When they arrived back at the Yan Residence, Leonard dashed up the stairs without a word, loudly announcing his urgent mission to the bathroom as he disappeared down the hallway.
Sophie chuckled to herself, shaking her head at his childlike urgency before settling on the edge of the bed. She slipped off her shoes and relaxed for a moment, scrolling mindlessly through her phone.
A shadow suddenly stretched across the doorway, and when she looked up, her heart skipped a beat—Victor Yan was standing there, leaning casually against the frame like he had every right to be there.
"Sophie," he called, his voice smooth and deliberate as he stepped into the room, the door slowly clicking shut behind him. Sophie immediately stood, phone slipping from her hand onto the bed.
"Uncle Victor," she said politely, though her body stiffened and her instincts warned her to be careful. Something in his gaze felt off—too sharp, too focused
"You're alone?" he asked, his tone laced with something far darker than casual curiosity. Sophie's heart began to pound. "Leonard is in the bathroom," she said quickly, inching back instinctively, creating distance between them.
Victor's lips curled into a slow, arrogant smirk. "If you ever feel lonely and need a real man," he said, his voice dropping low with disgusting insinuation, "you can always come to me. I'm part of the Yan family too, after all. It doesn't matter if you have a child with me instead."
His eyes swept over her without shame, and the air turned tense and threatening. Sophie's breath caught. Before she could react, Victor stepped in and quickly wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her against him. The strong scent of his cologne filled her nose, and panic shot through her like lightning.
On instinct, her hands shot up and she shoved him with all her strength. "Don't touch me!" she yelled, breaking free. Her eyes burned with anger, her chest rising and falling fast.
Victor stepped back, surprised, but not sorry. He looked amused—like he enjoyed her reaction.
Sophie's fists tightened, her whole body trembling. She'd been warned about the power games in wealthy families, but no one had warned her about this.
Just then, the bathroom door creaked open, and Leonard stepped out, drying his hands with a small towel. He froze at the sight—Sophie standing stiff and angry, and Victor uncomfortably close.
Something in Leonard's face changed. His usual playful smile vanished, replaced by a sharper, more focused look.
"Uncle," he said, his voice unusually steady and clear—far too sharp for someone believed to be slow. "What are you doing here?"
The room instantly grew tense.
Caught off guard, Victor quickly straightened his jacket and forced a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Nothing," he said smoothly. "Just talking to Sophie. Making sure she's settling in."
Leonard tilted his head, and a sweet smile spread across his face—one that didn't match the sharp glint in his eyes.
"Uncle," he said cheerfully, stepping forward, "come play with me!"
Before Victor could respond, Leonard grabbed his arm with both hands and began shaking it, bouncing on his feet like an excited child.
"Let's play! Let's play!" he chanted, his voice high and playful.
Victor's face darkened. "Get off me," he snapped, trying to pull his arm free. But Leonard held tight—then suddenly shoved him with surprising force.
Victor stumbled back and fell to the floor with a thud.
"You little—!" he growled, glaring up at Leonard in shock.
But Leonard only clapped his hands and grinned. "Uncle, you're no fun at all!" he said brightly, as if nothing had happened.
Sophie quickly stepped in before things got worse, moving between them with a calm but firm look.
"Uncle," she said clearly, "I think you should leave now. And please… don't come into our room again."
Her tone was final.
Victor's jaw tightened, and he gave her a warning glare, silently promising this wasn't over. But he turned and left, slamming the door behind him.
As silence settled, Sophie let out a shaky breath and turned to Leonard. "Why did you push him?" she asked, surprised and touched by his sudden act of protection.
Leonard folded his arms and pouted. "I saw him bullying you," he muttered. Then his voice shifted, low and serious. "If he bullies you again, I'll teach him a lesson."
There was no childlike tone now—just quiet, steady protectiveness.
A gentle warmth spread through Sophie's chest at his words, her heart tightening in the sweetest way. Without thinking, she reached out and lightly stroked his cheek. "Thank you, Leonard," she whispered. "You're such a good hubby."
Leonard blinked, surprised, and a faint pink crept into his ears. His heart gave a strange little flutter—new, but not unwelcome.
"Sophie…" he asked, eyes wide with curiosity, "what does 'hubby' mean?"
Sophie chuckled softly, running her fingers through his hair. "It's a special name," she said with a smile.
"I like it when you call me that," Leonard replied with a grin, tilting his head like a happy puppy.
His simple words, filled with innocent joy, made Sophie's heart skip a beat.
Sophie's lips parted, her breath catching as a wave of emotion rushed through her—relief, surprise, and something softer, more fragile. "Leonard… do you really mean that?" she asked quietly, afraid that if she believed too quickly, the moment might slip away. Her heart beat fast, worried his words were just a passing thought.
But Leonard, still sitting in front of her with wide, honest eyes, nodded seriously. "Sophie is my wife," he said again, this time with more confidence, like the words were sinking in. "Sophie said she will take care of me. Sophie is a good person."
His words were simple, almost childlike, but they hit Sophie straight in the heart. She let out a soft, breathy laugh—part relief, part joy—as tears welled in her eyes.
She gently placed her hand over his, giving it a small squeeze. "Yes, Leonard," she whispered, voice shaking with emotion. "I will take care of you."
Sophie made a silent promise. Not just as a wife expected to do her duty, but as someone who had made a choice. She would stay—not because she had to, but because she wanted to. Even if Leonard never fully recovered, even if this marriage wasn't meant for her at first, she would be there. She would be his support, his comfort, his constant.
And something shifted in Leonard, too. For the first time since they were married—maybe for the first time ever—his heart stirred with a feeling he didn't yet understand.
The more time he spent with her, the more he noticed how she always looked at him with understanding, never frustration. Slowly, Leonard began to realize—maybe he had ended up with the right person after all.