Chapter 424


    Perrin and Stanley appeared to have a lot to catch up on, so Sophia quietly left the ward after peeling


    some apples.


    She turned the corner after the stairs and spotted Lukas on a phone call some distance away.


    The rather chilly breeze that day was warmed by the bright sunlight, making for rather pleasant


    weather.


    Sophia''s long dress was practically made for that weather.


    Since Lukas was busy, Sophia turned away and checked her phone for any messages.


    There was a text sent by Alexander twenty minutes ago asking if she was free for dinner that night.


    Sophia considered her schedule before firing off a reply: Sure.


    Someone called her name right after she sent the text message. She looked up to see who it was.


    A middle-aged, suit-d man approached her. Sadly, his beer belly ruined the effect of his sharp suit.


    When he noticed Sophia raising her head in his direction, his eyes lit up with delight. “Hello there. My


    name is Horace Cardette. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”


    As he spoke, he lifted his hand, tantly jingling the keys to a Ferrari.


    This was the first time Sophia had witnessed someone boasting their wealth so grantly.


    Augh bubbled out of Sophia as she stared at the man. “I''m sorry. I''m not a fan of befriending


    strangers.”


    When Sophia smiled, she was positively enchanting. Her eyes were mesmerizing when they crinkled in


    joy.


    Horace had never encountered such a feisty woman. Every frown and smile merely deepened his


    infatuation with her.


    He assumed from her attire, which consisted of lesser-known brands, that she did note from


    wealth. Nheless, she seemed to exude an innate elegance.


    As Horace''s venture gained traction over the years, he had been in thepany of countless beautiful


    women. Based on his past encounters, he discerned that Sophia came from a cultured and well-


    educated family.


    Such women were not simply wooed by a mountain of gold. He needed to pull other tricks out of his


    sleeve.


    Just as he thought about showing off an expensive painting he bought recently, a distinctly male voice


    rang out behind him. “Why did youe downstairs?”


    Lukas had ended his call and walked right up to Sophia when he saw her.


    Of course, he did not miss the lecherous man standing in front of her.


    He knew at first nce what Horace''s motives for approaching Sophia were.


    However, Lukas neverid all his cards on the table. Instead, he shot Horace a faint smile. The


    atmosphere suddenly chilled by several degrees.


    The pressure of Lukas'' gaze was stifling. Horace squirmed upon meeting his stare.


    The man shrewdly cooked up an excuse and left. He allowed himself onest longing nce in


    Sophia''s direction.


    Lukas'' tight-knit brows rxed once the man had left. “Did he do anything to you?”


    “No.”


    Sophia smiled and added, “It''s not that easy for him to hurt me.”


    Lukas mulled over her words and shot his cousin a smile as though he recalled something. “That''s true.


    Granddad and Mr. Willis will probably be chatting for a while longer. Shall we head home first?”


    She eyed the elevator and asked, “Should we tell Granddad we''re leaving?”


    “Sure. I''ll tell one of the staff to inform him.”


    Sophia nodded and said, “Then let''s head home, Lukas.”


    He mumbled an agreement, and they headed to the parking lot.


    The hospital entertained many visitors on the Fourth of July. As the cousins trekked the long distance


    from the hospital building to the parking lot, they naturally attracted plenty of stares. It was difficult not


    to, given that they clearly won the gic lottery in the looks department.


    Two girls were so absorbed in staring at Sophia that they even bumped into a passerby. Their behavior


    did not escape Sophia''s notice. She lowered her head and smiled to herself.


    They soon arrived at their car in the parking lot. Lukas was in the middle of opening his car door when


    a man''s voice boomed from the vehicle beside him.


    The man spoke so loudly that anyone within a radius of three meters could hear his words clearly, let


    alone Lukas and Sophia, whose car was parked beside his.


    “Let me tell you, Jett. I ran into an absolute bombshell earlier! Too bad she has a boyfriend. He seems


    pretty young and isn''t wearing anything branded. I bet he''s nowhere near as rich as me! If I weren''t


    suddenly struck by a sense of chivalry, I would''ve whisked his girlfriend from under his nose. I''ll even


    introduce her to you.”


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    He had barely finished his sentence when another man said, “Are you serious, Horace? Is she even


    prettier than Millie?”


    “Someone needs to broaden your horizons, man! Sure, Millie Jablon is beautiful, but she''s nowhere


    near top-notch. The woman I met earlier was exactly that! They sure are difficult to woo; I''ll give her


    that. I already unted this Ferrari, and she barely lifted her eyes. That''s why they''re different from all


    the other women!”


    “Now I''m curious to see her in person, Horace! But wait. Is there a woman who wouldn''t worship you?


    Don''t worry about it. I''ll put out some feelers and make sure she''s your future missus!”


    “Huh, I guess your mind isn''t as dull as I thought. That''s a great idea! If I can get such a gorgeous


    woman to be my wife, I''ll be the target of everyone''s admiration!”


    The two men smoked and continued their conversation, blissfully ignorant of the eavesdroppers beside


    their car.


    Horace added, “She was wearing a long skirt, but it didn''t hide her smoking hot figure. Tsk, tsk—”


    Lukas'' frown deepened severely as their conversation progressed. He shot Sophia a sidelong nce


    and dered, “Stay in the car. I''ll just be out for a while.”


    While Sophia was in a good mood that day, she would never stand for someone talking about her in


    such a vulgar and presumptuous manner.


    She would happily give Lukas her blessings to teach those men a lesson.


    Lukas, however, always came across as a mild-tempered man. That only meant he did not confront


    people head-on and chose to strike in the dark.


    When Horace noticed Lukas'' arrival, his expression shifted ufortably. “Hey, I didn''t expect to see


    you again.”


    Lukas shot him an insincere smile and asked, “I just wanted to say hello and make your acquaintance.


    What''s your name?”


    At the same time, he red coolly at Horace.


    Horace shifted guiltily and chuckled. “Why, sir, I don''t think we run in the same circles—”


    The man beside him suddenly offered, “What''s up with you, man? This here is Horace Cardette of


    Cardinal Industries! Everyone knows who he is.”


    Horace panicked and kicked Jett warningly. “He''s spouting nonsense.”


    Lukas merely side-eyed him and replied, “Nice to meet you, Horace.”


    Then, he stared at Horace a moment longer before returning to his car.