Chapter 818


    His curiosity and desire to see her were always on and off, which was how he dragged it on for 6


    years before he finally met her. He kept telling himself that he wasn’t romantically interested in her


    —she was only someone whom he asionally thought about. Someone whom he sometimes


    wanted to see. Someone whom he was curious about every now and then.


    That was the reason why he didn''t think it was important whether they met or not, and it was for that


    exact reason that he missed the opportunity to strike when the iron was hot.


    He truly regretted not making a move.


    Would the oue have been any different if he had spent time seeing her?


    At that, Zane was so dismayed that he suddenly let out a weird howl before he covered his face,


    and his torso leaned into the chair.


    Not only was Sonia surprised by his odd actions, the other patrons of the cafe also turned to look at


    the two of them.


    As she was ufortable at having the spotlight shining on her and Zane, she apologetically


    smiled at them and forced out two small hacks to cough away her embarrassment. "Zane," she


    called out in a whisper. "What the hell are you doing?"


    Zane had a smile that looked even worse than the ugliest cries on his face as he looked at her. He


    seemed to be feeling all the sorrows in the world when he waved his hands dejectedly and moaned,


    "Nothing. I was just thinking about that one time I lost an opportunity of a lifetime, and how much I


    want to knock myself out, is all." "Huh?" Sonia didn''t understand a single word that Zane said. He


    only shook his head without further exining himself. "It is nothing. Go ahead and answer your


    call."


    "Oh." She could tell that he wasn''t going to say more, and so she simply gave him a short reply as


    she nodded. She then pressed her phone to her ear and said gently, "Hello?" Her attention was now


    fully on the phone call.


    Her voice put Toby to ease in an instant. Even the frown between his eyebrows had disappeared.


    "Why did you take so long to answer the call? Has the court hearing not ended yet?" he asked.


    "It ended some time ago," she answered. "I was talking to Zane."


    With that, she threw a nce at Zane, only to see him raising his cup at her with a smile on his


    face.


    Toby immediately jumped out of his office chair when he heard her saying the name of Zane


    Coleman. "Zane?" he repeated, his thin lips pursing.


    "Yup." Sonia nodded.


    After making sure that he hadn’t heard her wrongly, Toby’s eyebrows knitted together again. "Is he


    there with you?"


    "Yeah." She nodded again. "I''m meeting up with him because we have something to discuss.”


    "What kind of ''thing'' is it that you need to meet up to discuss?" His low voice rang out as his grip on


    his phone was getting tighter by the second.


    Zane might have said that he had given up on pursuing Sonia, but it was hard to draw the lines


    when it came to feelings.


    What if Zane suddenly didn''t feel like giving her up after he had seen her?


    Anyhow, Zane was a ticking time bomb that Toby wasn''t sure when it would go off.


    Even though he knew that his friend wouldn''t possibly attempt to tantly snatch Sonia from him,


    Zach was still a love rival that was on par with him.


    It was difficult for Toby to be at ease, knowing that his lover was with someone who had eyes on


    her. Even his sense of danger was telling him that one wrong move from his side and he could


    potentially lose Sonia to his love rival.


    The more Tony thought about the possibilities, the angrier he became. If circumstances allowed, he


    would have loved to toss his work aside, head straight to them, and kick Zane away from his


    woman.


    However, much to his regret, the only thing he could do was be grumpy.


    A smiling Sonia began to shake her head in all helplessness when she detected the jealousy in his


    voice. Doesn''t sound like he is only a little jealous, she mused.


    He was reacting exactly as she imagined he would, which was why she didn''t even think to tell him


    about Zane apanying her to court. He might just get so jealous that he''lle here right away!


    "We have business with each other.


    You know that he and I are coborating to deal with the Gray Family. We are just talking about our


    next steps." Sonia''s eyes were twinkling when she said that.


    Zane, who had already calmed his hysteria, ced his cup of coffee down and looked at her


    strangely. He didn''t understand why she had to lie about their meeting.


