"Let's pick up Sophia and then head back."

Catherine called Sophia to let her leave first. Sophia got a call from her mother and knew the loan sharks came to her house to collect money. She planned to come back, but Catherine's call changed her mind.

​​

Sophia didn't stay at work and had to hide in a drug store.

"Sophia, get in."

Sophia looked lifeless. And she turned surprised and angry seeing the big bump on her mother's forehead.

"Mom, did they hit you?"

"No. They didn't. I accidentally bumped my head against the wall."

When the loan sharks came by the house, Linda was doing chores. They didn't say anything and went ahead with ruffling around. They didn't find anything valuable and started smashing things up. Linda tried to stop them. But she was pushed and hit the corner of the table with her forehead, which explained the bump.

"If it weren't for them, would you get hurt?"

Sophia didn't believe that Linda could be so careless. It must be loan sharks.

"It's nothing. I'm not in pain."

"Really? You say so every time. But the loan sharks always smash things up. Mom, could you stop indulging him?"

Linda murmured and didn't say anything.

"Sophia, don't go to work for now. Stay with me in Sean's mansion. You and Aunt Linda."

Catherine was worried that the loan sharks would wait for Sophia at the place she worked. If she came back, she would walk right into their traps.

"Catherine, you haven't told me why I should run. Don't tell me they want to take me back."

No one said anything. It seemed Sophia was the only one that wasn't aware of the situation.

Catherine didn't tell her so much over the phone in case she was frightened. But she had to know. However, how should Catherine tell her?

"It's okay. Let's get back first."

The car came through the gate steadily. Catherine led Sophia and Linda to the living room.

Susan hurried to put out kettles to prepare for tea. And she made snack plates.

"Aunt Maria, do you leave Samuel alone at the house?"

"Well, Samuel went to the calligraphy camp. I was coming by to see Linda. Who knows this would happen."

Maria knew nothing about fighting. She was no match for the rough muscles. She had to call Catherine for help.

Catherine has become the man of the house. That was what Maria thought. When she couldn't think of anything better to do, she went to Catherine. She was confident Catherine would take care of things.

Even if Catherine couldn't, she had Sean. He was a capable man. If Catherine asked for help, he would not stand by.

"Are you coming back later? Will it be dangerous? They have seen you, and I'm afraid they would take you as a hostage."

Linda was worried about Maria. She didn't want to involve Maria in this.

"We'll see. Although they look ferocious, they are reasonable. I don't think they will hurt innocent people."

"The loan sharks are not reasonable. They would do anything for money. Your innocence is the least of their concerns."

Linda and Sophia have seen too much of those. Back in the past, when Tom owed people money in gambling, they would smash things up and beat people up. They would also write a threatening message on the wall with red paint. It was either money or life.

"Aunt Maria, why don't you pick up Samuel and come back? There are plenty of spare rooms. You can come back when things are solved."

Maria said hesitantly, "It can't be so bad."

"Maria, listen to Catherine. Believe me, those guys are monsters."

"Fine. I'll pack up a few things. And I'll pick up Samuel later."

"I'll ask Geoffrey to come with you. It'll be safer."

Then Catherine, Maria, Linda and Sophia suddenly got silent.

Linda wouldn't know how to break the bad news to her own daughter. She was mortified and embarrassed. She thought it was all her fault.

"Aunt Maria, you tell Sophia."

Catherine couldn't either.

"What is it? How much did he owe?" Sophia said coldly, "Tens of thousands of dollars or millions of dollars?"

Sophia wouldn't feel much about Tom's gambling. She couldn't feel anything at the figures that Tom owed other people. It was just a number for her.

"What you think is easy. I wish it was tens of thousands of dollars."

"How much?"

"35 million!"

Sophia turned pale. But she said, "He's getting better at causing us problems. How nice! So he plans to sell me to pay back the gambling money? Too bad it wouldn't cover the debt."

"You're wrong. He is not selling you. He used you as a bet and lost you."

"What did you say?"

Maria would not look at Sophia.

Catherine patted Sophia's shoulder gently and said, "Sophia, don't worry. We'll work something out together. I won't let anything happen to you."

"What can we do? Nice, Tom!"

Sophia was so furious that she had lost the word to describe Tom. Being vicious wasn't enough.

"I don't think he ever sees me as his daughter. Maybe I'm just a tool for him."

"Sophia..." Linda hugged her and said, "My poor daughter."

"I don't want your pity!"

Sophia pushed Linda away and looked away from her sympathetic face. She said, "I'm just not capable of stopping this. Don't feel sorry for me! I'm just a normal girl whose father doesn't love her, and her mother would give her up for her father. I don't need your sympathy!"

"Sophia, don't say that. How could I not love you?"

"All you could think about is that ungrateful man I call father. Do you really have a place for me in your heart? You would get rid of me long ago if I couldn't bring checks back to make ends meet and pay his gambling debt."

Sophia's heart was bleeding. What she said suggested she was completely let down.

When Tom made trouble in the past and Linda told Sophia to put up with it, Sophia would do so for her mother. She would do anything for her.

But it all came down to that Linda took what Sophia has sacrificed for granted. She has become a tool for Linda. She was hurt by them one time after another.

"Sophia, don't think like this. I won't let them take you away."

"What if they want me to trade for Tom?"

"I..."

"They have him, right?"

Catherine said, "Yes. Tom owed them money, and they held him. He might be killed unless someone came to trade for his life with ransom money."

Linda turned pale.

"We're broke. There's nothing valuable in the house except me."

Sophia wasn't worth much, but Tom still used her as a bet.

"Sophia!"

Sophia challenged her mother, "Mom, if they want me to take over Tom's place, would you let them?"

Catherine felt awful. She looked at Linda sharply. If she dared to say yes, she would ask them to throw her out!

Leaving such an ungrateful woman would be such an eyesore.