Read with BonusRead with Bonus

Chapter 6 A Fifty Percent Chance

The room was lit up like a Christmas tree. Sophia was inside, rummaging around for what felt like forever before she finally found a piece of A4 paper and a pen.

She dragged a chair over to Nicholas's bedside and started scribbling away. Line after line of bold letters filled the page.

Sophia picked up the agreement, gave it a once-over, and nodded, satisfied. She signed her name and then glanced at Nicholas, who was still lying there, not moving an inch. A mischievous glint sparkled in her eyes as she pulled out a red ink pad from the drawer. She pressed Nicholas's hand onto it and then stamped it on the agreement, sealing the deal.

With a look of triumph, she tucked the agreement away. Now that it was signed, treating Nicholas was next on the list.

The next morning, Nicholas was still out cold, not even a finger twitch. As usual, Sophia checked his heartbeat, which was a bit better than the day before. But he was still a long way from waking up!

She pulled her hand back and headed downstairs to the study on the first floor, knocking on the door.

"Come in!" echoed a voice from inside. As Sophia entered, several people lounging on the black leather sofa turned their heads to look at her.

Sophia scanned the room and nodded as she walked towards Warren. "Grandpa."

Warren looked puzzled. "Sophia, what do you need?"

"I'm here to talk about treating Nicholas," Sophia said, her eyes full of determination.

She'd only been in the family for a few days and was already feeling the restrictions. Having Warren's support would make things a lot easier. Moreover, the Martinez family's vast network and resources were invaluable. Treating Nicholas's poisoning would require some rare medicinal herbs that only Warren could help procure.

"Sophia," Lorenzo cut in, "Nicholas is the heir of the Martinez family. You can't just treat him like that. What if something goes wrong?"

A cold glint flashed in Sophia's eyes.

Lorenzo's reaction was fishy. Why did he always freak out whenever she mentioned treating Nicholas? She was good at reading people, and Lorenzo was definitely hiding something.

"You all have seen me treating Nicholas, so you should understand the level of my medical expertise." Sophia stared directly at Lorenzo, like she could see right through him.

The Martinez family wasn't short on cash and had brought in many top-notch doctors. Each one, after running their tests, said Nicholas was in a vegetative state with slim chances of waking up. But after Sophia used that needle, Nicholas's fingers had moved—something none of the other doctors had managed to achieve. Hence, her capacity was self-evident.

"Sophia, let me tell you!" Lorenzo's wife, Leila Baker, chimed in, looking at Sophia with disapproval. "Anyone would react if you pricked them with a needle! Maybe it was just a coincidence?"

"Yeah!" Lorenzo added, "We got lucky nothing happened to Nicholas that time. What if something goes wrong next time? Besides, you haven't studied medicine. How can we trust you?"

Before Sophia married into the family, everyone had dug into her past. She'd been in prison for five years. Who would believe she learned medicine in there?

The group whispered among themselves, shooting disapproving looks at Sophia.

"Who says I can't learn medicine from a young age?" Sophia's smirk sliced through the room's tension like a blade. "Lorenzo, why do you freak out every time I mention treating Nicholas? It's like I hit a nerve!"

Lorenzo started sweating bullets. "I... I'm just worried about Nicholas."

Sophia locked eyes with him, then looked around the room. "Everyone knows what the doctors said."

The doctors had declared Nicholas in a vegetative state, and if he didn't wake up within a year, he never would.

The group exchanged glances, clearly annoyed with Sophia but trying to hide it. Why did she always have to stir things up? Wouldn't it be easier to just let Nicholas die quietly? After his death, she could take her share and leave.

"Since his situation is already so dire, why not let me try? The worst outcome is already known!" Sophia's gaze bore into Lorenzo, and everyone else turned to look at him too. He was in a tough spot, swallowing hard.

"I'm just afraid your so-called skills will only hasten his demise," Lorenzo shot back, his eyes flashing with malice. "Who's to say you're not here to finish Nicholas off as a pawn for another rival family?"

If Nicholas died and word got out, the Martinez Group would be in deep trouble, with other companies ready to pounce and possibly even take over.

"Lorenzo, you're kidding, right?" Sophia leaned back in her chair with a charming smile. "Didn't you all dig into my background? Or do you think any company can pull strings under the Martinez Group's nose? If you don't trust me, have someone keep an eye on me."

Diana, seeing Sophia's confident demeanor, thought for a moment and took Sophia's hand. "Sophia, don't say that. You're part of our family now."

Sophia smiled, patting Diana's hand as she looked around at the others. "But that doesn't mean trust is granted. Let me be clear: only I can cure this poison. No one else can! I'm willing to help, but the decision is yours. Take your time to think it over."

With that, Sophia leisurely sipped her tea, while Diana looked conflicted.

Nicholas was her only grandson, who had grown up by her side. Naturally, she wanted him to recover, but the situation was tricky. On one hand, they could gamble on Sophia's treatment; on the other, they could let Nicholas remain in a vegetative state. If the treatment failed, Nicholas's life would be at risk. But if it succeeded...

The group started arguing noisily in the study. Warren slammed the table, and everyone fell silent, all eyes on him.

"Alright, everyone, stop arguing!" Warren looked at Sophia and asked, "What are the chances of your treatment working?"

Sophia paused for a moment, considering her response. The success rate of her detoxification method was high—around ninety percent under regular circumstances—but she couldn't be certain there weren't other complications or toxins in Nicholas's system, so she decided to give herself some leeway.

"Fifty percent," she answered.

Warren took a deep breath, thinking it over carefully. "Alright, Nicholas will be entrusted to you for treatment. If you need anything, just ask Jace for help."

Everyone's eyes widened, and Lorenzo gritted his teeth. As Nicholas's assistant, Jace held real power in the Martinez Group. And now he was at Sophia's beck and call?

Sophia stood up with a smile. "Thank you, Grandpa."

Previous Chapter
Next Chapter