The Emotional Reveal

Upon hearing Elias's response, Sofia raised a brow before a look of understanding emerged. 

"If it's about the hospital bills, you don't need to worry. Since you saved my life and I'm taking you there, I'll naturally handle the bills myself," Sofia reassured, her voice brimming with genuine concern. "However, we would first need to call your parents and inform them what happened yesterday, so they don't get too worried."

Sofia knew that Elias was still living with his parents, so she considered it proper to inform them about the situation and not keep them worried about his whereabouts. 

Elias was about to speak, refusing to follow Sofia to the hospital; however, he abruptly sealed his lips shut after hearing the rest of her words. His eyes dimmed as he was overwhelmed by the memories of the tragic events involving his family. 

A frown emerged on Sofia's expression as she noticed Elias's swift change in demeanour. The atmosphere had suddenly become gloomy.

"Is something wrong, Elias?" Sofia asked, narrowing her eyes as she awaited his response. She had been friends with Elias for quite some time to understand that the only thing that could cause the usually cheerful and strong-willed Elias to become so dispirited was an extremely delicate matter.

However, Elias remained silent. He didn't seem intent on speaking. 

Witnessing his composure, Sofia snorted, "I thought it might have something to do with why you were suddenly quitting your job, but since you refuse to talk, then it's obviously not something like that, but something else. Nonetheless, I won't ask or bother you too much about it," she said, her voice tinged with concern and resignation.

Upon hearing Sofia's words, Elias sighed, "I lost my parents yesterday," he replied, his words heavy with emotions.

Sofia had thought there were other reasons why Elias was quitting his job—which might be because his family was about to move again or something else had happened—and she was determined to see how she could offer her help. However, hearing his words, her thoughts abruptly halted as she stared at him wide-eyed, her heart plummeting in shock and disbelief.

Elias's gaze was focused downwards, so he thought she was dumbfounded and was waiting to hear if there was anything else he wanted to say. He continued, narrating how a group of criminals had barged into their house, murdered his parents, and put his younger brother in the hospital. He described how he had barely managed to escape the horrific incident.

He deliberately omitted the part about his father's involvement with the criminals, not wanting Sofia to view the situation in a different light.

When Elias finished speaking, he didn't hear her voice even after a minute, so he raised his head to look at her. 

Astonishingly, Sofia's eyes were brimming with tears, running down her cheeks heavily.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't hold myself back. I didn't know that you were going through all of this alone. So, is this why you are quitting your job at the restaurant? So, you can find a better job to take care of you and your junior brother," she asked, knowing that Elias's parents weren't financially capable, or else he wouldn't have dropped out of college to work as a worker in a high-end restaurant. 

Additionally, vivid scenes of yesterday's event, when Elias shoved her out of the road, sacrificing himself to take the full brunt of the terrifying accident, flashed in her mind, causing her to feel even more guilty about her actions. She couldn't help but blame herself for not realizing the depth of Elias's struggles sooner. 

Contrary to her expectations, Elias shook his head and replied, "No, it isn't."

Sofia's expression was riddled with confusion as she frowned in response. "What's the real reason then?" she asked, her tear-stricken gaze on Elias.

Taking a deep breath in and out, Elias carefully picked his words and responded, "As it turns out, my parents had opened a trust fund for me before they died and had also invested in various start-ups, so the money continues to grow. As such, I'm quitting my job at the restaurant to manage the investments and continue to invest in various areas that might provide a potentially profitable income." 

He wasn't planning on getting a job yet and knew that his wealth would continue to increase more than it already was, so to not make things seem suspicious to Sofia, he gave the same lie he had given Emily.

Perhaps in the future, he wouldn't need to tell a lie. However, he couldn't reveal the system's existence to anybody for any reason, as he had no idea how someone would react to the system's existence.

At this moment, Sofia stared at Elias, stunned and dumbfounded. Although she was prepared for whatever Elias had wanted to say, she wasn't ready for this.

A trust fund! Start-up investments!

Sofia knew about Elias's situation but never thought she would hear such words from him. She couldn't help but look at Elias strangely.

Elias noticed Sofia's gaze and immediately added, "According to what I'd learnt, they had both won a huge amount of money from a lucky lottery ticket. However, rather than utilize it, they set it aside until it was enough for me to live comfortably." He became silent because he didn't want to expose too much and lose track of the lies.

Sofia's expression morphed into understanding and surprise as she nodded. "I'm sorry about the loss of your parents, but on the other hand, you've gained a new opportunity. I won't try to stop you from quitting your job any longer," she said, exhaling and pondering the irony of the situation.

His parents were murdered, and his junior brother was currently in hospital in a critical condition, which was all it took for his life to turn around. 

Sofia soon felt guilty about demanding an explanation from Elias when he told her he was quitting his job. She couldn't even imagine the pain he was going through as he recounted all these things to her. 

Nonetheless, she tried to take him to the hospital, but when he refused again, she gave up and decided to let the matter rest.