Chapter 5 Agreement

The noise came from Barry, who was right next to her. It sounded painful and muffled. Sophia quickly turned her head and flicked on the small lamp.

In the light, Barry's face was flushed, and he was frowning in pain, muttering, "No! Get out!"

His voice was all broken up, like he'd been through something really bad. He kept twisting around like he was trying to dodge something, and every now and then, he'd let out these painful whimpers. It was clear he was having a nightmare.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes and stared blankly at the ceiling, tears streaming down his face. Sophia frowned and reached out to pat Barry, trying to snap him out of the nightmare. "Don't cry, don't cry, it's just a dream."

Barry closed his eyes again, still sobbing, but he seemed to feel some comfort and snuggled into Sophia's arms, holding her arm tightly.

She felt a pang of sadness watching him, so she held him close, gently patting his back, and started humming the lullaby her grandmother used to sing to her. "Hush, little baby, don't say a word..."

After a while, Barry's emotions finally calmed down. His stiff body relaxed, and his breathing became steady as he drifted back to sleep.

Sophia wiped the tears from Barry's eyes, but she couldn't fall asleep herself. Every time she closed her eyes, she heard Barry's painful voice again.

Feeling his warm body in her arms, she opened her eyes wide and stared at the ceiling.

Dreams come from the subconscious, and she had studied this before. Barry was the only great-grandson of the Martinez family, and he should be loved by everyone. He shouldn't have been exposed to anything bad, so there shouldn't be any reason for him to have such terrible nightmares, especially ones that seemed so painful and hard to escape from.

Sophia cleared her dry throat, slipped on her slippers, and quietly walked downstairs to get some water.

The sky was already getting light, with the first blush of dawn seeping through the windows, as the kitchen lights bathed the room in a warm glow. Housemaids bustled around, beginning their routine of preparing breakfast. Sophia grabbed a cup, poured some water, and leaned against the counter, initiating a conversation with the maid who was chopping vegetables.

The maid's hand holding the knife paused when she heard Sophia's question. "Why do you ask?" she turned and asked.

Sophia, momentarily taken aback by the uncertainty in the maid's eyes, responded, "I just got here, and I need to get familiar with things. Barry seems quite close to me, so I thought it would be helpful to understand his likes and dislikes to get along with him better."

The maid gave a nervous laugh, stammering, "Well... everyone knows, Mr. Barry Martinez is Mr. Nicholas Martinez's ex-girlfriend's child. His mother hasn't been around since he was little, and we've all been taking care of him together. Maybe his personality is a bit special, he hasn't liked to talk since he was little."

All the answers were the same as what she'd heard before. But the maid's answers seemed rehearsed, like she was trying to hide something.

Sophia asked another question, "You've been here a while, right? Watching Mr. Barry Martinez grow up, is that all you know?"

The maid stiffened, her laugh more forced this time, and still dodged the question.

"Mrs. Sophia Martinez, what are you saying? Usually, Mr. Barry Martinez interacts more with Mrs. Diana Martinez. Mrs. Diana Martinez knows everything about him." The maid cleared her throat. "Why don't you just go ask Mrs. Diana Martinez?"

Sophia frowned, confused, staring at the maid's stiff back and guarded expression. She realized she wasn't going to get anything out of her. The maid must have been specifically instructed, so pushing further would be pointless. If she kept probing, she might stir up trouble.

"Alright, I get it," Sophia said, frowning as she set the cup aside and headed back upstairs.

'I'll figure this out eventually,' she thought. As for Barry, she'd take care of him slowly.

The sky was bright, sunlight streaming through the gaps in the curtains, but the room was still dim. Sophia stood at the door, looking at the two people lying on the bed, one big and one small, both with the same high nose, thick eyebrows, and diamond-shaped lips, like they were carved from the same mold.

Nicholas, deep in coma, and Barry, sleeping soundly, both lay flat on their backs with the same expressionless face. Even their respiratory rate seemed choreographed, echoing a silent symphony of uncanny similarity.

She couldn't help but chuckle softly, leaning in for a closer look. These two were definitely father and son; they looked so much alike!

Since she couldn't sleep, Sophia quickly washed up. Standing next to Nicholas, she stared at his face, reaching out as usual to feel his heartbeat every morning.

His condition was slightly better than yesterday though only by the slimmest margin. A furrow formed between her brows as she stared at Nicholas's tightly closed eyes, mulling over the complexity of his treatment.

Based on her past experience and judgment, Sophia understood that Nicholas's condition, while not insurmountable, was laborious and time-consuming to treat. It demanded an array of medicinal materials and a meticulous regimen—challenges she had managed effortlessly in the past.

However, the present posed new obstacles. The medicinal materials were a problem. In the past, with her status, countless medicinal materials would be sent to her, and she could openly go to auctions to bid. But now, she was just a bride sent by a small family to bring good luck to Nicholas, without such privileges.

On second thought, she was now in the Martinez family, which had no shortage of power and money. In Emerald City, they were at the top, enough to use countless money to pile up those precious medicinal materials.

She breathed a sigh of relief, packing up the things she needed.

Having dedicated so many years to the study of medicine, Sophia had become a coveted healer, commanding hefty fees for her treatments. Never had she offered her skills freely.

As she scrutinized Nicholas's smooth, unlined face, she raised an eyebrow, wondering whether Nicholas would show any semblance of gratitude, let alone compensate her for her expertise.

Nicholas was known for being cold and ruthless, with many rumors about his harsh methods. It was said that someone once held a banner at the bottom of the Martinez Group building, accusing Nicholas, the president of the Martinez Group, of inaction. Later, it was suppressed by the Martinez Group, and the person's whereabouts became unknown.

Sophia touched her chin, staring at Nicholas's high nose and quickly analyzed her current situation.

Her role in the Martinez family was clear: she was there to bring good luck to Nicholas. However, she knew he was unlikely to appreciate such superstitious gestures. When he awoke, it was almost certain he would see her as someone who had manipulated her way into his life. He might even view her as a fraud and take swift, ruthless action to remove her from the equation. Given the stakes, Nicholas' revenge was a troubling prospect Sophia couldn't afford to ignore.

Sophia's mind was racing, she touched her chin, and her eyes suddenly lit up. She could write an agreement in advance and have Nicholas "sign" it. Even if Nicholas wanted to deal with her later, it wouldn't matter, she could use the agreement to claim her reward. With the agreement, he couldn't deny it!