The Ex-Wife's Redemption: A Love Reborn Chapter 209

Catherine's voice was fawning and obsequious as she swept into the room with Isabella trailing behind her.

"Poor Isabella has been crying her eyes out since she heard about your injury. She was so distraught that I simply had to bring her along."

The moment Catherine spotted her husband standing there, she immediately set down the insulated food container she was carrying and hurried toward Richard.

"Darling, you're so busy with work—why did you come all the way here?" she cooed, placing her hand on his arm. "You could have left everything to me! Henry is my son, after all. Do you really think I'd neglect him?"

With just a few sentences, she had masterfully portrayed herself as the perfect wife and mother—concerned for her overworked husband while devotedly caring for their son.

Henry's half-finished question died on his lips.

He couldn't help but suspect his mother had interrupted him deliberately, purposely cutting him off before he could voice his suspicions aloud.

He raised his eyes to look at Catherine, then shifted his gaze to Isabella, who stood timidly near the doorway. His expression hardened instantly.

"I believe you were supposed to be under supervision," he said coldly.

After discovering Isabella's plot to harm Sophia and Billy, Henry had specifically confined her to the old estate. Somehow, in just a few days, she'd managed to escape. His face darkened dangerously, his eyes as cold as ice as he stared at Isabella, making her visibly shiver under the intensity of his gaze.

"Henry," Isabella said softly, her voice quavering, "I heard about your injury and was so worried about you. I begged Mrs. Harding to bring me to see you. I haven't done anything wrong—all those terrible things were fabricated by Margaret, not me! Please don't blame me for something I didn't do!"

She was certain Henry had no concrete evidence against her. Otherwise, she wouldn't simply be confined—she'd be in prison. Without substantial proof, she still had room to maneuver, to explain away the accusations and win back Henry's heart.

"Henry, please don't listen to Margaret's lies," Isabella continued. "She's only slandering me because I refused to help her son. Everything she told you was false."

Isabella knew Henry was actively searching for evidence that she had arranged the hit-and-run targeting Sophia and "that little bastard." She also knew he hadn't found anything conclusive yet.

Her plan was to use this window of opportunity to make Henry fall in love with her again and abandon Sophia. The first step was to neutralize Margaret's accusations.

"You know my cousin was convicted of rape," she explained, her voice trembling with emotion. "My aunt has been trying to use your connections to get him released. I refused her unreasonable request because I didn't want to tarnish your reputation. That's why she turned on me, trying to destroy me with these false accusations."

As she spoke, tears streamed down her face, carefully crafting herself as the victim in this scenario.

Henry reclined against the hospital bed, his pale face completely expressionless. His eagle-like eyes remained fixed on Isabella, as if trying to see through to her soul.

He didn't believe a word she said, seeing only a woman skilled at deception.

Ignoring Isabella completely, Henry turned to his father. "Dad, could you please ask Sophia to come here?" he asked.

Everyone in the room froze at his tone. Henry, who typically maintained an aloof attitude toward everyone, was now speaking with a pleading voice to his father. Isabella was particularly stunned.

The Henry she had idolized for years was actually *begging* for Sophia to come to him!

It was unbearable!

Fearing Richard might actually bring Sophia, Isabella quickly interjected, "Uncle Richard, I can take care of Henry myself. There's no need to bother anyone else. He's just angry with me—please don't listen to him!"

When speaking to Richard, she deliberately adopted a young, innocent persona—doe-eyed and adorable. Richard's frown deepened as he watched her performance. He pushed Catherine's arm away and approached Isabella.

"Young lady, that's completely inappropriate," he said firmly. "Sophia is Henry's wife—legally married. It's entirely proper for her to care for her husband. You, on the other hand, are an unmarried young woman. Your presence in a man's hospital room could cause quite the scandal."

Richard had only one son, and he absolutely would not allow anyone to damage his reputation! Isabella's little tricks were transparent to him. He was determined not to let his son become entangled with this woman again.

Otherwise, the Harding family would never know peace.

Richard had tried to be tactful, but his message was clear. Isabella immediately burst into tears.

"Uncle, I truly love Henry with all my heart. How can you see me like this? What have I done wrong? Is it a crime to love someone?"

Catherine rushed to her illegitimate daughter's defense, moving to Richard's side.

"Richard, you know how much Isabella loves our Henry! If Sophia hadn't stolen him away, Isabella would be Henry's wife now. That country girl from nowhere never deserved him!"

Catherine sensed an opportunity. Henry was at his most vulnerable right now. If Isabella could stay and care for him, his impression of her would surely improve.

Before Richard could respond, Henry spoke from his hospital bed: "Dad, I only want Sophia!" His voice was firm despite his weakness. "No one else. No matter who they are."

Henry's declaration gave Richard the perfect excuse. He brushed Catherine's hand away and looked coldly at Isabella.

"You heard my son. He only wants Sophia. There's no need for you to trouble yourself here—it's time for you to leave."

Richard couldn't help glancing at his son with approval. *Good boy, still thinking clearly.*

Isabella couldn't believe Henry would reject her so completely. Her tears fell even faster. "Henry, I just want to take care of you. Is that really too much to ask?"

Henry met her eyes directly and gave her a definitive answer: "Yes, it is."

At that moment, Isabella dropped her act. She pulled out her phone, found the photos she'd taken earlier, and thrust the screen in front of Henry.

"This is your precious Sophia!" she spat. "She's with Alexander Reynolds right now. She doesn't have time for you!"

Henry stared at the phone screen. One glance was enough to confirm the woman in the photo was indeed Sophia. The man holding her was unmistakably Alexander.

His voice turned harsh as he demanded, "Where was this taken?"

*Has Sophia already fallen for Alexander?* The thought instantly made Henry agitated. Without even putting on his shoes, he leapt out of bed barefoot and started toward the door, determined to find Sophia.

The other three people in the room rushed to stop him. He had just been released from the ICU—how could he be so careless with his health?

Catherine seized the opportunity to attack: "If Sophia truly cared about you, if she had even the slightest feelings left for you, would she be with another man while you're lying here sick? Think about it!"

"The photo was taken right here at the hospital, that's the absolute truth," Catherine continued. "She was in his arms—Isabella and I saw it with our own eyes. She's moved on from you, so why are you still holding on? If she still had any feelings for you, would she have abandoned you in this hospital room?"

Henry was forced back into bed, but he looked at his seemingly virtuous mother and laughed coldly.

"Did she abandon me?" he asked, his voice like ice. "Or was she driven away by you, Mother?"