Chapter 12
usations Adriana couldn''t help but blurt out her thoughts.She spoke too carelessly but soon
realized that what she said was a little too much.So, she quickly exined, "I''m sorry for my outburst.I
just...I care about you too much.I''m afraid I might lose you."
Patrick replied with a faint smile as if it was the only way to appease her.Adriana sighed and wrapped
herself around his arm.
She continued, "Dad is forcing me to take over Clifford Financial Group again.I don''t even have any
experience running a business.The old man said I could go and learn from you.I''ll being to work
for yourpany, okay?"
Instead of answering, Patrick asked her, "Didn''t you say that you''re not interested in any of that?"
Adriana didn''t respond with a yes or no.
"That was before, but I am interested again now.What do you say about us working together at your
company?"
She tugged at his arm, waiting for an answer.
"It''s up to you, '''' Patrick replied and went along with the idea.
Adriana gave him a coy smile and said, "You''re the best.I knew you couldn''t say no to me"
In between her work at Evans Group and her part-time job, Sophia had two hours to arrange for
Emma''s transfer to another kindergarten.
She went to fill up the paperwork, but they told her that her mother had already paid the fees for the
second half of the year.
And if she still wanted Emma to transfer out, she could only receive 70% for the refund.
With a pointed look and an impatient tone, the teacher evenined, "Emma and Harvey got into
an argument, and the boy''s parents came here to make a scene.If Quentin wasn''t involved and if his
family didn''t settle the matter privately, that bit of kindergarten fee would not be enough topensate
his family at all"
Sophia was furious, but she knew that the teacher only spoke the truth.
Without money, she wasn''t able to do anything.
She warned, "Ms.Brown, I hope that you will treat the children equally in the future.This way, you won''t
have to deal with more incidents like this"
After the minor altercation with Emma''s teacher, Sophia led her daughter out of the kindergarten.
Emma tugged at her mother''s hand and pouted her little mouth.
Using her sweetest voice and making puppy-dog eyes at her mother, she said, "Mom, I''ll be good.
Please don''t be angry at me'' Sophia answered, "I''m not angry, baby.Nothing else matters as long as I
have you by my side”
Her heart warmed at her daughter''s expression.
Emma was her life.
As long as she was okay, she wouldn''t be worried about anything else.
"Mom, how about we have a date sometime? Quentin said they have family dates every two days.His
parents take him to the children''s park.They also have big meals together"
Emma suddenly suggested.
While looking at her daughter''s pure and innocent smile, Sophia felt her heart tighten for some reason.
She suddenly felt sorry for her daughter.
Theck of paternal love meant that Emma''s growing environment would be different from other
children.
It broke her heart to know that Emma would always long for that missing piece of her identity.
After Sophia sent her daughter back home, she immediately rushed to her part-time job.
She had already beente to her part-time job once because of the blind date, so she couldn''t afford to
bete again today.
On Wednesday morning, as soon as Sophia walked into thepany building, she felt the thick
tension in the air.
It was stifling to see how everyone was in a panic.
When she arrived at the elevator, she saw Patrick and John talking to a group of people from afar.
It seemed that there was an emergency, and they were discussing how to solve it.
Just as the elevator door opened, her eyes locked with Patrick''s.
Before she could look away, she caught the conflicted look he was giving her.
His eyes had always been hard to fathom.
No one could tell his thoughts when they stared into the seemingly endless depths of his eyes.
When she arrived at her department''s office, she saw a huge bouquet on top of her table.
Upon closer look, she saw a hundred blue roses that looked as expensive as they were extravagant.
She picked up the card and found that the flowers were from Brandon.She immediately ced the
flowers in the corner of the room, but they still drew the attention of her colleagues.She knew she
couldn''t avoid being the topic of their conversations.
Giselle evenmented, "Hey Sophia, Mr.Phillip''s way of showing his affection is as expected from a
big shotpany president, huh?"
The sarcasm was evident in her tone.
She didn''t understand what a man such as Brandon Phillips liked about the in and unremarkable
Sophia.
