It was clear now what Buck Long intended—he wanted Sophia to deny any connection to John Lopez.
Sophia turned her gaze toward Arno Long once again, seeking some kind of confirmation or clarity. But Arno, while not saying a word, wore a serious expression that spoke volumes. It was obvious he, too, was struggling with this delicate situation.
Arno was not an ungrateful man, and he had deep feelings for Sophia, which was why he had refused to let her marry into the Tennat Family as part of a strategic arrangement for the Long Family's benefit. He was a man who valued integrity and loved Sophia, but he also understood the weight of his responsibilities as the head of the Long Family.
As Buck Long and Brooke Long had made clear before, this was no longer just a trivial matter. Unlike in the past, the stakes were high now. Even if Arno didn't care about his own well-being, he knew he had to consider the lives of everyone in the Long Family. Every word he spoke represented the entire family's stance.
If Arno were to claim that he had nothing to do with John Lopez, it would essentially mean that the Long Family had made an enemy of him. But if Sophia spoke instead, she could easily claim that her response was born from youth, fear of involvement, and uncertainty—allowing her answer to be seen as naive rather than a deliberate rejection of John Lopez.
This kind of subtle manipulation in communication was common in the US—leaving things unsaid but implying enough that the other person could "understand" without direct confrontation. The excuse would be, "If you think I meant something else, that's your misunderstanding. I didn't intend to say that." It was a way of avoiding responsibility while still controlling the narrative.
Sophia, looking at her grandfather's face and seeing the coldness in his eyes, couldn't help but feel an overwhelming disappointment. This was the second time she had been let down by her family. And this time, it stung more deeply than the first. At least before, her grandfather had been reasonable, but now he was pretending to be oblivious, as if nothing of significance was at stake.
After a long moment of silence, Sophia's lips curled into a sad, bittersweet smile. The weight of her family's pressure bore down on her. She spoke, her voice softer than before, "Mr. Lopez, you are our benefactor. My grandfather was gravely ill before, and it was you who cured him."
The words hung in the air, heavy with their implications.
The reaction from the Long Family was immediate. Their faces drained of color, shock and alarm written across their expressions.
A flicker of blame flashed through Buck Long's eyes as he glanced toward his brother Brooke Long. Mandy Lane, his wife, looked just as troubled, her gaze shifting uncomfortably.
Sophia had just made a bold statement—one that shifted the balance of the conversation. By acknowledging John Lopez as a benefactor and the one responsible for curing her grandfather, she had inadvertently revealed the depth of the connection between their family and John. This wasn't just some casual acquaintance—it was a life-altering event for her grandfather, one that could not be easily dismissed.
And in doing so, Sophia had unwittingly painted herself into a corner. Her admission carried weight, and her family's reaction showed that this was far from a trivial matter.