"I... I..." Jenna stammered,pletely lost for words. Meanwhile, Sophie was already heading upstairs. As Sophie moved up, Jenna''s face betrayed her unease. Sophie paused and asked, "You guys aren''t hiding something from me, are you?"


    Adler, quick on his feet, responded, "No way! I was just about to help Jenna change her dress; she was actually mad at me a moment ago. Right, Jenna?" Jenna, nudged by Adler, awkwardly replied, "Yeah, yeah..."


    Just then, Colby came up the stairs. Spotting him, Adler seized the opportunity like a lifeline. "Colby! Take your wife back to the room. I need to help your sister with her dress!" With that, Adler hurriedly whisked Jenna away.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    Sophie stayed quiet. Colby gently touched Sophie''s head and said, "I''ll dig through the paperster. You''ve had a long day, why not get some rest?"


    "I''m afraid it won''t be found," Sophie replied, pondering. Such a pivotal event, yet she had no recollection of it, nor had she ever heard whispers about her own kidnapping as a child.


    Sophie recalled Jenna mentioning a kidnapping with the Aldridge family. Back then, they said Harold was the one taken, Gordon lost his legs over it, and the elder Aldridges lost their lives. Whenever Sophie thought about it, her heart raced with an unexined unease. ire''s mention of the kidnapping today left her mind nk, as if she''d forgotten something crucial.


    "Colby, do you think... ire''s kidnapping story, could it be tied to the Aldridge family incident?"


    "Maybe... it''s possible," Colby murmured, his voice a touch lower.


    Sensing something was off, Sophie watched as Colby tried to change the subject, "I''ll check the newspapers; you sit tight at home, wait for me."


    "Alright," she nodded, watching Colby head downstairs, her thoughts sinking deeper.


    Suddenly, a voice broke her reverie. Odie chimed in from behind, "I''d suggest you do your own digging."


    Startled, Sophie spun around. Realizing it was Odie, her tension eased a bit. "Why are you sneaking up on people?"


    Leaning on the wall, Odie smirked, "You were whispering right outside my door, and you wonder why I''m here? Sophie, you should really work on your vignce; with how you are now could''ve easily taken you out."


    Sophie shot back, "Of course, Mr. Odie''s alertness is top-notch. Otherwise, you wouldn''t have been shot, patched up in the Aldridge home for weeks, and lost yourpany to boot."


    Odie, slightly winded, retorted, "I try to warn you, and you take it the wrong way! Fine, don''t look into it,


    just let Colby pull the wool over your


    eyes."


    As Odie turned to leave, Sophie quickly approached, softening her tone, "Mr. Odie, I was just joking. Why take it so hard?"


    Odie wasn''t having it, shaking off her hand with a huff. "Someone who''s been through what I have doesn''t deserve to be the butt of your jokes, Sophie."