Chapter 491


    “Why don’t we get someone to run an investigation?” Charles suggested.


    Sonia nodded in response. “Of course. We have to look into this. I won’t be able to sleep well if we


    don’t dig deep to find out all that we can about them.” Jessica and her mother were in hiding, while


    Sonia was out in the public’s eye, after all. Sonia wouldn’t even have found out about Jessica’s


    return to Seafield if Charles hadn’t found out about Jessica. If I didn’t know that they were back, I


    wouldn’t even have the chance to react in time if Jessica and her mother were to do something to


    me. Now that I’m aware of their return, I have to investigate their whereabouts, so that I can be


    prepared if they try to do anything to me.


    “Who’s going to do the investigation? Should we hire a detective, or...” Charles’s voice faded off


    “Let’s get a detective,” Sonia replied after thinking for a moment. “Jessica showed up near


    Paradigm Co.—I believe she was trying to gain information about us. If we send our own people


    over, she might recognize one of them, so I think it’s better if we hire a detective.”


    “That’s true. There’s a private detective office that I’ll pass by on the way backter, and I’ve heard


    good things about the ce. I’ll go ahead and arrange things since it’s more convenient for me,”


    Charles offered as he poured himself a ss of water.


    “Okay. Sorry for the trouble. By the way, what brings you here?” Sonia asked.


    “Daphne,” Charles replied as he pulled a chair over to sit down. “She told me that you seemed


    troubled by something and she was a little worried, so she told me toe over and take a look,”


    he exined.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Sonia wasn’t sure whether tough or cry after hearing him. “I was just feeling rather moody. I didn’t


    expect her to think that something was up with me.”


    “She cares about you a lot,” Charlesmented.


    “I know. I’m really touched by her actions,” Sonia said with a firm nod.


    “Are you really okay, darling?” Although Sonia imed that she was just a little moody, Charles still


    checked on her as he was worried.


    This time, Sonia gave him a slight nod. “I’m really okay.”


    “Why were you in a bad mood, then?” he asked once more.


    She massaged her temples as she spoke. “It’s nothing much. I just felt rather displeased because I


    felt like I was tricked by someone.”


    “Who did it?” Charles leaned closer as sparks of curiosity lit up in his eyes.


    Upon hearing his question, Toby’s gorgeous face and sharp features surfaced in Sonia’s mind. She


    seemed dazed for a short while. When Charles realized how she was zoning out, he raised his


    hand to wave it in front of her eyes. “What are you thinking about, darling?”


    When she came back into reality, she immediately lowered her gaze to conceal the emotions in her


    eyes. With her head low, she forced a smile. “It’s nothing.” That’s weird. Why did I just think of


    Toby? Sonia shook her head lightly as if to fling Toby’s image out of her mind. Then, she took a sip


    of water from the ss on the table in order to calm herself down.


    Charles narrowed his eyes as he observed her entire series of odd facial expressions and actions.


    A cryptic look flickered in his eyes, but he quickly pretended as if nothing had happened. “Oh! By


    the way, I need your help, darling,” he uttered with a smile.


    “What is it?” Sonia lowered her ss as she looked at him puzzledly.


    He grinned cheekily as he leaned closer to her. “I need you to be my partner for an event.”


    Spurt! Sonia couldn’t control herself and spat out the water that she was drinking as she was too


    surprised by his words. Charles squeezed his eyes shut as the water struck his face. His entire face


    was covered in water, and there were even water droplets dripping down his chin.


    Sonia knew that it was her mistake. After sticking her tongue out in embarrassment, she pulled a


    few pieces of tissue out of the tissue box to dry the water on his face. She only apologized once she


    made sure that his face was clean. “I’m sorry. So sorry! I didn’t do that on purpose.


    “Darling...” Charles had a rather helpless expression on his face, and there was a hint of resentment


    in his eyes as he gazed at her.


    Sonia giggled bashfully. “I’m sorry, Charles. I really didn’t mean to do it.”


