Chapter 143


    Brandon popped into Ephemora because there was some trouble at the hotel here. He didn’t want to


    stir the pot, but they didn’t get into the nitty-gritty of


    the matter.


    Sophia was clueless about whether Darcy was still with the Starlight Group or not.


    He looked just like he did two years ago, short and portly, but without the pep in his step he used to


    have. He looked way more worn out and down in the dumps.


    As Sophia craned her neck to get a better look at him, Darcy nced down at her, noticed the tea he’d


    spilled but just peeped it and didn’t even mutter an ‘I’m sorry’ before he breezed past her to greet the


    tall, skinny guy behind her with a warm double-handed wave, “Ms. Barlow.”


    Among Sophia’s acquaintances, only Marian had it.


    She couldn’t help but take a second look at thenky dude-it was the same guy she’d bumped into in


    the Starlight Hotel’s underground parking lot two years ago.


    Zachary caught Sophia peeking and nced over at the pair before turning to her, “Do you know this


    guy?”


    Sophia chuckled and shook her head, “Nope. Just thought that guy was kinda rude. Bumps into


    someone and can’t even apologize.”


    “No point sweating the small stuff with that kind of person.”


    Sophia nodded with a smile, “Yeah.”


    But maybe because of the past episode where Brandon had deliberately avoided Darcy, even though


    Sophia kept her cool and kept eating, she couldn’t help but eavesdrop on their conversation a bit.


    The restaurant wasn’t crowded, and Sophia’s table was close to theirs, so if she listened carefully, she


    could make out their chat.


    At first, the two just exchanged pleasantries, but then the skinny guy asked Darcy, “How are things on


    your end?” Sophia heard Darcy chuckle and say, “Oh, it’s all good. You think Ms. Barlow needs to


    worry when I’m on the job?” followed by the so-called “Ms. Barlow”ughing heartily, replying,


    “Worrying about Mr. Darcy doing his thing? That’s thest thing I’d do.”


    Darcy also let out a few heartyughs before getting down to brass tacks, “I’ve already got the person


    in ce at thepany, rest easy.”


    The tall and skinny guy said, “Is the person reliable?”


    Darcy said, “Absolutely. You know how tough it is to get into the Starlight Group. Solid HR, barely any


    turnover, hardly any external recruitment spots open each year. If they hadn’t started this new


    subsidiary and needed fresh faces, who knows how long it would’ve been-till kingdome, probably.”


    The mention of “the Starlight Group” made Sophia pause mid-sip. The skinny guyughed and said,


    “Then I’ll await the good news from Mr. Darcy.” Their conversation didn’t seem to have any smoking


    guns.


    But maybe because of Brandon’s past covert investigation, Sophia couldn’t shake the feeling that their


    words hadyers, like there was some scheme brewing.


    Sophia wasn’t sure if she was just being paranoid.


    Later, when she got home, Sophia couldn’t help but ask Susan, “Susan, do you know this Darcy guy?


    The head honcho at the Starlight Group’s Ephemora branch.”


    “Sure do.”


    She was always up to speed with business info, especially for the deals she had clinched herself.


    But then..


    “Why the sudden interest in him? Wasn’t he booted from the Starlight Group ages ago?” Susan asked,


    puzzled..


    “Huh?” Sophia looked at Susan in surprise.


    “Didn’t you know? Not long after Brandon returned to the country, he axed the head of the Starlight


    Hotel’s Ephemora branch and nearly snagged the Barlow Hotel too.”


    Sophia shook her head, clueless. She’d cut ties with Brandon and had blocked all news rted to him


    since then.


    “It’s no wonder you’re out of the loop. Word is, Brandon kept it hush-hush out of respect for Darcy’s


    long service. Just spun it as a ‘staff reshuffle’ and reced the head of the Ephemora branch,” Susan


    exined, “I was tracking the Starlight Hotel project at the time, so I caught some of the gossip on the


    down-low, not much though.”


    Sophia nodded thoughtfully, her mind racing back to Darcy’s words about having “already got the


    person in ce at thepany, rest easy,” and “If they hadn’t started this new subsidiary…” She kept


    reying those lines in her head.


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    “What’s up?” Susan asked, seeing Sophia’s pensive look.


    Sophia shook her head, “Nothing much. Just ran into Darcy and some guy at the restaurant with my


    teacher today. They mentioned the Starlight Group. and I got curious.”


    That reminded Susan of Sophia’s lunch with Zachary, “Oh right, what did the teacher need from you?”


    “Just encouraging me not to give up on opportunities too easily.”


    “See, everyone who knows you thinks it’d be a shame.”


    Sophia nodded silently, still deep in thought, the conversation with Darcy ying on loop in her mind.


    Theresa, who had been engrossed in her fishing game, finally noticed Sophia’s silence, looked up with


    her big, round eyes, tugged on her clothes with her tiny hand, and called out in her baby voice,


    “Mommy?”


    Sophia turned her gaze to her, squatted down in front of her with a smile and asked, “What’s up,


    Theresa?”


    Theresa shook her head and handed Sophia the fishing rod, “Mommy fishy-fishy, happy…


    Sophia chuckled and stroked her little head as they yed the fishing game together. The little one was


    beaming with joy.


    Sophia couldn’t help but look at her and softly asked, “Theresa, do you wanna go home?”


    The little girl’s small mind couldn’t quite grasp what Sophia meant by going home, but after pondering


    seriously, she nodded vigorously, “Want to.”