She continued, "I guess that''s how he is usually.I really envy you, you know? As a woman, you can''t
really resist these kinds of stuff, right?"
At Giselle''s words, a few female colleagues quickly surrounded her and began to gossip more before
work.
"If you like it, then take it.I''m allergic to pollen anyway"
Sophia offered.
She didn''t like how Brandon sent her flowers to her office.She was even somewhat resistant to the fact
that he was showing her interest.She wanted things from the past to stay in the past,whether it was
Adriana, Patrick, or Brandon.
While she was lost in her own thoughts, a tall figure suddenly appeared at the entrance of their
department.
"Ms.Hill, I need you toe with me for a moment.John was calling her.He had an unpleasant look on
his face as if he was about to face a storm.Sophia thought of how Patrick looked at her just now, and
her heart started to beat erratically.Was he finally going to fire her from thepany? "Mr.Ward, do you
need anything from me?" she asked warily.
Sophia tried to keep up with John''s pace, not understanding where his anger wasing from.
"Ms.Hill, President Evans may be a bit sentimental about your shared past, but it does not mean that
he will tolerate you" John warned.
Sophia was slightly stunned.
"Mr.Ward, are you saying..."
John sneered at her and interrupted, "You will know soon enough They were now in the security
department of Evans Group.The head of security, Mike Simmons, and two subordinates sat in the
middle of the table.John stood at the side and listened with his arms crossed as they started to
question Sophia.
"Ms.Hill, may I know where you were and what you didst night? Who were you with?" Mike asked
with a serious expression.
Sophia was startled.She asked, "What happened exactly? I think I have the right to remain silent before
I know what happened."
Mike exined, "Last night, someone sneaked into thepany''s data room and stole arge amount
of data from us.Unfortunately, our system shows that thest person to swipe her employee ID and
enter the room was you, Ms.Hill"
"An employee ID?"
Sophia began to panic.She quickly added, "My employee ID is missing"
Mike smirked and probed further, "Are you sure, Ms.Hill? Will you tell me that the fingerprints on the
door were fake, too?"
In argepany like the Evans Group, every employee had their blood collected and fingerprints
recorded.
These were preventive measures to keep anyone from leaking thepany''s secrets.
Mike took out the fingerprint sample he had collected and said aggressively, "Unfortunately, the
fingerprints that were left on the door match exactly with yours."
Sophia''s eyes were brimming with tears as Mike continued, "Ms.Hill, please cooperate with us in our
investigation.We don''t want to escte this matter to the police.If word got out, it would be bad for you
and thepany"
So this was why John called her? Was this Patrick''s n all along? Sophia was speechless.
Coincidentally, all the signs pointed to her.She wasn''t stupid.
Perhaps this was Patrick''s ultimate goal.
He wanted to force her out of thepany in the worst way possible.
Just as he was five years ago, he never did anything sloppily.
Mike scratched his head in frustration.
They were not making any progress.
Just then, the door opened to reveal a man''s tall and broad figure.
"Mr.Evans."
When Mike and the others saw who it was, they immediately stood up to greet him.
"Mr.Evans, please take a seat" Mike offered.
"Very well, Patrick replied.He went around to the center of the table and sat face to face with Sophia.
"Mike, you guys continue.Don''t worry about me" he instructed.
Patrick spoke in a light tone as if he didn''t feel the added tension by his own authoritative presence in
the room.
Mike nodded and started to speak, but Sophia opened her mouth to interrupt.
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"Mr.Evans, can we talk privately for a moment?"
Patrick took out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it.He tacitly agreed and waved his hand to the other
people in the room.
"You guys go out first"
Mike led his subordinates and went out in a hurry, while John mmed the door as he left.He never
liked the way his boss acted towards Sophia.
The way he saw it, the president might have been protecting her since she came to work for the
company.
When everyone else left the room, Sophia grumbled, "Enlighten me, Mr.Evans.Does it please you to
see a woman humbly beg you for her life? Do you take pleasure when she loses both her pride and
dignity in front of you? Are you having fun? Huh?"