    Charles rubbed his face before reaching up to fix his hair. His hair had beenbed backward, and


    he had used wax to make it stay in position. This hairstyle made him look especially cool, like one of


    the gangsters in old movies. But after Sonia spat water in his face, his hair had gotten wet and


    messy. He no longer


    looked as smart and neat as he did before.


    Yet, Charles couldn’t help butugh when he saw Sonia’s flushed face. Forget it. She’s so cute;


    what else does she expect me to do? I can’t do much apart from forgiving her, right? “It’s fine. It was


    just some water. I’ll tidy myself upter,” Charles uttered carelessly while waving his arm.


    Sonia got up and headed to the storeroom to retrieve a clean towel for him. “By the way, you were


    saying something earlier. You wanted me to be your partner, right?”


    “Yeah,” he replied as she took the towel and began to clean himself. “There will be a few famous


    figuresing from overseas tomorrow, and one of them is pretty close to my dad. He gave my dad


    an invitation but my dad has no ns to go, so he suggested that I go in his ce. He wanted me to


    get some exposure to the scene. I agreed to it, but I then found out that those foreigners are known


    for being yboys that like to enjoy their nights out. They requested each guest to bring a female


    partner, and you’re practically the only female friend I have —” Charles gave her a lengthy


    exnation.


    “I don’t want to do it.” Before he could finish, Sonia spoke up to decline his request.


    “I’m d that you agreed... Wait, what?” Charles widened his eyes and stared at her in surprise.


    “What did you say, darling? Did you say no?” He had assumed that she would agree to his request,


    and he was about to celebrate it. However, he then realized that she had rejected him. The surge of


    joy within his chest immediately turned into ice.


    With a stern expression on her face, Sonia gave him a nod. “Yeah. I said no.”


    “Why?” He held onto her arm, but she pulled away from him. “Well, I previously agreed to go to the


    same event with Toby. Now that he says that I don’t have to go with him anymore, things would be


    really awkward if I went to the event. It’d still be weird even if I went as your partner. Do you get


    where I’ming


    from?” she uttered.


    “What? You agreed to be Toby’s partner previously?” Charles’s voice turned louder as he was


    surprised by her words.


    “Yeah,” she replied with a nod.


    “When did you agree to that? Why didn’t you tell me about it?” Charles clutched her shoulders and


    began to shake her.


    She felt her head spinning as he shook her, so she quickly pushed him off as she answered his


    question. “What’s there to tell? Anyway, I won’t be able to apany you for this event. You can


    find someone else.”


    “Please, darling. I can’t find anyone else.” Charles didn’t want to find anyone else and insisted on


    having Sonia as his partner.


    However, Sonia was just as stubborn. “I would’ve epted your invitation if you had asked me to


    go to some other event, Charles. But I really can’t do it this time. First, I’ll feel extremely awkward to


    see


    Toby there. Secondly, I promised Toby that I wouldn’t show up in front of him, so I’d be breaking my


    promise if I went there tomorrow. What would he think of me then?”


    “Well...” Charles parted his lips to speak, but no words came out of his mouth.


    She patted him on the shoulder. “You should find yourself another partner, Charles.”


    He let out a long sigh. “Well, since you’re in such a situation, then I guess I have no choice but to do


    that.”


    Sonia gave him a smile, but she no longer said anything after that. After a moment of silence,


    Charles’s phone began to ring. He nced at the screen to see that it was his assistant calling him.


    “What is it?” He picked the call up immediately.


    “Mr. Lane is here at thepany, President Lane. He wants you toe back,” the assistant


    uttered once the line got through.


    Charles frowned. “My dad is at thepany, huh? What’s he doing there?” “I don’t know. He didn’t


    exin himself. Just hurry back, alright?” the assistant replied.


    He massaged his temples as he spoke. “Okay. I’ll head back immediately.” After ending the call, he


    turned to look at Sonia. “I need to go to the office now, darling. You can contact me if you need


    anything, but I’ll leave for now.”


    “Sure. Drive safe.” Sonia bid him goodbye and stood up to send him out of the office. She only


    returned to her desk once she made sure that he had entered the elevator.