Sophie followed Gordon''s gaze to her shoulder and noticed a faint scar. With a yful smile, she said, "Hey, it''s just a tiny scrape, doesn''t hurt at all." "It''s not just that," Gordon replied.


    "Huh?" Sophie looked puzzled. "Not that? Then what?"


    "Come on, let me patch that up for you," he said, opening the bedroom door.


    The maid handed over a first aid kit, and Gordon led Sophie to sit on the couch. He knelt down, gently and carefully applying a band-aid to her wound. His slow, meticulous movements seemed unusually tender. Noticing this, Sophie couldn''t help but feel a little uneasy. "What''s up with you today?" she asked.


    Gordon paused for a moment. Usually, he''dugh off her minor scrapes and call her clumsy, but today was different. "Silly girl," he said, giving her nose a yful flick. "It''s your big day. I just don''t want you getting hurt." "Is that all?" she asked, sensing something more.


    "That''s all," he assured.


    "But you seem different today," Sophie insisted, feeling her brother''s unusual demeanor.


    "Sophie, are you happy today?" Gordon asked softly.


    "Of course!" She hugged him tightly, her face lit up with a sweet smile. "With mom and dad, Jeremy and Liz, you, Jenna, and all my friends here. Even Harold, despite teasing me, went all out with the party. I''ve forgiven him!" Gordon gently patted her back. "If someday... I''m not around, and mom and dad aren''t either, would you still be this happy?"


    His words made Sophie pull back quickly, her voice filled with panic. "What are you talking about?"


    Her heart raced with anxiety, her brother''s words leaving her unsettled. Gordon smiled, trying to calm her. "I''m just rambling. Don''t worry. I''ll always be here.". "Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    A knock interrupted them.


    Harold opened the door, pausing briefly when he saw them. "Hey, you two, it''s time to head downstairs."


    Seeing Harold stirred an odd feeling in Sophie''s heart. Gordon took her hand, but as she looked at their hands, the joy she usually felt wasn''t there. "Let''s go," Gordon said, leading her out.


    Sophie kept ncing at him, her unease growing stronger. Harold''s footsteps seemed to fade behind them as they reached the top of the staircase on the second floor. The apuse from below felt distant and


    unreal.


    She scanned the crowd on the first floor, noting the smiles on everyone''s faces — mom, dad, Jeremy, Liz, Jenna... they were all there.


    Suddenly, she thought she heard three loud bangs, and panic swept over her. "What was that?"


    "Sophie," Gordon said, gently cupping her face, making her meet his eyes. Her eyes were red, tears threatening to spill.


    Yet, Gordon still wore that gentle


    smile. "Happy Birthday, Sophie. You''ve been asking for a birthday


    present, right? This is something I''ve


    wanted to give you for so long."