Mr. CEO's Substitute Bride

Chapter 1346 - 1341: Unwilling to Restore Her Identity

Nicholas Croft coldly stared at the already maniacal Josephine Hawthorne, like two sharp arrows, and said in a cold voice to the two staff members waiting nearby, "No need to look anymore, I’ve bought this villa! Have them move out tomorrow!"After speaking, Nicholas turned to leave with Sophie Foster.

Behind them, Josephine’s curses came through the wide-open door, carrying hysterical roars and curses, "Nicholas Croft, you’re not human! You can’t treat me and Hannah like this, you can’t..."

Nicholas placed Sophie in the passenger seat, fastened her seatbelt, and quickly headed to the driver’s seat.

His handsome face was cold and resolute. He had heard that the Hargrave Family’s villa was going to be auctioned, and Sophie had begged him to buy it. He could somewhat understand Sophie’s feelings. As daughters of Henry Hargrave, Hannah had grown up in such a privileged environment, while she had followed her mother and drifted abroad. Buying the villa might be her way of fulfilling a childhood dream. What he didn’t expect was Josephine to reveal her true lineage.

He had not told her before simply to prevent her from falling into inner turmoil again. He didn’t expect that in the end, he couldn’t keep it from her.

Nicholas got into the passenger seat, and Sophie’s voice quietly sounded beside him, "Uncle, can you help me find my biological parents?"

Nicholas turned his gaze, and in his view, Sophie’s face showed clear disappointment; he pursed his lips and nodded, "I’ll try my best."

Given Josephine’s deliberate and meticulous style, digging up events from more than twenty years ago would likely present quite a challenge.

More than twenty years ago, the internet wasn’t as developed, and patient records in hospitals were often manually recorded. So many years have passed, and before even considering whether the records can be found, figuring out which hospital she was born in is already an unknown.

Nicholas didn’t want to let Sophie down, nor did he want to deceive her, so he said "I’ll try my best," instead of making an assured promise.

Staring ahead, Sophie asked again, "Uncle, if I continue using the name Genevieve Croft, will Hannah’s crimes become more severe?"

Nicholas understood her meaning. Sophie’s household registry had been canceled by Hannah. Cancellation equates to death; if she continues to bear Genevieve Croft’s identity, then Hannah’s crime becomes "hiring a killer to murder." If she is correctly identified, restoring Sophie Foster’s identity, then Hannah’s crime turns into "hiring a killer to harm." Though it’s a difference of one word, legally the implications are significant; death and harm carry two different meanings, and if the victim dies, Hannah’s crime becomes more severe.

Nicholas is acutely aware of the stakes between these two choices. Privately, he hopes to restore her rightful name, as Sophie is his legal wife, while Genevieve Croft is only his adopted daughter’s identity.

Their road is still long, and this is only the beginning. In the future, they will have children, and then their children will have children, propagating generation after generation... If his wife is labeled as the "Goddaughter," then will their child be viewed as a monster by the outside world?

Though eager to restore her name, he had even instructed his assistant Tang to arrange a press conference to publicly reveal Hannah’s crimes and Sophie’s identity. But if she wants to use Sophie’s "death" to make Hannah bear heavier crimes, then he can only support her.

Though thinking this way, Nicholas still asked.

"Don’t you want to be yourself again?"

"I do!" Staring ahead, Sophie’s attitude was firm, "But I want Hannah to be punished more. Ideally, spend a lifetime in prison!"

"Alright." With that single word, Nicholas was also determined. It seems the press conference can only be canceled.