The Ex-Wife's Redemption: A Love Reborn Chapter 95

William sat in his private hospital room, repeatedly glancing at the clock on the wall. It was already past four in the afternoon, and neither Sophia nor Billy had made their usual daily visit. As the minutes ticked by, a sense of unease grew in his chest.

"Mark," he called to his longtime personal butler who stood faithfully near the window. "Have you received any news from Maple Grove? Sophia and Billy should have been here hours ago."

Mark Martin hesitated, his weathered face betraying concern. "No sir, I haven't received any word. Would you like me to make some inquiries?"

William nodded, his brow furrowing with worry. "Please do. It's not like Sophia to miss a visit without calling."

As Mark stepped onto the balcony to make a discreet phone call, William stared out the window at the late afternoon sky. Something felt wrong. His instincts, honed over decades in the cutthroat world of finance, rarely failed him—especially when it came to family matters.

Several minutes later, Mark returned, his expression carefully maintained in neutrality. William knew this couldn't be good news.

"Well?" William demanded. "What's happening at Maple Grove?"

"Sir," Mark began cautiously, "I spoke with Martha, the head housekeeper. It seems there's been... a situation at the mansion."

William's fingers gripped the armrests of his chair. "What kind of situation?"

"Mr. Henry has apparently locked Mrs. Harding in their bedroom. Martha reports hearing raised voices, though she couldn't make out what was being said."

William's face darkened with alarm. "And Billy? Where is my great-grandson?"

"The child is in the garden with his nanny, sir. He appears to be unharmed but upset."

The old man didn't hesitate. "Prepare the car immediately. We're going to Maple Grove."

"Sir, the doctors advised against—"

"Damn the doctors!" William snapped, already pushing himself to his feet with surprising strength for a man his age. "My family needs me."

The sleek black sedan pulled through the gates of Maple Grove with unusual haste. William hardly waited for the vehicle to stop before he was out the door, moving as quickly as his aged body allowed toward the southern wing where Henry and Sophia's residence—Maple Grove—was located.

As he approached the mansion, a woman's agonized scream cut through the air, sending a chill down William's spine. He recognized Sophia's voice immediately.

"Get the master key!" he commanded the staff who had rushed to greet him. "Open that door now!"

Two security guards exchanged uncertain glances before one produced a key. William snatched it from his hand and hurried up the stairs, abandoning his usual dignified pace in his urgency.

The lock clicked open, and William burst into the bedroom. The room was empty, but Sophia's screams continued from behind the closed bathroom door. Water splashed, and the sounds of a violent struggle echoed in the marbled chamber.

"Henry!" William bellowed, his voice carrying the authority of decades as the Harding patriarch. "Get out here this instant! What have you done to Sophia?"

No response came, only the continued sounds of struggle from the bathroom.

"Henry Harding!" William shouted again, fury building in his voice. "I said get out here now!"

He hesitated before the bathroom door, uncertain of what he might find. Despite his rage, he was still conscious of propriety—what if this was merely some private moment between husband and wife?

But another pained cry from Sophia dissolved such a notion.

Inside the bathroom, Sophia had managed to break free from Henry's grip just enough to deliver a powerful kick directly to his groin. Henry doubled over, cursing violently as pain radiated through his body.

Sophia seized the moment, scrambling away from him toward the door.

"Henry Harding," she spat, her voice trembling with a mixture of fear and defiance, "I'll tell you one more time—when I loved you, you were the treasure I held in my palm. Now that I don't, you're nothing to me. Nothing!"

Ignoring her soaked clothes and dripping hair, Sophia quickly assessed that her wet clothing, while clinging to her body, wasn't revealing anything inappropriate. She opened the bathroom door with as much dignity as she could muster.

William's worried face greeted her, along with several concerned staff members hovering in the background.

"Grandpa," Sophia said with a strained smile, "I'm sorry about this. Would you mind giving me a moment? My clothes are wet, and I need to change."

William's sharp eyes took in her disheveled appearance, the bruises forming on her wrists, and the fear still lingering in her eyes despite her brave front.

"Are you alright, my dear?" he asked quietly.

"I'm fine now," she assured him, though the tremor in her voice betrayed her.

William nodded reluctantly. "We'll be right outside if you need us." He cast a dark look toward the bathroom where Henry remained before ushering the staff out of the bedroom.

Once alone, Sophia quickly changed into dry clothes, leaving her wet hair untended as she rushed downstairs to find Billy in the garden.

Henry emerged from the bathroom, his face dark with fury as he stalked to the closet. He stripped off his soaked clothes, carelessly tossing them into the hamper while water dripped from his hair onto the expensive carpet.

"Sophia Wilson," he muttered through clenched teeth, "you'll pay for this."

He had just pulled on a dry shirt when a knock sounded at the bedroom door.

"Mr. Harding," the butler's voice called, "your grandfather requests your immediate presence in his study."

Henry's jaw tightened. Of course she would run straight to his grandfather. Sophia always knew where to find allies to call for help. From day one, his grandfather had been wrapped around her finger.

William sat behind his massive desk in the study, watching his grandson enter with barely disguised contempt. The fire that had propelled him from his hospital bed to Maple Grove still burned in his eyes, but faced with Henry's casual arrogance, he momentarily found himself speechless.

"Do you realize," William finally said, his voice dangerously quiet, "that what you just attempted is a crime? Rape is a criminal offense, Henry, even when the victim is your wife."

Henry shrugged, leaning against the doorframe with affected nonchalance. "Isn't this what she wanted? Trying to get my attention, and I obliged her request."

William's fist came down hard on the desk. "Is that what you think this is? Sophia being unreasonable? Have you never once considered that you might be wrong?"

"What exactly did she tell you?" Henry asked coolly.

"She didn't need to tell me anything," William retorted. "I know Sophia's character. She wouldn't resist you like this unless you'd done something truly reprehensible."

Henry tilted his head, his eyes filled with contemplation. "Grandfather, with all due respect, you should be more concerned with your own health than with my marriage. And to clarify—Sophia is the one who filed for divorce. She's the one causing all this trouble. I haven't said a single word about ending our marriage."

William's face flushed with anger as he struggled to his feet, gripping the edge of the desk for support. "You ungrateful, selfish—"

The words died in his throat as a wave of dizziness washed over him. His knees buckled, and he collapsed back into his chair, one hand clutching at his chest.

"You... you..." William gasped, his face turning an alarming shade of gray as he slumped forward.

Henry's expression changed instantly from defiance to concern. "Grandfather!" He rushed forward, catching the old man before he could slide from the chair.

"Someone call an ambulance!" Henry shouted, his voice echoing through the mansion. "Hurry!"

As staff rushed in and chaos erupted around them, Henry supported his grandfather's limp form, finally revealing panic in his expression.