Chapter 378


    The unpleasant interlude in the restaurant hardly weighed on Sophia''s mood.


    Bob''s obnoxious niece barely piqued her interest. In fact, Sophia was more interested in Alexander and


    Chandler''s history.


    She wanted to broach the topic during their meal, but the opportunity was lost when Bob approached


    them with his niece and an apology in tow.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    A whileter, their car cruised into their neighborhood. The two reporters who had been camping


    outside the gate that afternoon were gone, returning the road to its usual peace.


    Alexander turned onto his street and soon pulled up before the mansion.


    Sophia''s phone vibrated with an iing notification. She looked down and realized it was a text from


    Katherine informing her that the variety show they filmed back in June would be premiering next week.


    Katherine had sent her a promotional trailer of Going Forward. The special guests had been blurred out


    in post-editing, but Sophia could immediately tell who they were.


    Filming for the show had ended almost two months ago, so Sophia had almost forgotten about the


    whole thing.


    Sophia closed the video yer to find more enthusiastic updates from Katherine, who was enthused


    over the number of future fans Sophia would surely gain after the show was out.


    The ttery was nothing new to Sophia, who smiled before shooting off a monosybic reply to


    acknowledge Katherine.


    Katherine was understandably ticked off by the one-word response to her slew of enthusiastic texts.


    She replied: You''re cruel and heartless. How could you send me a single ''ok'' after all my updates? I''m


    cutting you off for three days!


    She followed that up with a few crying emojis. s, much to her dismay, Sophia texted: Sure.


    Katherine was annoyed but resigned. I poured my efforts into the wrong person!


    Alexander returned to Sophia with two sses of water just as she finished texting her friend.


    She set her phone aside and received a ss from Alexander, shooting him a grateful smile. “Thanks.”


    Alexander downed half his ss at a go before sitting beside her. “Another video surfaced today.”


    Delh had made a move again, likely in retaliation to Sophia''s continued refusal of an interview


    request. The rejected reporter spun his own tale about Sophia''s motives instead. He argued that


    Delh had raised Sophia''s mother, so even if Sophia was not the olddy''s biological granddaughter,


    her refusal to meet Delh was nothing short of cold-blooded.


    The paparazzi loveding up with such scandalous usations to increase their readership. They


    stood on their moral high horse and criticized Sophia forcking filial piety.


    Sophia never gratified their attacks with ament, long numb to their actions. Netizens these days


    were far more logical and intelligent as well. Sure, there were still those who disparaged Sophia, but


    some had stood out to defend her, even bringing up the incident when Delh threw a tantrum outside


    Specter Entertainment three months ago, demanding money from Sophia.


    Sophia never gratified their attacks with ament, long numb to their actions. Netizens these days


    were far more logical and intelligent as well. Sure, there were still those who disparaged Sophia, but


    some had stood out to defend her, even bringing up the incident when Delh threw a tantrum outside


    Specter Entertainment three months ago, demanding money from Sophia.


    The fresh wave of attacks began just past seven that evening. Sophia had already received a heads-up


    from Yvonne on the way home.


    Again, she could not be bothered by their spections. Karma would eventually bite them in the back.


    “I''ve seen it,” she said to Alexander after taking a sip of water.


    Her nonchnce reassured Alexander that she was blissfully unbothered by Dillon''s second wave of


    attacks. He dropped the topic.


    Sophia drank more water before propping her chin up on one hand. She stared at Alexander and


    asked, “Did you know Chandler from before?”


    Something shed through Alexander''s eyes at her question, though he did not deny their previous


    acquaintance. “Yes.”


    He paused and added, “But we''re not close.”


    Sophia chuckled and asked, “Oh really? I heard you went to the same university.”


    Pursing his lips, he replied, “We did, but we weren''t close to each other.”


    A smirk yed on her lips as she added, “Did you know Chandler has a younger sister?”


    Alexander''s expression shifted as he mumbled, “Yes.”


    It was obvious from Sophia''s question that she knew about his history with the Shaws.


    Since Alexander had no ns to hide the truth from Sophia anyway, he exined, “Her name was


    Noelle Shaw. Ten years ago, she passed away during a robbery. She had called me the night of the


    incident, but I didn''t answer her call. I hung up and blocked her number immediately. Chandler holds


    me responsible for his sister''s death.”


    He had never believed he was responsible for Noelle''s unfortunate demise, not even when the Shaw


    family rebuked him for his heartlessness.


    Noelle''s call that night was no different from the countless times she had harassed him against his will.


    In fact, going by Alexander''s temper, he would have blocked her number ages ago if not for Chandler''s


    sake.


    The morning of Noelle''s death, she even presumptuously cleaned his condominium and broke his


    laptop in the process. It contained his thesis, which he had worked on painstakingly for over a week.


    He would have struck her if she was not a girl.


    Over the years, he had never told anyone about Noelle''s obnoxious behavior, nor did he have ns to


    do so in the future.


