Besides, their inheritance share actually turned out to be larger than what Richard had tried to claim for himself.
For a family of their wealth, even a fraction of the estate was enough for a lifetime of luxury.
The division of assets didn’t have the dramatic spectacle that many had anticipated.
Perhaps because the old man was simply too tired.
He was eager to send everyone away—his money, his burdens, all of it.
He didn’t even leave any money for himself.
The only thing he kept was the old ancestral home, where he and the old lady would live out the rest of their days in peace.
From start to finish, he never once looked at Richard.
Richard kept whispering, repeating over and over that he was wrong, that he regretted everything.
But the old man never gave him the chance to speak.
—
Livinus stayed at the old residence late into the night.
“Father, are you sure about this?”
The old man closed his eyes, the exhaustion evident in his expression.
“Livinus, let it go. Someday, when you become a father, you’ll understand.
“No matter how unfilial your children may be, it’s difficult to send them to prison with your own hands.
“And with Henry still in that household, I’ll consider this my way of giving them some dignity.”
The truth was, he had considered many factors.
If news got out that Andrea had tried to kill him, Scott Corporation’s stock would plummet.
The company would take a heavy blow, and while the inheritance seemed stable now, in reality, it had already been weakened.
Scott Corporation was already in a precarious position—one more scandal could push it into crisis.
“Go home, Livinus. Sophia is waiting for you.”
Livinus paused.
The old man rarely mentioned Sophia.
But these words…
It was clear that he had finally accepted their relationship.
Livinus glanced at the window.
Beyond the heavy curtains, the night sky stretched out in endless darkness—calm and undisturbed.
His face remained impassive, but there was a faint warmth in his eyes.
At this hour, Sophia—who always slept early—should already be in bed.
What a shame.
He really wanted to share this peaceful night with her.
—
When he returned home, he found that Sophia was still awake.
She was lying in bed, reading.
When she saw him, she immediately tensed up.
“Is everything okay?” she asked.
Livinus smiled faintly.
It was only then that he realized—he hadn’t held her in days.
“Everything is fine.”
“That’s good.” Sophia exhaled, finally relaxing.
Somewhere along the way, she had developed a deep concern for him.
She needed to know he was okay.
“Did you eat properly?” he asked.
“Mmm.”
“And is the baby behaving?”
Sophia rested her hand on her slightly rounded belly, a gentle smile appearing on her lips.
“Very well-behaved.”
—
After the inheritance was settled, the Scott family suddenly remembered something.
Wasn’t the old man’s stroke supposed to be incurable?
So how had he miraculously woken up?
It wasn’t until then that they learned—
It was Sophia who had saved him.
As people recounted how she had treated and cared for the old man, the family members couldn’t help but feel moved.
Whether or not she had done it for personal reasons, it was still remarkable that she had gone this far.
And the fact remained—she had saved the old man’s life.
She was, without a doubt, the Scott family’s greatest benefactor.
In the days that followed, Scott Justin and Scott Weston personally visited her, offering gifts as a token of gratitude.
Sophia was visibly uncomfortable.
Each gift was extremely expensive.
Livinus took one look at them and casually said, “Take them.”
“Huh?”
“You think this is just a thank-you gift?” His tone was indifferent. “It’s a test. They still want to rely on me. If you accept, it means you’re acknowledging their goodwill.”
Sophia shrugged.
So complicated.
But since Livinus had spoken, she simply accepted the gifts.
—
Meanwhile, Andrea was barely able to crawl into bed.
Even though Richard hadn’t received as much as he wanted, he had still inherited something.
That meant Henry would still have financial security.
But she was terrified.
She was certain that the old man had already called the police.
She just didn’t know when they would come.
Andrea hid under the blankets, paralyzed with fear.
But a day passed.
And no one came.
“Mom, come out. Grandpa didn’t call the police.”
Henry had pieced together the truth.
He hadn’t expected Andrea and Richard to be capable of such things.
But he knew—his mother had done all of it for him.
Fortunately, the old man had decided to let it go.
All he had asked was for them to leave.
“Mom, let’s stop fighting for the inheritance. I’m still young. With what Grandpa left me, I can start over.”
Andrea closed her eyes. “Starting a business isn’t easy.
“The old man is so biased.
“He gave everything to Livinus.
“Do you know how valuable that company is?
“Just thinking about it makes my heart ache!”
“Mom, it’s not something we can change.
“You should focus on Dad instead.
“He went to Emily’s place.”
Andrea was exhausted.
She didn’t care anymore.
Her leg injury was severe, and she had developed a fever.
Henry checked her temperature—it was high.
A doctor came to treat her, but she refused.
She wanted the old man to understand her message.
She would not go to prison.
She wanted to preserve Henry’s reputation.
She didn’t want the Brown family to despise him.
She refused to let him carry the shame of having a murderer for a mother.
Henry desperately sought treatment for her, but she rejected everything.
She even stopped taking her cancer medication.
Someone suggested taking her to Sophia, who had a renowned reputation for treating orthopedic injuries.
But when Henry mentioned it, Andrea flatly refused.
Accepting treatment would mean admitting defeat.
And she had been strong her entire life.
How could she possibly bow down to Sophia?
Ridiculous.
Andrea knew she didn’t have much time left.
She wanted to meet with Richard one last time—to make sure he left everything to Henry.
But before she could—
She received devastating news.
Richard was in serious trouble.
