Sophia Sullivan's face remained expressionless.
"I can't help. The Winstons should find someone else."
Liam Winston's brows furrowed deeply.
"Mother is begging you. How can you make an elder lower herself like this? Sophia, have you no conscience?"
She gave him a cool glance.
"Conscience was never my strong suit. You'd do well to watch your tongue, Mr. Winston."
Liam choked back his words.
His fingertips throbbed faintly—a reminder of the knife's edge that day and last night's trash bin. This woman always followed through on her threats.
Sophia spoke coldly: "Mrs. Winston was generous last time, offering a bracelet for an invitation. Surely you're not planning to trade earrings for medicine now?"
Mrs. Winston suppressed her fury.
"Don't be absurd, Sophia. I'll pay for the medication properly."
When had she ever endured such humiliation? Her head pounded while resentment clogged her chest. She'd expected at least a massage after swallowing her pride, only to be met with this icy dismissal!
Liam could no longer contain himself.
"Who do you think you are? I don't need you to get those pills!"
Sophia nodded, giving him a strange look.
"Then why keep begging me? You nearly knelt earlier. Go fetch them yourself."
She turned on her heel and left.
Mother and son trembled with rage.
Outside, Chloe Evans stood with a darkened expression. Sophia narrowed her eyes.
"Good dogs don't block doorways. Move."
Chloe retreated two steps.
Last night's drunken assailant still haunted her memory. As she scrambled for a retort, Sophia brushed past without so much as a glance.
The sound of shattering glass echoed from the Winston estate.
Mrs. Winston was breaking things again.
Chloe clenched her fists. She'd heard every word of that exchange. How dare they claim she fell short compared to Sophia? And Liam hadn't even defended her!
Her face blank, she thought: Let the old hag suffer. That witch won't live much longer anyway. The Winston fortune will be mine soon enough.
Taking a deep breath, Chloe arranged her features into innocent concern and reentered.
"Auntie, don't upset yourself. That's just how sister Sophia is."
Mrs. Winston spat viciously: "All those designer gifts I bought her—wasted on an ungrateful wretch!"
She'd conveniently forgotten Sophia had left everything behind.
Liam soothed his mother.
"Don't worry, Mother. I've discovered something—while the Calming Capsules are rare, there's a bounty on The Nexus dark web forum that includes MDH Pharmaceuticals' drugs. I'll secure them."
Chloe asked, "But hasn't The Nexus been offline for ages?"
She secretly hoped Mrs. Winston would never get her medicine.
Liam pondered.
"Word from overseas says the founder's returning. The game will relaunch soon."