Chapter 180: Chapter 180: Want to Confirm She Isn’t the Youngest Miss Sterling?

He opened the message. It was from Sophie Hughes.

"Tristan... I’m so upset. You’re so badly hurt, and I can’t even be there to take care of you."

The dead of night was the perfect time to talk about matters of the heart.

Sophie didn’t want to miss this opportunity.

Her adoptive parents’ attitude tonight had made everything clear. They didn’t want her getting too close to Tristan Lawson.

But she had to find a way to fight for him.

Tristan stared at the message, waiting a long moment before replying.

"I’m fine. Don’t worry."

To Sophie, those few simple words felt like a mechanical reply.

A little cold.

She found it hard to accept.

’He was never like this before.’

Becoming the Hughes family’s adopted daughter had once seemed like a stroke of incredible luck.

But after growing up, it had become her shackles.

Just as Sophie was about to send Tristan another message, a new one arrived from him.

"It’s late. Get some sleep. I’m turning in, too. Good night."

A sharp pain lanced through Sophie’s heart.

’Loving someone you couldn’t be with was just this heart-wrenching.’

When Tristan had arrived, she had only managed a few words of concern before her adoptive father sent her back to her room to rest.

She had no idea what they talked about after that.

’She couldn’t think of any other reason why Tristan would drag his injured body all the way to Aridia.’

’Did Noelle come here?’

’To join Smith’s team?’

’That had to be it!’

Oh, God!

’She didn’t dare to think about it too deeply.’

’If she kept thinking about it, she’d go mad.’

’For the past seven years, Tristan had hardly paid any attention to Noelle. What in the world had gone wrong for him to change so suddenly?’

’I have to find out where Noelle is.’

Even if Tristan’s feelings for Noelle had changed, Sophie could see that her own presence severely affected Noelle’s state of mind.

’Noelle is running away from Tristan.’

’So, my chances are still good.’

’As long as Noelle is set on a divorce, there’s nothing Tristan can do.’

’I can’t leave the Hughes family just yet. Here, I’m technically Tristan’s aunt, so I can always find opportunities to see him.’

’But if I leave the Hughes family, things might be different.’

Her biological parents were already pressuring her to return.

’I’ll just wait a little longer. Once Noelle and Tristan divorce, I can go back to my biological parents, shed this ’aunt’ identity completely, and rekindle what Tristan and I once had.’

The next morning, Hugo Sterling contacted Tristan. Learning he was at the Hughes residence, Hugo went to see him.

He also had something important to discuss with Tristan.

Tristan was still confined to his bed, unable to move.

Shortly after Hugo arrived, Sophie came in carrying a breakfast tray.

"Tristan, you should eat some breakfast."

"Thanks, but I’m not hungry. I don’t have an appetite."

Sophie was thoroughly exasperated.

’She had gotten up extra early and personally supervised the kitchen staff to make sure they prepared all of Tristan’s favorite dishes.’

’So why wouldn’t he eat?’

"You’re injured. How can you not eat?"

Tristan pressed his lips together. "I really don’t have an appetite. You don’t need to worry about me, just go do what you need to do."

Helpless, Sophie had no choice but to carry the tray back out. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Tristan hadn’t eaten much lately, subsisting almost entirely on an IV drip.

After Sophie left, Hugo asked, "Why aren’t you eating?"

"It’s inconvenient."

"What’s inconvenient about eating?"

Tristan’s face fell. "Why do you always have to get to the bottom of everything?"

"Alright, alright, I won’t ask. Don’t eat if you don’t want to. Anyway, my secretary called. He said they ran DNA tests on everyone from the list you provided. None of them were a match. The database is updated daily, so could you have your people run another search?"

Tristan scoffed. "And how do you have the nerve to keep asking me for favors?"

’As if he’s completely forgotten that he’s the one who stabbed me and sent my wife abroad.’

’Forcing me to come looking for her while I’m still injured.’

Hugo raised an eyebrow. "It’s because you’re the one with the skills and the means. No one else can solve this."

Tristan spat coldly, "You’ve got some serious nerve."

"If I wasn’t thick-skinned, how could I make a living in the business world with a talent like you on the scene? Stop being angry with me. It was a moment of impulse. Besides, search your heart and ask yourself, wasn’t it your fault too?"

The corner of Tristan’s lip twitched.

"You’re pretty good at gaslighting, aren’t you?"

"I’m not here to bicker. This is serious. Can you do it as soon as possible?"

Deep down, Hugo was desperate to find his younger sister. It wasn’t just his mother, father, and grandfather who missed her—he missed her terribly, too.

He would often wake up in the middle of the night, haunted by memories of his sweet, adorable little sister. His heart would ache, and he couldn’t help but worry about what hardships she was suffering out in the world.

"I’m going to say something you don’t want to hear. It’s been a long time. Your family, the Sterlings, has been trying for so many years. The chances are slim."

"We have to keep looking, no matter how slim the chances. Alive or dead, we have to find out what happened to her."

Hugo couldn’t help a wave of sadness washing over him.

"Instead of doing this, you’d be better off managing Mrs. Sterling’s expectations. Tell her not to get her hopes up. That way, she won’t be so disappointed."

"Easy for you to say. What if it was your son who was missing? It’s easy to give advice when you’re not the one in pain."

Hugo had never been one to mince words with Tristan.

"If you can never find her, are you just going to let your mother die with regrets?"

Hugo’s lips tightened. "That won’t happen. I’ve spoken with Noelle. If I really can’t find my sister, then when my mom is on her deathbed, I’ll have Noelle pretend to be her. It would only be for a short time. My mom probably wouldn’t be able to tell the difference."

"You’re being ridiculous!" Tristan flared up. "Mothers and daughters have a special connection. You think your mom won’t be able to tell?"

"Adrian told me Noelle is a lot like my younger sister, and I agree. She’s good-tempered, well-behaved, and gentle... She just doesn’t smile as much as my sister did."

The light in Tristan’s deep eyes suddenly dimmed.

’She’s only stopped smiling recently.’

’Before, she always greeted me with a smile.’

’Because she was mute, she had to endure constant ridicule, but it never seemed to get to her. She remained incredibly optimistic.’

’Come to think of it, her personality really is a bit like the youngest Miss Sterling’s.’

Tristan couldn’t help but think of the birthmark on her chest.

His fingertips curled.

’Could it really be such a coincidence?’

’Impossible. He refused to believe it.’

’She has a family, a mother, and a maternal grandmother.’

’She’s a year older than the youngest Miss Sterling. It can’t be her.’

"Tristan, what’s wrong? You look unwell. Should I get a doctor?"

"I’m fine. Tell me, which hospital is she in?"

He wanted to see her.

"Not this again. Didn’t we agree yesterday to give her some time? You can’t go back on your word."

"If you won’t tell me, I’ll find out myself."

Hugo stared intently at Tristan and said with displeasure, "No wonder she wants to divorce you! You never stop to consider your own faults, do you? What kind of husband behaves this way?"

Tristan was so incensed by Hugo’s words that his wound throbbed with pain.

He wanted to see Noelle.

He also wanted to confirm... was Noelle the youngest Miss Sterling?

Tristan beckoned to Hugo with his finger. "Come closer..."