wiped her tears with trembling fingers,choking out, "I'd do anything for him. I just don't want him hurt.I only want him safe."

Suddenly, as if struck by a desperate thought,Molly seized Verena's wrist. Lifting her tear-streaked face,she pleaded, eyes glistening, "Now that I've told you the truth-though my father has sinned-if it isn't too late,could you forgive him this once?"

Her sobbing words trembled like a drowning soul clutching at driftwood. "He's blinded by greed, but if he stops now, things can still be mended... Luis wouldn't want me turned out into the cold, would he?" Fresh tears coursed down her cheeks.

At that, Verena's first impulse was to lay bare every wound Sherwood had inflicted upon the Sampsons.Yet when her eyes met Molly's tear-streaked face and trembling lips, the words lodged in her throat.

She turned her gaze aside, swallowing back the sharp retort that rose within her.

At length, she spoke slowly, choosing her words with care. "I'll pass your message to Luis."

Molly, blind to the storm behind Verena's eyes,heard only a promise. Her taut shoulders slackened as she brushed away her tears, smearing streaks across her cheeks, and summoned a fragile smile. "Thank you."

Verena studied her tear-dampened face and returned a faint,reluctant smile.

The car settled into silence, broken only by the steady sound of their breathing.