    Sonia, on the other hand, only shook her head at him without any exnation.


    Toby''s face on the other side of the call had visibly rxed after hearing her exnation.


    He had thought that Zane was the one who asked her out and that he was probably waiting to


    confess to Sonia.


    Toby had always found people who confessed despite knowing that the other party already had


    their own partners extremely disgusting. He never understood why they felt the need to do


    something so that they wouldn''t feel like their one-sided feelings were a waste.


    He was relieved that it wasn''t as he had thought because he would have personally dragged Zane


    to hell otherwise.


    Toby didn''t hesitate to trust Sonia’s words, and he only nodded slightly as he reminded, "Go home


    earlier after your discussion. Don''t stay with him for too long. He is a bad guy."


    A wave of guilt was just about to hit Sonia for lying to Toby, and that was until his childish warning


    that she didn''t know whether she shouldugh about it.


    There was no doubt that Toby and Zane were lifetime friends.


    One told her that the other was an emotionally unbnced man while the allegedly emotionally


    unbnced man was calling his friend a bad guy.


    Now that she knew that bickering was the two men''s usual conversation style, she couldn''t believe


    how angry she became when Zane had ''ndered'' Toby.


    Thinking of that, Sonia lifted her gaze and humorously looked at Zane. "Okay, I got it. I''ll be right


    back after the discussion," she said into the phone.


    Zane began to wonder whether Toby had mentioned him, and so he pointed at himself and moved


    his other hand around.


    Bingo, Sonia thought while nodding at Zane.Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Knowing that Toby probably said something funny about him, he immediately rolled his eyes.


    On the other side of the phone, Toby was in a better mood after Sonia had reassured him, but the


    heaviness in his heart still wasn''tpletely gone.


    This time, he was worried about Sonia''s n to confront the Gray Family with Zane.


    He knew that she had decided to partner up with Zane for a better revenge, but what he couldn''t


    understand was why she went to Zane instead of him for help.


    With what Toby was capable of, it would only take a snap of the finger to execute the revenge she


    was looking for. However, she had insisted on doing it without his help, and that she wouldn''t forgive


    him if he were to lend her a hand without her knowledge.


    He knew that she was doing so for his sake, but he couldn''t get himself to be okay with the fact that


    she would rather depend on someone else rather than him.


    Toby pinched the bridge of his nose as he forced himself to stop thinking about the thoughts that


    were starting to get overwhelming.


    He had to stop himself now if he didn''t want to be paranoid about Sonia. He was afraid he would


    start assuming the worst with Sonia, should he allow such negative thoughts and emotions fill his


    mind.


    I have to stop this. I can''t ruin it this time, he sternly warned himself. Sonia might have said that she


    didn''t want me to help her behind her back, but I can always find a way to lend her a hand in broad


    daylight!


    He finally started to calm down a little when he ced himself in the right mindset.


    "Oh, right! Are you busy now?" Sonia suddenly asked.


    Toby hummed an acknowledgment. "I''m taking a short break. I have a meeting in a bit.”


    Her heart slightly ached for her man who didn''t seem to have the time for a good rest nowadays.


    "Good work." she sighed.


    Toby let out a gentle smile at that. "It is only for now."


    "Okay," she hummed, a smile appearing on her face as well.


    He suddenly thought of the court hearing earlier and swiftly asked, "What was the court''s ruling?"


    "Half a year, but Jessica went for a second appeal. She didn''t seem like she was happy with the


    court''s decision." Sonia''s smile now turned bitter as she replied.


    "Don''t worry, the court''s ruling won''t change no matter how many appeals she makes."


    "Right, and that is why I''m not worried at all," Sonia answered with a shrug.


    A seemingly nervous Toby began to squeeze his fingers and, as nonchntly as he could, asked,


    "Did Jessica behave strangely at court today? Or did she say anything weird?"