Chapter 224: I Need You
In the three days Sophie Shaw was away from the company, the endorsement photoshoot for the new product line went smoothly. The moment the promotional video for the Nine Stone Series was released, it ignited a massive debate online.
Due to its strong resemblance to a new product already launched by Wynn Jade Jewelry, the Nine Stone Series was immediately slapped with a plagiarism label upon its debut, sending shockwaves through the entire jewelry industry.
The brand ambassador, Nina Halloway, was the first to hit the trending topics. Netizens then dug deeper, revealing that Heart of the Ocean’s founder, Sophie Shaw, was not only the wife of Alaric Blackwood, the president of the Blackwood Group, but also the daughter of Joseph Shaw—the very man in charge of the new product at Wynn Jade Jewelry.
Having not looked at her phone in three days, Sophie Shaw had no idea the internet was flooded with talk about Heart of the Ocean’s Nine Stone Series.
Alaric Blackwood had taken her phone.
He had called in sick for her, hoping she could rest well, undisturbed by the outside world.
Unable to reach Sophie Shaw, Joseph Shaw was growing frantic. His calls to her went unanswered, and when he went looking for her at Heart of the Ocean, he was told that President Shaw was on sick leave.
Joseph Shaw was at his wit’s end. Having no other options, he was preparing to go to Maplewood Estate to try his luck.
Just then, he received a call from Alaric Blackwood.
Without a second thought, he answered immediately.
Before Alaric Blackwood could even speak, he demanded aggressively, "What’s going on with Sophie?"
"Why isn’t she answering her phone? Has she lost her mind? What the hell is she trying to pull?"
’She knows how important the new product I’m launching for the Kane Group is to me, yet she still came out with an identical Nine Stone Series and promoted it with such fanfare. Isn’t this just a slap in my face? Is she deliberately going against me?’
"Is Sophie with you? Put her on the phone!"
Joseph Shaw’s voice was thick with fury.
Listening to his hysterical roars, Alaric Blackwood’s gaze darkened. "Your daughter has been out of contact for three days. Aren’t you worried about her at all?"
"She just caused some trouble and is deliberately hiding. Put her on the phone right now. I’m in no mood to waste time talking to you."
An indescribable emotion suddenly welled up in Alaric Blackwood’s heart—a deep ache for Sophie Shaw.
’What an irresponsible father he is!’
’His own father, Quentin Blackwood, had cheated and had an illegitimate daughter, but he had never been absent from his and Nina Halloway’s lives. Putting aside the stain of his infidelity, he could at least be called a father.’
’But Joseph Shaw was not.’
The thought of Sophie Shaw losing her mother at eight, moving into the Kane Family’s home at thirteen, and suffering all sorts of grievances and oppression under such a careless father made his eyes turn red.
"Are you even listening to me?" Joseph Shaw roared again. "Put Sophie on the phone! Right now!"
"She can’t."
"Then tell me, where is she hiding?"
"In the hospital."
"Which hospital?"
"Sophie has been diagnosed with leukemia."
As soon as he said it, a deathly silence fell over the phone.
Alaric Blackwood didn’t want to see Joseph Shaw again, but Sophie Shaw’s illness required her father to come to the hospital for a tissue-typing test.
He didn’t beat around the bush and stated his purpose directly. "Come to the hospital. Get tested for a match."
After giving him the detailed hospital location and department, Alaric Blackwood hung up and then contacted the Fords.
Finally, he dialed Mandy Halloway’s number. The call went through, but no one answered.
He had no choice but to call Nina Halloway...
That same day, the Fords, having received the news, arrived at the hospital in full force. This included Mr. and Mrs. Ford, who had rushed back to the country specifically for the elder Mrs. Ford’s birthday. The two had already been at the airport about to board their flight when a call from the elder Mrs. Ford had them turning right back around.
All of the Fords had their blood drawn for the tissue-typing test.
In the afternoon, a heavily disguised Nina Halloway rushed to the hospital, accompanied by Anne and Ethan Austin.
After the three of them had their blood drawn, they went straight to Sophie Shaw’s room.
Seeing Sophie Shaw’s deathly pale face as she slept unconscious in the hospital bed, Anne couldn’t hold back her tears.
’As a friend who had known Sophie Shaw for years, she had finally seen her friend’s life stabilizing, getting better day by day. How could she suddenly fall ill like this?’
’Misfortune really does pick on the unfortunate.’
Anne, overcome with emotion, stayed by the bedside, constantly wiping away her tears.
She kept watch until Sophie Shaw woke up.
Opening her eyes, Sophie Shaw saw several people in the room—Nina Halloway, Ethan Austin, and Anne, who was sitting by her bed with red-rimmed eyes. Sophie managed a weak smile.
"Don’t all look like you’re at a funeral."
Anne lost her composure. The tears she had just managed to stop started flowing again.
"Sophie..."
She was so choked with sobs she could barely speak. She helped Sophie Shaw sit up and hugged her tightly. "You can’t be scared. We... so many of us are here with you."
Sophie Shaw patted her on the back. "I’m not scared."
The doctor said they caught it early, so it can be controlled. Besides, leukemia isn’t a terminal illness; it’s curable.
"Anne, you’re just in time. There’s something I need to ask you to do."
"Anything. Just tell me."
"I want you to join Heart of the Ocean as my proxy and manage the company."
Anne was stunned. She looked at Sophie Shaw with teary eyes, not unwilling, but terrified.
’She’d never studied professional management. She was just a makeup artist...’
"I... I can’t do it."
Sophie Shaw gripped her hand tightly. "You can."
"But..."
"You’re the friend I trust most. I believe in you. Don’t worry, I’ll be here. You can ask me anything you don’t understand."
’In truth, Sophie Shaw didn’t have any experience managing a company either. She was also learning as she went.’
’The first step is always the hardest.’
’She had originally planned to let Anne buy into the company once it stabilized. That way, Anne wouldn’t have to do much and could just collect dividends as a shareholder.’
’But now, she needed to focus on getting her illness under control and could no longer personally handle many of the company’s affairs. Instead of letting Anne remain an obscure makeup artist, constantly worrying about money, it was better to have her jump ship and join her company. They could build it up together.’
"I need you, Anne."
Faced with Sophie Shaw’s request, Anne thought for a moment, then nodded.
She looked at Nina Halloway, about to say something, but Nina understood and cut in, "Anne, you don’t need to say anything. I approve your resignation. You can do this."
"Thank you, Nina."
...
「Outside the hospital room.」
Alaric Blackwood and Evan Ford sat on either side of the elder Mrs. Ford, the three of them in a row on a bench. The two men were busy comforting her.
The elder Mrs. Ford was still crying into her hands.
"Grandma, try to look on the bright side. They found Sophie’s illness early, so the chances of curing it are very high."
Evan Ford was a very calm and rational person. He had already taken his grandmother to see the attending physician to understand the specifics of Sophie Shaw’s condition.
"I know."
The elder Mrs. Ford said through her sobs, "My heart just aches for Sophie. How could that child get the same illness as her mother?"
This undoubtedly brought up the elder Mrs. Ford’s old sorrows again.
"Where is Joseph Shaw?"
"Why isn’t he here yet?"
She turned her head to Alaric Blackwood. "Have you contacted Joseph Shaw?"
"I have."
Joseph Shaw was the first person he had contacted, but to his surprise, the sky was already getting dark, and Joseph Shaw still hadn’t shown up.
"Call him again. Ask him when he’s coming."
The elder Mrs. Ford’s eyes were swimming with tears, and her voice trembled.
Alaric Blackwood nodded, stood up, and walked to the stairwell to dial Joseph Shaw’s number again.