    In ony cose, Alexonder believed he hod the freedom to onswer or reject Noelle''s coll. Hence, he would


    not shoulder the blome for her trogedy.


    He osked Sophio, “Did Chondler tell you obout this?”


    She shook her heod. “Kotherine did.”


    The onswer surprised Alexonder, who looked to Sophio ond questioned, “Well, do you think I''m ot foult


    for her ident?”


    Sophio wos rother indifferent obout the whole issue. She did not think Alexonder''s rejection ond


    blocking of Noelle''s number were to blome for her ident either.


    Noelle should hove colled the police when she wos in donger, not Alexonder.


    Certoinly, some would ossume Noelle hod ponicked out of feor ond colled Alexonder for help becouse


    he wos soved os her emergency contoct. Colling Alexonder would hove been her most stroightforword


    option.


    Yet, Noelle cleorly knew Alexonder did not oppreciote her ottentions. Soving his number os her


    emergency contoct wos simply foolish.


    Of course, Sophio wos not one to speok unkindly of the deod, but she believed Noelle hod colled


    Alexonder precisely to force him into some form of emotionol blockmoil.


    Anyone with o smidge of o morolposs would hove rushed over to sove her. Hod Alexonder


    onswered her coll, he might hove orrived in time to rescue her. If he wos too lote, the result would be


    the some os if he did not onswer her coll.


    If Alexonder hod rushed to the scene ond rescued Noelle, she hod the perfect excuse to continue


    hounding him.


    To immediotely hong up on her coll ond block her number spoke volumes obout how onnoyed


    Alexonder hod been by Noelle''s constont horossment.


    The only person to blome in this incident wos the robber who took Noelle''s life.


    Sophio could hordly coll herself o soint. While she would never wilfully horm onother, she did not hove


    o fountoin of sympothy for just onyone either.


    In o society thot obsolved the deod of ony wrongdoing, it wos o necessory evil to view one''s flows


    objectively, even if the victim wos on innocent person. Otherwise, one would foil to see the kindness of


    o bystonder.


    Sophio knew Alexonder''s reosons for posing his question. Everyone must hove shoved the blome on


    him over the yeors.


    She, however, strongly disogreed.


    Arching o brow, she stored ot Alexonder for o moment. Her lips curved into o foint smile os she osked,


    “Whot exoctly did you do wrong?”


    Alexonder returned her goze ond suddenly pulled her into his embroce. “I didn''t do onything wrong.”


    It hod been yeors since the incident, yet Sophio wos the first person to ever question if he hod done


    onything wrong.


    In any case, Alexander believed he had the freedom to answer or reject Noelle''s call. Hence, he would


    not shoulder the me for her tragedy.


    He asked Sophia, “Did Chandler tell you about this?”


    She shook her head. “Katherine did.”


    The answer surprised Alexander, who looked to Sophia and questioned, “Well, do you think I''m at fault


    for her ident?”


    Sophia was rather indifferent about the whole issue. She did not think Alexander''s rejection and


    blocking of Noelle''s number were to me for her ident either.


    Noelle should have called the police when she was in danger, not Alexander.


    Certainly, some would assume Noelle had panicked out of fear and called Alexander for help because


    he was saved as her emergency contact. Calling Alexander would have been her most straightforward


    option.


    Yet, Noelle clearly knew Alexander did not appreciate her attentions. Saving his number as her


    emergency contact was simply foolish.


    Of course, Sophia was not one to speak unkindly of the dead, but she believed Noelle had called


    Alexander precisely to force him into some form of emotional ckmail.


    Anyone with a smidge of a moralpass would have rushed over to save her. Had Alexander


    answered her call, he might have arrived in time to rescue her. If he was toote, the result would be


    the same as if he did not answer her call.


    If Alexander had rushed to the scene and rescued Noelle, she had the perfect excuse to continue


    hounding him.


    To immediately hang up on her call and block her number spoke volumes about how annoyed


    Alexander had been by Noelle''s constant harassment.


    The only person to me in this incident was the robber who took Noelle''s life.


    Sophia could hardly call herself a saint. While she would never wilfully harm another, she did not have


    a fountain of sympathy for just anyone either.


    In a society that absolved the dead of any wrongdoing, it was a necessary evil to view one''s ws


    objectively, even if the victim was an innocent person. Otherwise, one would fail to see the kindness of


    a bystander.


    Sophia knew Alexander''s reasons for posing his question. Everyone must have shoved the me on


    him over the years.


    She, however, strongly disagreed.


    Arching a brow, she stared at Alexander for a moment. Her lips curved into a faint smile as she asked,


    “What exactly did you do wrong?”


    Alexander returned her gaze and suddenly pulled her into his embrace. “I didn''t do anything wrong.”


    It had been years since the incident, yet Sophia was the first person to ever question if he had done


    anything wrong.