Rural Belle & Three Heirs

Sophia grew increasingly anxious as Kathy stayed silent in front of the reporters.

She clenched her fists and discreetly jabbed Kathy in the back. Adelaide, standing behind Kathy, noticed Sophia's actions and felt a pang of sympathy.

Adelaide wanted to protect Kathy, but she had no legitimate reason to intervene. Kathy, already in pain from Sophia's jab, began to cry even louder under the pressure. Through her tears, she addressed the reporters, "Chloe didn't hurt me. She was trying to save me. It wasn't Chloe who pushed me into the deep water. I drifted there myself. Chloe is a good person..."

Sophia had assumed that her intimidation would keep Kathy from speaking out, but she was shocked when Kathy revealed the truth.

Kathy's honesty could put Sophia in serious trouble.

Furious, Sophia grabbed Kathy and slapped her twice across the face.

Kathy's cries grew even louder.

Sophia yelled angrily, standing on one leg. "You little brat, how dare you lie? Don't forget, I'm your aunt. Your mom isn't here, so I'm in charge of you. I'll give you one more chance to tell the truth..."

As Sophia slapped Kathy again, Kathy couldn't hold back any longer.

She turned and looked at Adelaide with pleading eyes.

Adelaide, overwhelmed with maternal instinct, couldn't stand by and watch Kathy be abused.

She rushed to Kathy's side, shielding her from Sophia. "Are you out of your mind?" "You don't believe the police investigation, you don't believe the video evidence, and now you don't believe Kathy's own words?" Adelaide demanded. "Kathy is just a child! How can you hit her like this? If you want to accuse Chloe, you need evidence!"

Adelaide's defense of Kathy pushed Sophia to her limit. She yanked Kathy away from Adelaide. "Who do you think you are? I'm disciplining my niece. It's none of your business!"

Being called an old woman infuriated Adelaide.

Chloe, unable to tolerate Sophia's behavior any longer, said, "Sophia, you've gone too far. I was trying to be respectful, but you've left me no choice. If that's how you want it, I will sue you!"

Sophia wasn't fazed. She believed that as an employee of the Martin Group, Chloe wouldn't dare take her to court and risk a conflict with the company.

Unconcerned, Sophia shot a cold glance at Chloe and Adelaide, then roughly dragged Kathy away.

Kathy struggled and cried out, "Mom, help me..."

Hearing Kathy call Adelaide "Mom" pushed Sophia over the edge. She lifted Kathy by one arm and threw her to the floor.

Kathy's health was already fragile after nearly drowning and being left without proper care. Combined with Sophia's recent threats and slapping her across the face, Kathy's body had reached a breaking point.

When Sophia suddenly shoved her, Kathy collapsed to the ground with a thud, unable to get back up.

Adelaide rushed to her side in a panic.

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And reporters snapped photos frantically.

Police officers called for doctors and nurses, and even Chloe, still recovering from pneumonia, was worried about Kathy's condition.

Everyone worked together to get Kathy to the emergency room. Adelaide, despite only having cared for Kathy for a few days, felt a deep connection and was extremely anxious.

Seeing the situation, Sophia panicked and fled.noveldrama

She hadn't expected that a simple throw could knock Kathy unconscious.

If Kathy died, would she be held responsible?

In that moment, Sophia didn't care about Kathy's fate and escaped without a trace.

Doctors flooded into the emergency room, and soon Kathy's test results were ready.

When the doctors presented the results to Adelaide, Chloe, and the police, everyone was stunned.

"This child Kathy has a congenital heart condition. Children with this condition typically don't live past ten."

"What? Not past ten?" Adelaide's heart sank.

"Yes, but there's another option: a heart transplant. The sooner the surgery, the better her chances of survival." the doctor nodded, "Especially after nearly drowning, her body has suffered significant damage. Her heart won't last much longer."

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"If we operate now, her chances of survival are higher. However, a heart transplant requires a lot of money, and the recovery process is also expensive..."

The doctor's words left Adelaide and Chloe speechless.

Although the Davis family had the money to fund Kathy's surgery, they weren't her legal guardians. Without a guardian's consent, the hospital couldn't proceed with the operation.

This was a serious problem.

"Officer, Sophia just left Kathy here. We can't let her die in front of us." Chloe suggested to the police. "Can you contact Kathy's parents and see what they want to do?"

The officer agreed, "We'll try to reach them right away..."

The police tried to contact Kathy's mother, Isidora, but she was too preoccupied with

her relationship with Quentin to remember her sick daughter.

Unable to reach Kathy's mother, the police tried to contact the nanny who usually cared for Kathy.

Unfortunately, the nanny had quit over unpaid wages and was nowhere to be found. Kathy, already in poor health, had been abandoned.

Without a guardian, no one could authorize her treatment, leaving the police in a difficult position.

At this point, Adelaide and Chloe still didn't know that Kathy was Isidora's daughter. Kathy's life hung in the balance...