Chapter 27: I Like Sophie!
Inside a quiet hospital ward, the atmosphere felt unusually still.
Behind a drawn white curtain, a middle-aged woman sat propped against the headboard, a cup of warm water cradled between her thin hands. Her complexion was pale, and there was a lingering weariness in her eyes as she stared silently through the window at the bright morning sky outside.
"Mom, why are you sitting up by yourself again?"
The moment Sophie Kennedy entered, she hurried to the bedside, fussing over the pillows and adjusting the blanket around her mother’s legs.
Watching her daughter move around so attentively, Diana Kennedy felt a familiar ache in her chest. She knew better than anyone how much Sophie had sacrificed over the past two years. Sometimes, when the pain became unbearable, Diana had honestly considered giving up.
But every time she looked at Sophie and Rachel, she couldn’t bring herself to do it.
Those two girls were the reason she kept fighting.
"Sophie..." Diana’s gaze shifted toward the young man who had entered with her daughter. "Who is this?"
The question sounded casual, but her eyes immediately sharpened.
"Mom, this is Luca Hale. We were classmates in high school."
Luca stepped forward politely and placed a fruit basket on the bedside table.
"Hello, Auntie."
"Hello."
Diana nodded lightly.
Her eyes lingered on him for several seconds.
He was undeniably handsome. Tall, well-dressed, confident. The kind of young man who naturally stood out in any crowd.
Yet instead of relaxing, Diana became even more cautious.
A mother who had spent decades dealing with people knew one thing well: attractive appearances often hid complicated truths.
And right now, the timing was far too suspicious.
For months, Sophie had been running herself ragged trying to gather money for treatment. Suddenly, the surgery fees had been paid, and now a handsome young man was appearing at her bedside.
Diana wasn’t blind.
Something didn’t add up.
"Is Diana Kennedy’s family present?"
A nurse appeared at the doorway carrying a clipboard.
Sophie immediately stepped outside with her to discuss paperwork.
As the ward door closed behind them, silence settled over the room.
Diana’s gaze slowly returned to Luca.
The smile had disappeared from her face.
"You don’t need to worry about the medical expenses anymore, Auntie," Luca said gently. "You should focus on recovering."
Diana’s fingers tightened slightly around her cup.
That statement only increased her suspicions.
Medical expenses?
Did he even know how much those expenses were?
A kidney transplant wasn’t some ordinary procedure.
"Young Luca," Diana said after a moment, "are you originally from Ashford?"
"Yes, Auntie."
"And what do you do for a living?"
Luca answered honestly.
"Most of my businesses are in San Fierro. I mainly handle investments these days."
Diana raised an eyebrow.
Investments?
A young man barely out of university talking about businesses and investments so casually?
That answer sounded less reassuring and more alarming.
The more she listened, the more uneasy she became.
A terrible possibility slowly surfaced in her mind.
What if Sophie hadn’t told her everything?
What if this wasn’t simply an old classmate?
What if her daughter, desperate to save her mother, had accepted money from a wealthy young man in exchange for something she could never take back?
Diana’s heart sank.
If that was true, she’d rather refuse the surgery entirely.
The ward door opened before she could continue down that path.
Sophie returned alongside Dr. Hayes.
"So, that’s the current situation," the physician explained. "Fortunately, the surgical funds were secured in time. Any further delay would’ve been extremely dangerous."
Sophie’s eyes lit up with relief.
"Thank you, Dr. Hayes."
After offering a few final instructions regarding diet and recovery preparation, the doctor departed.
The moment the door closed, Diana’s expression hardened.
"Sophie."
The serious tone immediately caught her daughter’s attention.
"Come here."
Sophie walked over nervously.
Diana looked directly into her eyes.
"Tell me the truth."
"Mom?"
"What exactly is your relationship with Luca Hale?"
The room fell silent.
Sophie froze.
"Mom, why are you asking that all of a sudden?"
"Because surgery doesn’t pay for itself."
Diana’s voice remained calm, but there was unmistakable tension beneath it.
"If he’s just a former classmate, then where did tens of thousands of dollars suddenly come from?"
Sophie opened her mouth, then closed it again.
She didn’t know how to answer.
Diana turned toward Luca.
Her gaze was sharp enough to cut through steel.
"Young Luca."
"Yes, Auntie?"
"I know my daughter."
Her voice softened slightly.
"She’s gentle, but she’s stubborn. Stronger than most people realize."
Diana paused.
"I can see she likes you."
Sophie’s face immediately turned red.
"Mom!"
Diana ignored her completely.
"But liking someone and trusting someone are two different things."
The atmosphere instantly became heavier.
"I’ve seen plenty of young men say beautiful things."
Her eyes never left Luca.
"I’ve seen people make promises they had no intention of keeping."
"Surgery costs money. A great deal of money."
"So tell me honestly."
Diana leaned forward slightly.
"Why are you helping my daughter?"
The ward became so quiet that even the faint hum of medical equipment seemed loud.
Luca didn’t look away.
When he finally spoke, his voice was steady.
"Because I love her."
Sophie’s breath caught.
Diana’s expression remained unchanged.
"I liked Sophie back in high school."
Luca smiled faintly.
"Back then, I never had the courage to say anything."
His gaze shifted toward Sophie.
"But after meeting her again, I realized she wasn’t just the girl I used to admire."
"I saw how hard she fights for her family."
"I saw how much she’s sacrificed."
"And somewhere along the way, I fell in love with her."
Every word sounded sincere.
There wasn’t the slightest hesitation in his eyes.
Diana studied him carefully.
Years of life experience told her he wasn’t lying.
At least not about his feelings.
Still, sincerity and reliability weren’t the same thing.
Many people meant what they said in the moment.
The problem was whether they still meant it six months later.
Or five years later.
After a long silence, Diana finally nodded.
Just once.
"I believe you’re being honest."
Sophie’s eyes immediately brightened.
But before either of them could celebrate, Diana continued.
"That doesn’t mean I’m completely reassured."
The smile froze on Sophie’s face.
Diana looked directly at Luca.
"My daughter has already suffered enough."
Her voice trembled slightly.
"I won’t stop her from making her own choices."
"But if you ever hurt her..."
She didn’t finish the sentence.
She didn’t need to.
The warning was clear.
Luca nodded seriously.
"I understand."
For the first time, some of the tension left Diana’s shoulders.
Not all of it.
Just a little.
Enough to acknowledge his sincerity.
Not enough to fully trust him.
After all, trust wasn’t built through words.
It was built through time.
Diana slowly reached out and took Sophie’s hand.
Then, after a brief hesitation, she placed it into Luca’s.
The gesture wasn’t approval.
It wasn’t acceptance.
It was simply permission to continue.
Whether Luca truly deserved her daughter remained something Diana intended to judge for herself.
"Mom..." Sophie whispered, her face burning red.
Diana gave her daughter a tired smile.
"Don’t look so happy yet."
Then she glanced back at Luca.
"And don’t get comfortable either."
Luca laughed helplessly.
"I’ll do my best, Auntie."
"Hmph."
Diana snorted softly.
"We’ll see."
Yet despite the words, the hostility in her eyes had lessened slightly.
Only slightly.
The road ahead was still very long.
Over the following days, Luca accompanied Sophie to the hospital whenever he could, helping wherever possible while Diana quietly observed everything from the sidelines.
She never openly objected.
But she never fully lowered her guard either.
Then, before anyone realized it, the day of Diana Kennedy’s surgery finally arrived.
