Chapter 696


    Stanley did not know what to say now. The Crimson House was the most luxurious and well-known food


    and beverage outlet in Bayside City. He often heard of people spending up to a million in one sitting


    there, and seats were especially hard to book. He had only eaten there once for Judge and Sunset’s


    birthday. He did not think that his own birthday was worthy enough either.


    Sophia assumed that the people being invited out for dinner were just the few founding members of the


    company, so she gathered them together after work. To her surprise, Sam asked, “Oh? Just the four of


    you? Get the others toe along as well!”


    She blinked at him, unsure of who he meant by the others. He quickly said, “The wholepany, of


    course. I love chatting with younger people.”


    Sophia froze. There are over two hundred people at thepany. The restaurant might not even have


    enough seats to amodate everyone. I heard the food is also very expensive there. With two


    hundred hungry people, he’s going to go broke!


    She had a troubled expression on her face. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. We have so many people


    at thepany.”


    Sam did not think much of it. “It’s fine. I’ve already booked the ce. There’s a Crimson House a few


    hundred meters away from thepany. We can walk there.”


    While Sophia and the other founding members exchanged nces with each other, the other employees


    were already jumping for joy upon hearing that Sam was inviting them out for a big meal. Before Sophia


    could greet them, they swarmed right past her and headed toward the nearest Crimson House.


    A whileter, apart from those who needed to keep track of data, all the other employees had gone off.


    Sam looked at those who stayed behind and said to Sophia, “Count the number of employees on guard


    too. I’ll have the restaurant deliver some food to them.”


    The staff cheered. Everyone was waiting eagerly for dinner. Sophia did not want to spoil their excitement


    so she also followed along.


    Crimson House was one of the tallest buildings in Bayside City. They had restaurants that served diverse


    cuisines, and those tailored for the rich. Today, it was taken over by Plum Technology employees. The


    hall and booths were filled with young people in identical work attire. One of the booths was upied by


    only five people—Sophia, Sean, Stanley, Sarah, and Sam. When the waiter brought them the menu,


    Sophia was shocked to see the prices of each dish. D*mn! You’re kidding me. This is so expensive! A


    single fish cost tens of thousands. Is this a robbery? Oh, no. With over two hundred employees, one


    being a bigger eater than the other, Sam is going to be broke! Can I give up my family fortune and sell


    my husband in exchange for money?


    However, Sam was very rxed. “Pick anything you want. It’s my treat.”


    Sophia ordered the cheapest option on the menu, stir-fried vegetables. Still, it was more expensive than


    average. Once she picked hers, she put down the menu and forced a smile. “I’m on a diettely. I don’t


    want to eat too much.”


    Sam took the menu and brushed his finger over more than ten dishes. Sophia was so shocked that she


    turned pale in an instant. Putting down the menu, Sam looked at the waiter and said, “Prepare a


    takeaway order for 18 people and send it to Plum Technology, please.”


    The waiter nodded and noted it down. Seeing this, Sophia was close to being frightened out of her


    wits. If Sam tries to take off on his ownter, it’s over for us. But, as the 9th Old Master of the great


    Edwards Family, he wouldn’t just eat and take off, right? At the thought of that, she started to feel more at


    ease.


    The restaurant needed some time to prepare the dishes, so the five people ate some snacks and talked


    while they waited. Sam said, “Crimson House was my first restaurant. I’ve been running it for over ten


    years now and sessfully made it into a global high-end food and beverage outlet.”


    It was very high-end, indeed. They never imagined that Sam was the owner of the famous Crimson


    House from overseas.


    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    While waiting for the dishes to arrive, Sophia went to use the bathroom and also calm herself down.


    When she came back out again, she saw how enthusiastic they looked and decided to treat this as a


    corporate team-building activity. Every one of them was busy taking and sharing pictures on various


    socialworking tforms. After all, not everypany had the means to invite all their employees to


    dine at Crimson House.


    Sophia had never been there before either. She admired the ce as she strolled around looking at the


    décor when she noticed a wall full of pictures in the hall. Most restaurants had pictures of the restaurant’s


    history on the walls or pictures of awards that they received. She noticed both old and new pictures on


    the wall which recorded heaps of historical moments at Crimson House. For example, the President


    having a meal there, a celebrity visiting the restaurant, being listed on the stock market, and so on. They


    also had pictures of several outstanding employees.


    Out of the corner of her eye, Sophia found an old and yellowish photo in a pile of photos. The woman in


    the photo was wearing a waitress outfit, and she had a beautiful face with fair and smooth skin. The old


    photo was not photoshopped, but the woman glowed like a lily flower in full bloom.


    Beside the woman was a young man who looked to be around the same age as her. The young man had


    a handsome smile, and his features seemed rather familiar to Sophia. Sophia was taken aback. Isn’t this


    woman my mother, Annabel Johnson?


    Looking at the background in the photo, it was taken in this restaurant. She remembered Annabel talking


    about a restaurant she worked at in her diary. Cooper had also dined at that restaurant and the two fell


    for each other after several encounters. Does that mean Annabel once worked at this restaurant?


    “It’s hard to believe, isn’t it?” Sam’s voice suddenly crept up from behind her. He pointed to Annabel’s


    picture. “That is a friend of mine from my younger days. She worked at this Crimson House back then.


    But at the time, this ce was just a regr restaurant close to the university. See; that’s me beside her.


    I never thought another person who looks so much like you could exist in this world.”


    The young man next to Annabel in the photo was Sam. He never had a two-shot with just Annabel.


    Cooper was also in that photo, but he was cut out. Sam always kept this photo on his desk. It had only


    been a few days since he put it up in this restaurant.


    Sophia smiled, but there was a bitterness behind it. I never imagined my mother knew Sam in her youth.


    Surely, this is fate…


    However, she did not tell Sam about her rtionship with Annabel and asked instead, “Where is your


    friend now?”


    Sam was slightly disappointed to hear that. He knew that Sophia was well-aware of the identity of the


    person in the photo, but she did not want to admit it. Though it made him sad, he also knew there were a


    multitude of reasons she did not want to admit to it so he did not impose on her.


    “I went abroad after that. When I came back many yearster, I found out that she had gotten married in


    her hometown and I didn’t contact her again.” He was looking at Sophia with desire and longing in his


    eyes as he stood next to her. She looks exactly like her mother…


    Sophia murmured, “A twist of fate.” Sam might not know that Annabel passed away more than two


    decades ago.


    Lowering his head, he forced a smile. “Right, a twist of fate.”