Everlastingly Loving You - Chapter 57

It’d been the next day, and Sophia had wasted half of it overthinking everything Clarisse had told her during their hour-long call.

In context, news of Sophia being shot had been somehow leaked to the public. Bartholomew was now known as a criminal, the kingdom had been passed down to his younger brother Caspian, although all the attention was currently focused on Sophia and the Sanguisian royal family.

Apparently, Bartholomew had been rushed to the hospital after being found on the brink of death at the palace dungeons, and it was Nicholas who’d found him, of all people.

Sophia, upon hearing it, found it incredibly suspicious.

What a coincidence, Nicholas being the person to Bartholomew.

Perhaps it was jumping to conclusions far too quickly, but Clarisse had theorized that Nicholas was who hurt Bartholomew. He had the motive to, he was one of the only people who had access to the dungeons – only senior royals of the Sanguisian royal family were allowed access to the dungeons in the first place, so that didn’t help either.

The public had been speculating what’d happened, no one suspected Nicholas of doing anything, fortunately.

Who they did suspect of hurting Bartholomew was Louis, as unbelievable as it may seem.

Louis was fully aware of the accusations of the public, and whilst he did admit he was hurt he was the first accused, what happened to Bartholomew was exactly what Louis wanted him to experience, except it was ten folds worse.

Obviously, there was no evidence backing the rumour that it was Louis who’d done it, so, currently, he was innocent until proven guilty.

And yet, Sophia knew Louis had nothing to do with it at all. He was never the violent type, and even whilst he was extremely protective of her, he’d never go as far as to harm Bartholomew.

On the other hand, Sophia knew the idea of Nicholas harming Bartholomew was completely plausible.

Why he did it, on the other hand, she didn’t know, ironically.

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“Say, Nicholas,” Sophia called.

Julia had asked Nicholas to supervise Sophia for her knowingly, meaning she had time to grill, no, ask Nicholas questions.

“Mm?” Nicholas replied absentmindedly, checking the time on his watch.

“How’d you manage to find Bartholomew?” She asked.

“And what exactly were you doing in the dungeons that late at night?” She fired next.

Nicholas blinked.

‘Crap,’ he nearly blurted aloud.

She’d caught on. Or at least he assumed she did.

He decided it was best to feign ignorance and act coquettish.

“Just wanted to chat with Bartholomew, ‘is all,” he answered, looking Sophia in the eye with a cheeky smile.

Sophia felt a blush creeping up her cheeks.

“Don’t play coy with me,” she retorted, facing the opposite direction.

Nicholas shrugged, “I have no idea what you’re on about.”

Sophia wished she wasn’t stuck in a hospital bed. Then she’d be able to actually grill him.

She sighed exasperatedly, “I wish I was the one that made Bartholomew end up in the hospital.”

Nicholas nodded, “Same here,” he mumbled.

Sophia narrowed her eyes, turning to look Nicholas dead in the eye.

“So you had nothing to do with what happened to Bartholomew?”

“Other than finding him on the brink of death?” Sophia asked.

“Mhm,” Nicholas answered.

“You’ve got to try better than that to deceive your way out of this,” Sophia said, fumbling with her hospital band.

“Why should I when there’s nothing for me to deceive,” Nicholas said, taking a sip from a cup of coffee.

Sophia, for a moment, believed him.

Sure, he could be cold at times, distant too, but in her eyes, he wasn’t a monster… not like she was.

She bit her lip.

“You’re serious?” She asked, seeking validation.

“You had nothing to do with it?” She asked in earnest.

Nicholas placed his cup down.

He, for some reason, had words stuck in his throat. He couldn’t utter a word.

He was compelled to tell her the truth, that he’d done it, but he’d also wanted her to see him as she always did; he couldn’t have it any other way.

He began, “I…”

He shut his mouth. He couldn’t do it.

“You?” Sophia urged.

“No comment,” Nicholas replied.

Sophia stared at Nicholas, at a loss for words.

Then, as if on cue, Louis walked into the hospital suite.

He noticed Nicholas’ presence, greeting him before he greeted his sister.

“Nicholas,” he greeted.

“Louis,” Nicholas greeted in return.

Sophia felt the tension in the atmosphere.

Frustrated she had failed to acquire a proper response from Nicholas, she asked to be left alone with her brother instead.

Nicholas didn’t seem to mind; he left in a matter of seconds.

As soon as he left, Sophia sighed. She’d tried.

She asked Louis weakly, “You don’t happen to be the person who put Barry in a hospital, are you?”

Louis stared at Sophia blankly.

“Really?” He asked her.

‘Nice try,’ he mouthed.

“I wouldn’t, and you know that,” Louis said, plopping down on the chair Nicholas had previously sat on.

“So why bother asking,” Louis said.

“Because Nicholas didn’t give you any answers?” He asked.

Sophia’s face darkened.

“For what’s it worth sister, I only overheard part of your conversation,” Louis said in an attempt to reassure his sister.

Sophia pouted, even though somewhere deep, deep down, she’d already known who’d done it.

A part of her simply didn’t want to believe it.

Him?

Why?

Why would he have done it?

All because Bartholomew nearly shot him?

All because Bartholomew nearly ended his life?

Or was there another reason why?

She wondered what it was, not realizing it wasn’t a what, but a who.

She reasoned it wasn’t plausible. She denied the teensiest possibility of it.

She and him were still acquaintances, friends at best.

She’d known him for about three weeks, but two of them she’d been in the hospital, in a coma.

If it were anyone else… Louis, or Julia hiring someone to give Bartholomew the punishment he very well deserved, it would’ve made sense, but this?

It didn’t, to her and her alone.